Óòåõ çàñòîéíûõ îìóò òèõ,-
êà÷àåò ñâîé êàìûø,
ïîêà íå ââàëèòñÿ êòî ëèõ,
ñ âîäû âçìåòàÿ òèøü,
ìåøàÿ áëåñêó ïëûòü ïî íåé,
êî äíó âñåé ðÿáè ãëàäü:
è ðÿáè âçäûáèòüñÿ âîëíîé,
êîëü ïàâîäêàì íàñòàòü.
[David Preest:
The syntax of this poem is clearer with ‘is’
supplied after ‘pleasure’ in line 1, a comma
put after ‘bright’ in line 5, and a full-stop
after ‘going down’ in line 6. In other words
lines 2-5 make up one sense unit.
When the pool of our pleasure is stagnant,
its ‘Shadows’ or ‘ripples’ (a variant reading)
go straight down, but spread outwards again
when 'freshets [from outside] come along’.
Emily reminds us that when we feel low,
something from outside ourselves may
come along to rouse us.]
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A stagnant pleasure like a Pool by Emily Dickinson
A stagnant pleasure like a Pool
That lets its Rushes grow
Until they heedless tumble in
And make the Water slow
Impeding navigation bright
Of Shadows going down -
Yet even this shall rouse itself
When freshets come along.