The Demon / Демон. Книга для чтения на английском языке

The patterned vales' luxuriant green

Spread like a carpet on the looms

Of Georgia, rich and blessed ground!

These poplars like great pillars tower,

And sounding streams trip over pebbles

Of many colours in their courses.

And, ember-bright, the rose trees flower

Where nightingales forever warble

To marble beauties fond discourses

Forever deaf to their sweet sound.

On sultry days the timid deer

Seek out an ivy-curtained cave

To hide them from the midday heat;

How bright, how live the leaves are here!

A hundred voices soft conclave

A thousand flower-hearts that beat!

The sensuous warmth of afternoon,

The scented dew which falls to strew

The grateful foliage 'neath the moon,

The stars that shine as full and bright

As Georgian beauties' eyes by night!.

Yet in the outcast's barren breast

Abundant nature woke no new

Upsurge of forces long at rest,

Touched off no other sentiment

Than envy, hatred, cold contempt.

V

Right high the house, right wide the court

Grey-haired Gudaal has builded him…

In tears and labour dearly bought

By slaves submissive to his whim.

Across the neighbouring cliffs its shade

From sunrise dark and cool is laid

A steep stair in the cliff-face hewn

Leads from the corner-tower down

To the Aragva.

Princess Tamara, young and fair,

Goes gleaming, snow white veils a-flutter,

To fetch her jars of river water.

VI

In austere silence heretofore

The house has looked across the valleys;

But now wide open stands the door

Gudaal holds feast to mark the marriage

Of his Tamara: now the wine

Flows freely and the zurna[4 - Zurna – a woodwind musical instrument with a double reed.

The clan is gathered round to dine

And on the roof-top, richly spread

With orient rugs, the promised bride

Sits all amongst her laughing girls:

In games and songs their time is sped

And merriment. Beyond the hills

The semicircle of the sun

Has sunk already. Now the fun

Crows fast and furious.