The Black Shawl poem – Alexander Pushkin

A poem by Alexander Pushkin – Pouchkine, Pooshkin (1799-1837), in English translation

As of senses bereft, at a black shawl I stare,

And my chill heart is tortured with deadly despair.

When dreaming too fondly in credulous youth,

I loved a Greek maiden with passion and truth.

My Greek girl was gentle and loving and fair;

But my joy quickly sank in a day of despair.

Once I feasted gay friends; ere the banquet was o’er

A Jew, the accursed, softly knocked at my door.

“Thou art laughing,” he whispered,”in pleasure’s mad whirl;

But she hath betrayed thee, thy young Grecian girl.”

I cursed him; but gold as a guerdon I gave,

And took as companion my trustiest slave.

My swift charger I mounted; at once we depart,

And the soft voice of pity was stilled in my heart.

The Greek maiden’s dwelling I hardly could mark,

For my limbs they grew faint, and my eyes they grew dark.

I silently entered-alone and amazed;

An Armenian was kissing the girl as I gazed.

I saw not the light; but I seized my good blade;

The betrayer ne’er finished the kiss that betrayed.

On his warm, headless body I trampled, then spurn’d,

And silent and pale to the maiden I turned.

I remember her prayers-in her blood how she strove;

Then perished my Greek girl-then perished my love.

I tore the black shawl from her head as she lay,

Wiped the blood-dripping weapon, and hurried away.

When the mists of the evening rose gloomy, my slave

Threw each corpse in the Danube’s dark fastrolling wave.

Since then no bewildering eyes can delight;

Since then I forbear festive banquets at night.

As of senses bereft, at a black shawl I stare,

And my chill heart is tortured with deadly despair.

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Poems in English 

• Madonna poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Wisdom poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Unity poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Harvest poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Fitfulness poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Wisdom poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love’s Fitfulness poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love Of Life poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Love Of Life poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Lost poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• “Look up, desponding hearts! See, Morning sallies” poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Lines Written On Visiting The Chateaux On The Loire poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Let The Weary World Go Round poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Leszko The Bastard poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• “`Know, Nature, like the cuckoo, laughs at law” poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Is Life Worth Living? poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• Inflexible As Fate poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• In The Month When Sings The Cuckoo poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• In The Forum poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin
• In Sutton Woods poem – Alfred Austin by Alfred Austin

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