Like he, she was well-dressed, in fashion, In best attires every day;
But soon, not asked for her concession, Was to the altar led away.
To dissipate her greatest woe Judicious husband had a go:
To village own took her soon; But she was often in a fume,
Some days was crying, then was trying To get divorce from newly man;
But soon to farming she began To be accustomed and relying.
By us the habits have been got Instead of happiness from God.
XXXII
The habits sugared all her woe Which wasn’t smoothed by any chance:
But soon she all was full of go, By it she calmed herself at once:
Between affairs and the leisure She found out with a pleasure
The way to keep her man away! And everything became o’key.
She was the works in fields observing, She salted mushrooms, punished men,
She kept accounts; always then On Saturdays they bath were serving,
Sometimes she beat a house-maid, - All that not asking man she made.
XXXIII
Sometimes with own blood she wrote To lady’s album if by chance,
Then changed in strict and quick a mode The maiden’s names by names from France,
She tried her corset tight to wear, And Russian “н” in French best manner
Through nose singingly could say, But soon her mood could pass away:
To her it all seemed rather queer, She all forgot, replaced again
Each name from France by Russian name, Forgot princess Alina dear;
And she herself renewed at last Night-cap and dressing-gown fast.
XXXIV
Her husband’s love to wife was hearty, Her deeds he took for mere crank,
To trust his wife he was light-hearted, In dressing-gown ate and drank.
His life was calm, without woe. Sometimes his neighbours in his home
Would come together at week-ends, Unceremonious dear friends,
To grieve, to talk of new affairs, To laugh, to gossip for a while,
And thus the time would pass; meanwhile They ask, and Olga tea prepares;
Then supper... time to be in bed, And soon the guests all home get.
XXXV
They kept in peaceful life some customs Of dear old days; it means:
They were at Shrove-day accustomed To have the fattest Russian blins;
They had a fasting twice a year, They liked of round swing high gear,
The guessing songs and round dance, {7} On all Whitsundays caught a chance,
While people yawn in church at prayer, To find a bunch of praying grass {8}
And drop some tears twice or thrice; They needed kvass not less than air,
At table each of dear guests Had course according to the ranks.
XXXVI
And so grew they old both.
But soon for husband, all at once,
The door of coffin was unclosed: To have new wreath he got a chance;
He died at hour of dinner, Bermoned by his neighbours dear,
By children and by loyal wife With candid never seen in life.
He was a common Russian barin, Was kind and good; at his remains
The monument in words explains Submissive sinner, Dimitry Larin,
The brigadier, a slave of God, Has peace by him forever got.
XXXVII
At his Penates, quite permissive Vladimir honoured all, who died;