In horror Tanya is awaking...
She sees: the room is light again, Through window’s a frosty pane
Of dawn the ray all crimson sparkles And Olga opens the door;
Like North Aurora’s face of her, And like a butterfly she flutters.
‘But now tell;’ she says, ‘to me: Whom did you see in dream with me?’
XXII
At sister Tanya isn’t looking; She lies in bed; a book she has
And leaf by leaf through it is looking But nothing to her sister says...
This kind of book yet doesn’t show The writer’s fancies in a row,
Nor pictures nor a wisdom thought That Virgin or Racine had got,
Nor Scott, nor Byron, nor Seneka; The Lady’s Fashion Journal had
Less influence on lady’s head; It was, my friends, Martyn Zadeka,
The head of Chaldean wise men, Of dreams the fortune-teller then.
XXIII
This thoughtful, interesting creation By travelling merchant them was brought
One day to their isolation And for Tatyana they then bought:
Malvina’s works but separated For several roubles he abated,
And in addition gave to them Collection of plain fables then, With them two Pentads, a grammar.
Marmontel’s volume them he gave.
Martin Zadeka then became The pet of Tanya, and forever
He comforts her in all her griefs And constantly with her he sleeps.
XXIV
That dream aroused her misgivings.
Not grasping ways to understand
Of dreadful fancy all the meanings Tatyana wants to find the end.
In book’s short contents, finds she out Some words that should explain about
The dreams: fir-trees, the hag, the bores, The East, the bear, snow-storms
Etcetera.
Her real doubt Zadeka never could resolve!
Her dream is sinister, it all At sad adventures pointed out.
And several days she after that Had been entroubled, deeply sad.
XXV
By crimson hand not seen by now The dawn from morning towards the lay
Has brought. the sun and anyhow The merry festival name-day .
An Lane’s home from the morning Is full of guests, of kin adoring:
All neighbours came by closed sleigh, By hooded carts, by britzkas, sledge...
In afternoon they squash and crowd, In drawing room they meet new face;
The barks, the smacks of kissing maids, The crush, the laugh, the noise are loud.
All bow, shuffle, gladly smile, Wet-nurses scream, the babies cry.
XXVI
With own wife that’s very portly Came stout Pustyakov at last;
Gvozdin, good master, who could shortly Make beggars of his peasants fast.
Grey-haired couple of Scotinin With all the children you’d be seeing
From two to thirty years on; The district dandy Petushkov,
With him my cousin first Buyanov, All fuzzy, wears peaky cap,
(Of course you him alredy met;) And counsellor retired Flyanov,
The greatest gossip, old cheat, The glutton, grafter, fool a bit.
XXVII
With Kharlikov Panfil and children Monsieur Triquet arrived, a wit,
Who left Tambov without hindrance, He wears glasses, brown wig.