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Home  »  Modern Russian Poetry  »  Andrey Bely (Pseudonym of Boris Bugayev) (b. 1880)

Deutsch and Yarmolinsky, comps. Modern Russian Poetry. 1921.

Messengers

Andrey Bely (Pseudonym of Boris Bugayev) (b. 1880)

IN fields hopeless and dumb

Droops the pale-bladed grain;

It is dozing and numb

Amid dreams that are vain….

With a high sudden hum

The field tosses its mane:

“Unto us Christ is come!”

The wild news shakes the plain.

Like a wind-beaten drum

Shouts the quivering grain.

The bells ring soft and slow,

There is clamor and pain

In the church, and a low

Voice is lifted again

That reiterates: “Woe!”

To the poor folk and plain

Are brought candles aglow:

“Christ is coming again!”

But with voices of woe

They file doorward, in pain.