— How hard for me, the splendor of this crown and robe,
amidst my shame —
— In stony Troezen will be an infamous calamity,
the royal staircase will grow red with disgrace,
. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
and for the mother in love,
the black sun will rise.
— O, if hate would boil in my breast —
but see, the admission itself
has fallen from my lips.
— Phedre burns in a black flame
in broad daylight.
The funeral torch fumes
in broad white daylight.
Dread your mother, Hippolytus:
Phedre — night — watche s over you
in broad white day.
— I have stained the sun with black love . . .
Death from a bottle will cool my ardor —
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
— We are afraid, we do not dare
relieve the king’s grief.
Wounded by Theseus, night
fell upon him. But we,
with a funeral song bringing home the dead,
will pacify the black sun
of wild and sleepless passion.
(Osip Emilevich Mandelstam)
More Poetry from Osip Emilevich Mandelstam:
Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems based on Topics: Night, Kings & Queens, Love, Death & Dying, Grief, Mothers, Hatred, Passion- The Menagerie (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
- Straw (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
- "The thick golden stream of honey took so long" (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
- If I am to know how to restrain your hands (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
- "If I am to know how to restrain your hands" (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
- "In Petersburg we'll meet again" (Osip Emilevich Mandelstam Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Night Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Mothers Poems, Grief Poems, Passion Poems, Hatred PoemsBased on Keywords: theseus, pacify, hippolytus, watche, phedre, troezen