Prince was a-bathing his horse in the sea;
“Prince”, he would suddenly hear, “Look at me!”
Snorting, his horse tries to shudder away,
Splashes and rushes like mad in the fray.
Prince hears a voice as if spoken afar,
“Want to spend night with a daughter of tsar?”
Now, from the waters, a hand, white as milk,
Catches the horse by its bridle of silk.
Next, pretty head from the water is seen,
Plait with a seaweed is glistening in green.
Blue eyes are burning with passion and love.
Drops on the shoulders are glowing like trove.
Prince thinks, “Okay, let me show you, just wait!"
Deftly he catches the glittering plait.
Tightly he keeps her; he won’t let her go;
Princess is crying, she’s begging him so.
Bravely the knight drags the prey to the shore;
Coming from water, he steps to the fore.
“Hey! Come on over, you, rascals", - he cries,
"Look, how I got you a beautiful prize!”...
"Why, you seem so confused at the sight ?
Or never seen such a charm in broad light ?"
Now, Prince turns to have a quick glance:
Gosh! How his jubilant look fades at once.
There, on a golden sand, right on the trail,
Lies a sea monster, with green fishy tail.
Tail is all scaly as that of the snakes,
Now it's coiled, and it shivers, and shakes.
Sea-foam runs streaming from pain-stricken face,
Eyes have been shrouded in deadly disguise.
Pallid hands clutch at the sand on the beach,
Mutter the lips the strange words of reproach.
Pensive and sad, rides the knight off the shore,
Never forget he will daughter of tsar.
1841
* * *
М.Ю. Лермонтов
Морская царевна
[Комментарий ВП. Ясно, что в образе Морской царевны Лермонтов аллегорически изображает свою дикую поэтическую музу. В некотором роде это продолжение его стиха "Не верь себе", где он призывает поэта "не выходить на шумный пир людей с своею бешеной подругой".
Но важно также то, что художник не должен пытаться взять ее силой, приручить. Напротив, должен ей подчиниться. Право провести ночь - за ней.
Муза, вдохновение - всегда тайна, и должна оставаться таковой. Попытка раскрыть тайну оборачивается для обоих трагедией: муза умирает как морская царевна, а вместе с ней умирает от тоски и художник.]
17.02.2014