The Season

And must I wear a silken life,

Hemmed in by city walls?

And must I give my garden up

For theatres and balls?

Nay, though the cage be made of gold,

‘Tis better to be free;

The green of the green meadows, love,

Is quite enough for me.

I’d rather ramble through the lanes

Than drive about in town;

I’d rather muse or dream than dance,

When the stars are shining down.

I do not care for diamonds, dear,

But I care a deal for flowers;

And thousands are just creeping out

For the sunshine and the showers.

I like to hear the Household band,

But I love the bird-songs best;

And hark! how they are twittering now

Round each half-hidden nest!

The wind is whispering in the leaves,

And the downy bees begin

To hum in the blossoming sycamores,

And the brook is chiming in.

There is such melody in the woods,

Such music in the air!

The streets are full of life and sound,

And yet ’tis silent there.

I like to see the pictures-ay,

But I am hard to please!

I never saw a picture yet

As great and grand as these;

Such tones of colour as transform

The tender green and brown,

When the pink dawn is flushing up,

Or the red sun sinking down;

Such painting as the chestnut bud

Shows in its opening heart;

Such lights as shine ‘twixt earth and sky

When rain-clouds break apart;

Such soft, warm, subtle tints, as lie

In every mossy patch-

On the blue-brown trunks, now filled with life,

And the humble roof of thatch,-

In the purple hollows of the hills,

In the lichen on the wall,

In the orchard and the feathery woods,

And the sun-lit waterfall.

I like my humble country ways,

My simple, early meals;

I like to potter about the yard,

With my chickens at my heels.

I’d rather climb this brambly steep,

Where freshest sea-winds blow,

With my old straw hat hanging down my back.

Than canter along the Row.

To me (it’s vulgar, dear, I know)

No fête is half so gay

As a cricket-match on the village green,

Or a picnic in the hay.

Ah, yes! I’m happier as I am,-

I’m ignorant, you see;

And the life of fashion that you love

Would never do for me.

Poetry Monster – Home

A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Наум Коржавин – Генерал by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Гамлет by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Еж и Заяц by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Есть у тех, кому нету места by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Еще в мальчишеские годы by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Двадцатые годы by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Друзьям by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Хрущева – Дождик и художник by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Хрущева – Большой и маленький by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Хрущева – Бабушка рыцаря by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Шевченко – Самолёт by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Шевченко – Прости прости Меня Отец by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Шевченко – Привилегия by Поэзия На Русском
• Наталья Шевченко – Он не в себе by Поэзия На Русском
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись на иллюминацию, представленную ее императорскому Величеству от их императорских высочеств в Ораниенбауме 1750 года июля 31 дня by Михаил Ломоносов
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись на иллюминацию 1747 года перед зимним домом by Михаил Ломоносов
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись на день восшествия на престол Ее Величества 1753 года by Михаил Ломоносов
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись на день рождения Ее Величества by Михаил Ломоносов
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись благоверному и Великому князю Александру Невскому by Михаил Ломоносов
• Михаил Ломоносов – Надпись 5 к статуе Петра Великого by Михаил Ломоносов

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

Parallel Translations of Poetry

Poems by Author and Category

The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works