Ah... I took Russian in college and I remember reading this and translating it. It's one of those poems that is plaintive and beautiful in any language. When I saw it in your entry, I was transported back to the library where I was sitting when I first read it, because it was truly one of those "oh wow..." moments.

I almost can't bear to read it- like it's wriggling around in my soul now.

I've been contemplating a foreign language to take next year, and I'd decided on Japanese, but now I'm waffling over Russian, again. I'd take German, but my school doesn't offer it. Isn't that strange? Russian, Mandarin, Japanese... but no German. Sad! My mother, who took 6 years of German, thinks it'd be a mistake for me to take it: "You'll never use it! It's useless!" But I think it's gorgeous, and I think it has to do with my link to my mom. I grew up knowing German phrases thanks to her. Anyway! That's enough of a hijack. And it's more positive than my angsting over this beautiful poem.

Ah Pushkin! My favorite passive-aggressive poet! I swooned over him in high school because I thought that was exactly how the perfect love should feel. Painful.

I want to (re)learn Cantonese, but the only Chinese classes most places offer is the more practical (and not nearly as colorful) Mandarin. Bah.