It's a pity poetry cannot be adequately translated

[onodera]

I've just found a great poem by Pushkin that I wanted to share with you next time someone would mention my country on Poly, but it's a poem and it's in Russian.
I hate translated poetry, so I guess I'm stuck with arguing with you without any poetic backup. I could not find a translation anyway.
Alternatively, you can go and learn the language. Just don't try and use Google Translate, it sucks like Electrolux.

Î ÷åì øóìèòå âû, íàðîäíûå âèòèè?
Çà÷åì àíàôåìîé ãðîçèòå âû Ðîññèè?
×òî âîçìóòèëî âàñ? âîëíåíèÿ Ëèòâû?
Îñòàâüòå: ýòî ñïîð ñëàâÿí ìåæäó ñîáîþ,
Äîìàøíèé, ñòàðûé ñïîð, óæ âçâåøåííûé ñóäüáîþ,
Âîïðîñ, êîòîðîãî íå ðàçðåøèòå âû.

Óæå äàâíî ìåæäó ñîáîþ
Âðàæäóþò ýòè ïëåìåíà;
Íå ðàç êëîíèëàñü ïîä ãðîçîþ
Òî èõ, òî íàøà ñòîðîíà.
Êòî óñòîèò â íåðàâíîì ñïîðå:
Êè÷ëèâûé ëÿõ, èëü âåðíûé ðîññ?
Ñëàâÿíñêèå ëü ðó÷üè ñîëüþòñÿ â ðóññêîì ìîðå?
Îíî ëü èññÿêíåò? âîò âîïðîñ.

Îñòàâüòå íàñ: âû íå ÷èòàëè
Ñèè êðîâàâûå ñêðèæàëè;
Âàì íåïîíÿòíà, âàì ÷óæäà
Ñèÿ ñåìåéíàÿ âðàæäà;
Äëÿ âàñ áåçìîëâíû Êðåìëü è Ïðàãà;
Áåññìûñëåííî ïðåëüùàåò âàñ
Áîðüáû îò÷àÿííîé îòâàãà -
È íåíàâèäèòå âû íàñ...

Çà ÷òî æ? îòâåòñòâóéòå: çà òî ëè,
×òî íà ðàçâàëèíàõ ïûëàþùåé Ìîñêâû
Ìû íå ïðèçíàëè íàãëîé âîëè
Òîãî, ïîä êåì äðîæàëè âû?
Çà òî ëü, ÷òî â áåçäíó ïîâàëèëè
Ìû òÿãîòåþùèé íàä öàðñòâàìè êóìèð
È íàøåé êðîâüþ èñêóïèëè
Åâðîïû âîëüíîñòü, ÷åñòü è ìèð?..

Âû ãðîçíû íà ñëîâàõ - ïîïðîáóéòå íà äåëå!
Èëü ñòàðûé áîãàòûðü, ïîêîéíûé íà ïîñòåëå,
Íå â ñèëàõ çàâèíòèòü ñâîé èçìàèëüñêèé øòûê?
Èëü ðóññêîãî öàðÿ óæå áåññèëüíî ñëîâî?
Èëü íàì ñ Åâðîïîé ñïîðèòü íîâî?
Èëü ðóññêèé îò ïîáåä îòâûê?
Èëü ìàëî íàñ? Èëè îò Ïåðìè äî Òàâðèäû,
Îò ôèíñêèõ õëàäíûõ ñêàë äî ïëàìåííîé Êîëõèäû,
Îò ïîòðÿñåííîãî Êðåìëÿ
Äî ñòåí íåäâèæíîãî Êèòàÿ,
Ñòàëüíîé ùåòèíîþ ñâåðêàÿ,
Íå âñòàíåò ðóññêàÿ çåìëÿ?..
Òàê âûñûëàéòå æ ê íàì, âèòèè,
Ñâîèõ îçëîáëåííûõ ñûíîâ:
Åñòü ìåñòî èì â ïîëÿõ Ðîññèè,
Ñðåäè íå÷óæäûõ èì ãðîáîâ.

[Darius871]

I think it sucks. Flagrant ripoff of Robert Frost for one.

[Verto]

Gobbledegook.

[onodera]

Originally posted by Darius871
I think it sucks. Flagrant ripoff of Robert Frost for one.

Do you also think that Alexander the Great wanted to emulate his idol, Napoleon?

[Darius871]

Absolutely. Don't pretend the Oracle of Delphi couldn't see that far into the future.

[Traianvs]

How can I see the proper Russian letters?


Óæå äàâíî ìåæäó ñîáîþ
Âðàæäóþò ýòè ïëåìåíà;
Íå ðàç êëîíèëàñü ïîä ãðîçîþ
Òî èõ, òî íàøà ñòîðîíà.
Êòî óñòîèò â íåðàâíîì ñïîðå:
Êè÷ëèâûé ëÿõ, èëü âåðíûé ðîññ?
Ñëàâÿíñêèå ëü ðó÷üè ñîëüþòñÿ â ðóññêîì ìîðå?
Îíî ëü èññÿêíåò? âîò âîïðîñ.

:/

[Meticulous Man]

Îò ôèíñêèõ õëàäíûõ ñêàë äî ïëàìåííîé Êîëõèäû,

Hmmm... there's a familiar looking word in there...

[Meticulous Man]

Originally posted by Traianvs
How can I see the proper Russian letters?


Óæå äàâíî ìåæäó ñîáîþ
Âðàæäóþò ýòè ïëåìåíà;
Íå ðàç êëîíèëàñü ïîä ãðîçîþ
Òî èõ, òî íàøà ñòîðîíà.
Êòî óñòîèò â íåðàâíîì ñïîðå:
Êè÷ëèâûé ëÿõ, èëü âåðíûé ðîññ?
Ñëàâÿíñêèå ëü ðó÷üè ñîëüþòñÿ â ðóññêîì ìîðå?
Îíî ëü èññÿêíåò? âîò âîïðîñ.

:/

Character Encoding -> Cyrillic (Windows-1251)

[gwillybj]

Re: It's a pity poetry cannot be adequately translated

Originally posted by onodera
... Just don't try and use Google Translate, it sucks like Electrolux...

Is BabelFish passable?

[Meticulous Man]

I felt forced to go against advice and run the poem through Google Translate...

What you are quiet, folk vitii?
Why do you anathema threatens Russia?
What you outraged? Trouble in Lithuania?
Leave: the Slavs dispute among themselves,
Home, an old argument, certainly Weighted destiny,
The question, which does not allow you.

It has long been among themselves
Enmity of these tribes;
Not every bend of the Storm
That they, our side.
Who stand in the unequal dispute:
Arrogant view to, il faithful Russia?
Slavic y solyutsya streams in the Russian sea?
It issyaknet y? So the issue.

Leave us: you have not read
These bloody tables;
You incomprehensible, you alien
Shall family feud;
For you to mute the Kremlin and Prague;
It makes no sense to charm you
Wrestling desperate courage --
And you hate us ...

For well? corresponding: for whether
As for the burning ruins of Moscow
We will not recognize blatant
Togo, under whom drozhali you?
Therefore y, that the abyss povalili
We tyagoteyuschy the kingdom of god
And our blood redeemed
Europe freedom, honor and peace? ..

You formidable in words - try to actually!
Ile-old hero, late in the bed,
Not able to screw his Izmail bayonet?
Ile Russian king has been powerless to call?
Ile us to Europe to argue news?
Il from Russian won otvyk?
Ile few of us? Or from Perm to Tavridy,
From the Finnish hladnyh rocks to the flame Colchis,
From the shock Kremlin
Before the walls nedvizhnogo China
Steel bristles reconciliation,
Do not embark Russian land? ..
So send us Well, vitii,
Ozloblennyh his sons:
There is place them in the fields of Russia,
Among them nechuzhdyh coffins.

[onodera]

Re: Re: It's a pity poetry cannot be adequately translated

Originally posted by gwillybj

Is BabelFish passable?

Not quite passable, but better than GT.

[Solver]

Learn to use Unicode, you denizens of the backwards Matushka Rodina Poetry translations are horrible beyond belief, though, done by software.

One for you, comrades

My uncle very fair rules, when not a joke zanemog, he forced himself to respect

Or, Babel offers

My uncle of the most honest rules, when not into the joke it fell ill, it to respect itself made it necessary

[onodera]

Originally posted by Solver
Learn to use Unicode, you denizens of the backwards Matushka Rodina

Let's try again:
О чем шумите вы, народные витии?
Зачем анафемой грозите вы России?
Что возмутило вас? волнения Литвы?
Оставьте: это спор славян между собою,
Домашний, старый спор, уж взвешенный судьбою,
Вопрос, которого не разрешите вы.

Уже давно между собою
Враждуют эти племена;
Не раз клонилась под грозою
То их, то наша сторона.
Кто устоит в неравном споре:
Кичливый лях, иль верный росс?
Славянские ль ручьи сольются в русском море?
Оно ль иссякнет? вот вопрос.

Оставьте нас: вы не читали
Сии кровавые скрижали;
Вам непонятна, вам чужда
Сия семейная вражда;
Для вас безмолвны Кремль и Прага;
Бессмысленно прельщает вас
Борьбы отчаянной отвага -
И ненавидите вы нас...

За что ж? ответствуйте: за то ли,
Что на развалинах пылающей Москвы
Мы не признали наглой воли
Того, под кем дрожали вы?
За то ль, что в бездну повалили
Мы тяготеющий над царствами кумир
И нашей кровью искупили
Европы вольность, честь и мир?..

Вы грозны на словах - попробуйте на деле!
Иль старый богатырь, покойный на постеле,
Не в силах завинтить свой измаильский штык?
Иль русского царя уже бессильно слово?
Иль нам с Европой спорить ново?
Иль русский от побед отвык?
Иль мало нас? Или от Перми до Тавриды,
От финских хладных скал до пламенной Колхиды,
От потрясенного Кремля
До стен недвижного Китая,
Стальной щетиною сверкая,
Не встанет русская земля?..
Так высылайте ж к нам, витии,
Своих озлобленных сынов:
Есть место им в полях России,
Среди нечуждых им гробов.

[Solver]

Much better