Pushkin: Stanzas to Tsar Nicholas I (From Russian)

Stanzas to Tsar Nicholas I

By Alexander Pushkin

Translated by A.Z. Foreman

In hopes of glory and good will

With fearless gaze I look ahead.

The star of Peter's dawn was ill

With many a rebel's severed head. 

But he with truth engaged men's hearts,

With learning gentled uncouth ways,

And honored Dolgorúki's arts 

Against the Musketeers' mad frays.

He bid with autocratic hand

Seeds of enlightenment grow free,

And did not spurn his native land,

Knowing full well its destiny.

Man of the sword, man of the scroll,

As shipmate and as shipwright known,

For with his all-embracing soul

He was a workman on the throne. 

In kinship likeness, then, take pride;

By noble lineage stand defined.

Like him let staunchness be your guide.

Eschew, like him, a vengeful mind. 

Notes:
Line 1: Czar Nicholas had just let Pushkin out of exile upon his accession to the throne.
Line 3: i.e. Peter the Great
Line 7: Vasiliy Dolgoruki, sent abroad to be educated by Peter and later represented the Russian empire in several embassies in Western Europe. His later career was decidedly less lofty and decidedly unsuccessful in preventing his head from being liberated from the rest of his body.
Line 8: The Musketeers i.e. the Streltsy, units of guardsmen responsible mainly for border and municiple duties (including the protection of the Kremlin) who attempted to prevent Peter from coming to power 1682 and were subsequently disbanded.

Original:

В надежде славы и добра 

Гляжу вперед я без боязни: 

Начало славных дней Петра 

Мрачили мятежи и казни.

Но правдой он привлек сердца, 

Но нравы укротил наукой, 

И был от буйного стрельца 

Пред ним отличен Долгорукой.

Самодержавною рукой 

Он смело сеял просвещенье, 

Не презирал страны родной: 

Он знал ее предназначенье.

То академик, то герой, 

То мореплаватель, то плотник, 

Он всеобъемлющей душой 

На троне вечный был работник.

Семейным сходством будь же горд; 

Во всем будь пращуру подобен: 

Как он, неутомим и тверд, 

И памятью, как он, незлобен.

Romanization:

V nadéžde slávy i dobrá
Gljažú vperëd ja bez bojázni:
Načálo slávnykh dnej Petrá
Mračíli mjáteži i kázni.

No právdoj on privlëk serdcá,
I nrávy ukrotíl naúkoj,
I byl ot bújnogo streljcá
Pred nim otlíčen Dolgorúkoj.

Samoderžávnoju rukój
On smélo séjal prosveščénje,
Ne prezirál straný rodnój:
On znal jejó prednaznačénje.

To akadémik, to gerój,
To moreplávatelj, to plótnik,
On vseobjémljuščej dušój
Na tróne véčnyj byl rabótnik.

Seméjnym skhódstvom budj že gord;
Vo vsém budj praščuru podóbem:
Kak on neutomím i tvërd,
I pámjatju, kak on, nezlóben.