Khlebnikov (+ another question, about the word безволода)

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

The following offlist message is a good summary of everything important about this passage, but let me thank EVERYONE who helped to piece it together!

> I read this as meaning that the waterfall of beer and blood has been there,
> and the mills are now being placed to profit by the energy, that will turn
> the millwheels. I agree with Hugh that "beloved" or "sweet" would better
> convey what I take to be a sarcastic epithet. It's about war profiteering
> in both economic and political senses, as I take it. It took me a while to
> realize that the prepositional phrase С ... волной modifies отрицаем. So
> "we" are rising up to drown war-mongering, etc., with the red wave of
> revolution. It is 1917 "now," so the war has been going on for three years.
> "You" must be the Germans; presumably beer runs in their veins instead of
> blood! One can almost see the propaganda poster that depicts the image this
> passage describes.

I am hoping that this second question will prove simpler!

Перерезанное красной молнией
Голубое знамя безволода,
Знамя ветреных зорь, утренних солнц
Поднято и развевается над землей,
Вот оно, друзья мои!
Правительство земного шара.

What does безволода mean?  My first guess is that it might be a neologism meaning something like "anarchy".  But I may well be totally wrong.

All the best,

Robert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------