Thursday, August 5, 2021
Original YT playout date: 1 February 2010
Duration: 9:57
…text to the much-quoted (but only ever in English) poem “Lying To The Young Is Wrong” which *purports* to be translation of a poem by atheist partyline-hugger survive-all-political-weathers veteran bard Yevgeniy Yevtushenko, the man of whom it was said that his ego could shatter glass at twenty paces. But even this doyen of self-promotion does not display the Russian version of this famous verse on his website, nor anywhere for that matter. Was it just my overlooking the obvious, or has he censored it out? Or has he simply lost it? Help Huliganov find the putative original of this highly dubious piece of poetry, and maybe if you like do a video response reading it, and Huli will be most grateful, and will give you a mention on the next big Russian lesson video. Update: Thanks to Gunsandbullhorns and also Chesneywormbot, I managed to get this far:
Не надо говорить неправду детям,
Не надо их в неправде убеждать,
Не надо уверять их, что на свете
Лишь тишь да гладь да божья благодать.
Не надо по желанью своему
Морочить их несбыточными снами.
Учить не надо верить их тому,
Чему уже давно не верим сами.
Солгавший детям детство обезлюдит,
Подсунет им бесчестье, словно честь.
Пусть видят же не только то, что будет,
Пусть видят, ясно видят то, что есть.
Сладинка лжи – отрава в манной каше.
Писк лживый не прощайте у кутят.
И нас потом воспитанники наши
За то, что мы прощали, – не простят.
Even this seems to be missing one verse, but that verse appeared elsewhere.
Они поймут. Они ведь тоже люди.
Откройте им, что трудностей не счесть.
Пусть видят же не только то, что будет,
Пусть видят, ясно видят, то, что есть.
This is clearly included in the 1952 translation – maybe it was later replaced in Russian? I still can’t find any of it among “official” Evtushenko verse. That can’t be correct, can it?
***Statistics and Credits***
Views at the time added to HTV: 588
Likes at the time added to HTV: 5
Dislikes at time added to HTV: 1
Popularity % ” ” ” =L/(L+D): 83.3%
Comments at time added: 0
Total interactions at time added: 6
Total interactions to views 1.0%
Location: Home
Other people featured: Just me
Genre: Poetry
Music used: None
Languages used: English, Russian
Animals/plants featured: None