Eugene Oneguine [Onegin]. A Romance of Russian Life in Verse

Ah no! no faintness her attacked 
Nor sudden turned she red or white, 
Her brow she did not e'en contract 
Nor yet her lip compressed did bite.

Though he surveyed her at his ease, 

Not the least trace Oneguine sees 
Of the Tattiana of times fled. 
He conversation would have led—

But could not. Then she questioned him:— 

"Had he been long here, and where from? 
Straight from their province had he come?"— 
Cast upwards then her eyeballs dim 
Unto her husband, went away— 
Transfixed Oneguine mine doth stay.

XX

Is this the same Tattiana, say, 
Before whom once in solitude, 
In the beginning of this lay, 
Deep in the distant province rude, 
Impelled by zeal for moral worth, 
He salutary rules poured forth?

The maid whose note he still possessed 

Wherein the heart its vows expressed, 
Where all upon the surface lies,— 
That girl—but he must dreaming be— 
That girl whom once on a time he 
Could in a humble sphere despise, 
Can she have been a moment gone 
Thus haughty, careless in her tone?

XXI

He quits the fashionable throng 
And meditative homeward goes, 
Visions, now sad, now grateful, long 
Do agitate his late repose.

He wakes—they with a letter come— 

The Princess N. will be at home 
On such a day. O Heavens, 'tis she! 
Oh! I accept. And instantly 
He a polite reply doth scrawl. 
What hath he dreamed? What hath occurred? 
In the recesses what hath stirred 
Of a heart cold and cynical?

Vexation? Vanity? or strove 

Again the plague of boyhood—love?

XXII

The hours once more Oneguine counts, 
Impatient waits the close of day, 
But ten strikes and his sledge he mounts 
And gallops to her house away.

Trembling he seeks the young princess— 

Tattiana finds in loneliness. 
Together moments one or two 
They sat, but conversation's flow 
Deserted Eugene. He, distraught, 
Sits by her gloomily, desponds, 
Scarce to her questions he responds, 
Full of exasperating thought.

He fixedly upon her stares— 

She calm and unconcerned appears.

XXIII

The husband comes and interferes 
With this unpleasant tete-a-tete

, With Eugene pranks of former years 
And jests doth recapitulate.

They talked and laughed. The guests arrived. 

The conversation was revived 
By the coarse wit of worldly hate; 
But round the hostess scintillate 
Light sallies without coxcombry, 
Awhile sound conversation seems 
To banish far unworthy themes 
And platitudes and pedantry, 
And never was the ear affright 
By liberties or loose or light.

XXIV