{"id":2625,"date":"2012-03-16T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2012-03-16T08:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2625"},"modified":"2014-07-17T17:59:14","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T17:59:14","slug":"spring-has-sprung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/spring-has-sprung\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Has Sprung"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

This has been a harsh winter in Russia and it\u2019s not quite over yet. The snow and cold are lingering well into March in many regions of the country. It\u2019s a balmy 26 degrees F there today and snow is expected tomorrow. And weather reports include \u0434\u043e <\/strong>\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u0437\u043d\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (painfully familiar verses) by Feodor Tyutchev: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0417\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0437\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u044f, <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0435\u0451<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>. <\/strong>\u0412\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u044f <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0442 <\/strong>\u0441\u043e <\/strong>\u0434\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> (Winter\u2019s spite is vain for its time has come at last. Knocking at the pains, spring has cast it out\u2026) [The rest of the poem is #117 here<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Sure, winter is overstaying its welcome, but it gives us a wonderful opportunity to learn some spring time poems that Russians love to quote in news as well as in general conversations. But don\u2019t worry you won\u2019t have to work too hard. The thing is, all you really need to remember are just a couple of lines from each.<\/p>\n

Having just a few lines memorized can do wonders! For example, as you watch yet another \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0437 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u044b<\/strong> (weather report) showing snow-covered streets, you can knowingly sigh and quote \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435\u0449\u0451<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0445 <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442 <\/strong>\u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433, <\/strong>\u0430 <\/strong>\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u044b <\/strong>\u0443\u0436 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0448\u0443\u043c\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> (snow is still white in the fields, but spring is in the waters\u2019 voice) [translated poem #82<\/a> on the same site; the original Russian poem is here<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Your Russian friends will be impressed when next time as they quote \u00ab<\/strong>\u041b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u044e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0443<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [I love May\u2019s early storms] you will quip in with \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u043e\u043c, <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0431\u044b <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u0441\u044f <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u044f, <\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0435 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> (when spring\u2019s first thunder, as if frolicking and playing, rumbles in the blue sky) [the entire poem in Russian is here<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Of course, that one might have to wait until May or even June, the way this spring is unfolding. Ok, so let\u2019s look for something more immediately useful. Do you remember a song from South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut<\/em> – \u201cthe sun is shining, the grass is green, under the three feet of snow, I mean\u201d? It always reminds me of the Russian poet\u2019s Alexei Plesheev\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u0422\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0437\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442, <\/strong>\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043d\u044b\u0448\u043a\u043e <\/strong>\u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442, <\/strong>\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u044e <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438 <\/strong>\u043a <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u043c <\/strong>\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [lit: the grass is green, the sun is shining, the swallow is brining spring to our porch]. This is a verse all Russian children are familiar with, no doubt.<\/p>\n

You might also like to use the phrase \u0432 <\/strong>\u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u044f\u043b\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u044e<\/strong> (spring breezes through the window) in the same way you\u2019d use \u201cspring is in the air\u201d. This phrase is from another poem by Alexei Plesheev.<\/p>\n

You can find all these and more \u0441\u0442\u0438\u0445\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0443<\/span><\/strong> (poems about spring) here<\/a>. Not all of them are \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043d\u044b <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0446\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b<\/strong> (lit: taken apart for quotations; used as sources of quotes). And the list is far from complete.<\/p>\n

For example, my favorite spring time poem, by Alexander Blok, is not on it:<\/p>\n

\u041e, \u0432\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0446\u0430<\/span> \u0438 \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u044e –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0446\u0430<\/span> \u0438 \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u0430<\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0423\u0437\u043d\u0430\u044e<\/span> \u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span>, \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c! \u041f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044e!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0418 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u044e \u0437\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u043c \u0449\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Oh, spring without end and without limit –<\/p>\n

Without end and without limit a dream!<\/p>\n

I discover you, life! I accept you!<\/p>\n

And welcome you with a clang of the shield!)<\/p>\n

Is it ok to learn just a few lines from a poem for the sole purpose of enlivening a conversation or showing off in front of friends? Let me just quote a classic on this one:<\/p>\n

\u041c\u044b \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0435\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0443,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span> \u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c \u0438 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0422\u0430\u043a \u0432\u043e\u0441\u043f\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0435\u043c, \u0441\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0430 \u0411\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0443,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0423 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u043d\u0435\u043c\u0443\u0434\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043e<\/span> \u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u044c.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(We all have studied, if a little,<\/p>\n

Some blurry thing in some vague ways,<\/p>\n

So thank the Lord, among our people,<\/p>\n

He\u2019s praised who somewhat lore displays)<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t read A. Pushkin\u2019s Eugene Onegin by now, here\u2019s a link<\/a> to the English translation.<\/p>\n

What other \u043a\u0440\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0444\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u044b<\/strong> (lit. winged phrases; popular quotations) about Spring can you think of?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

This has been a harsh winter in Russia and it\u2019s not quite over yet. The snow and cold are lingering well into March in many regions of the country. It\u2019s a balmy 26 degrees F there today and snow is expected tomorrow. And weather reports include \u0434\u043e \u0431\u043e\u043b\u0438 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043c\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043a\u0438 (painfully familiar verses) by Feodor…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[117544,60507,117545,117543,1131,1250,1263,56488],"class_list":["post-2625","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-alexander-blok","tag-alexander-pushkin","tag-alexei-plesheev","tag-fyodor-tyutchev","tag-learning-russian","tag-russian-literature","tag-russian-poetry","tag-spring-in-russia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2625"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6413,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2625\/revisions\/6413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}