К *** [Я помню чудное мгновенье...] [K *** [Ya pomnyu chudnoe mgnoven'e...]] [English translation]

The wondrous moment fills remembrance:

Before me you appeared. In view

As if a vision of transcendence,

As if the soul of beauty new.

In agonies of hopeless sadness

In jostling of worldly noise

In dreams I saw your face of gladness

And sounded long your tender voice.

Years passed. Rebellious, stormy madness

Scattered dreams of former choice,

And I forgot your face of gladness,

The heaven of your tender voice.

In depths of dim incarceration

My days dragged on exhausted of

both sanctity and inspiration.

No tears, no life, and with no love.

Came to my soul a new ascendance:

Lo, you again appeared. In view

As if a vision of transcendence,

As if the soul of beauty new.

And beats my heart in exultation

And resurrected can approve

And sanctity and inspiration,

And life, and tears, and also love.

• Artist:Aleksandr Pushkin