I have erected a monument to myself
Not built by hands; the track of it, though trodden
By the people, shall not become overgrown,
And it stands higher than Alexander’s column.
I shall not wholly die. In my sacred lyre
My soul shall outlive my dust and escape corruption–
And I shall be famed so long as underneath
The moon a single poet remains alive.
I shall be noised abroad through all great Russia,
Her innumerable tongues shall speak my name:
The tongue of the Slavs’ proud grandson, the Finn, and now
The wild Tungus and Kalmyk, the steppes’ friend.
In centuries to come I shall be loved by the people
For having awakened noble thoughts with my lyre,
For having glorified freedom in my harsh age
And called for mercy towards the fallen.
Be attentive, Muse, to the commandments of God;
Fearing no insult, asking for no crown,
Receive with indifference both flattery and slander,
And do not argue with a fool.
—
The title of this poem comes from Horace’s ode “Exegi monumentum aere perennius” which translates to “I have raised a monument more durable than bronze.” Using that line by Horace, Pushkin both references the same thing that Horace was (the life of his poetry after his death) but also is making a joke since one of Pushkin’s most famous poems was The Bronze Horseman. Pushkin was not without a sense of humor and was incredibly arrogant, so I can say with a fair degree of certainty that it was intentional. This is one of my favorite poems by him, and while he is writing about how great he is and that his work is the best, there’s a vulnerability in this poem as well. He is looking toward his death and there’s a certain fear and insecurity present in this poem. But, frankly, the monument he built still stands as Pushkin is one of the most important poets in all literature.
我为自己建立了一座非人工的纪念碑,在人们走向那儿的路径上,青草不再生长,
它抬起那颗不肯屈眼的头颅,
高耸在亚历山大的纪念石柱之上.
不,我不会完全死亡
——我的灵魂在遗留下的诗歌当中,
将比我的骨灰活得更久长,和逃避了腐朽灭亡——
我将永远光荣不朽,直到还只有一个诗人
活在这月光下的世界上.
我的名声将传遍整个伟大的俄罗斯,
它现存的一切语言,都会讲着我的名字.
无论是骄傲的斯拉夫人的子孙,是芬兰人,
甚至现在还是野蛮的通古斯人,和草原上的朋友卡尔梅克人.
我所以永远能和人民亲近,
是因为我曾用诗歌,唤起人们善良的感情,
在我这残酷的时代,我歌颂过自由,
并且还为那些倒下去的人门,祈求过宽恕同情.
哦,诗神缪斯,听从上帝的旨意吧,
既不要畏惧侮辱,也不要希求桂冠,
赞美和诽谤,都心平静气地容忍,
更无须去和愚妄的人空作争论
Pushkin
