Eugene Onegin

So be it then! Henceforth I place

My faith in you and your affection;

I plead with tears upon my face

And beg you for your kind protection.

You cannot know: I'm so alone,

There's no one here to whom I've spoken,

My mind and will are almost broken,

And I must die without a moan.

I wait for you . . . and your decision:

Revive my hopes with but a sign,

Or halt this heavy dream of mine

Alas, with well-deserved derision!

I close. I dare not now reread. . . .

I shrink with shame and fear.

But surely, Your honour's all the pledge

I need, And I submit to it securely.

32

The letter trembles in her fingers;

By turns Tatyana groans and sighs.

The rosy sealing wafer lingers

Upon her fevered tongue and dries.

Her head is bowed, as if she's dozing;

Her light chemise has slipped, exposing

Her lovely shoulder to the night.

But now the moonbeams' glowing light

Begins to fade. The vale emerges

Above the mist. And now the stream

In silver curves begins to gleam.

The shepherd's pipe resounds and urges

The villager to rise. It's morn!

My Tanya, though, is so forlorn.

33

She takes no note of dawn's procession,

Just sits with lowered head, remote;

Nor does she put her seal's impression

Upon the letter that she wrote.

But now her door is softly swinging:

It's grey Filtievna, who's bringing

Her morning tea upon a tray.

'It's time, my sweet, to greet the day;

Why, pretty one, you're up already!

You're still my little early bird!

Last night you scared me, 'pon my word!

But thank the Lord, you seem more steady;

No trace at all of last night's fret,

Your cheeks are poppies now, my pet.'

34

'Oh, nurse, a favour, please . . , and hurry!'

'Why, sweetheart, anything you choose.'