the society
against which it was levelled. If some of the versification is rough
and wanting in "go," I must plead in excuse the difficult form of the
stanza, and in many instances the inelastic nature of the subject
matter to be versified. Stanza XXXV Canto II forms a good example
of the latter difficulty, and is omitted in the German and French
versions to which I have had access. The translation of foreign
verse is comparatively easy so long as it is confined to conventional
poetic subjects, but when it embraces abrupt scraps of conversation
and the description of local customs it becomes a much more arduous
affair. I think I may say that I have adhered closely to the text
of the original.

The following foreign translations of this poem have appeared:

1. French prose. Oeuvres choisis de Pouchekine. H. Dupont. Paris,
1847.

2. German verse. A. Puschkin's poetische Werke. F. Bodenstedt.
Berlin, 1854.

3. Polish verse. Eugeniusz Oniegin. Roman Aleksandra Puszkina.
A. Sikorski. Vilnius, 1847.

4. Italian prose. Racconti poetici di A. Puschkin, tradotti da
A. Delatre. Firenze, 1856.

London, May 1881.

CONTENTS

Mon Portrait
A Short Biographical Notice of Alexander Pushkin
Eugene Oneguine
Canto I: "The Spleen"
Canto II: The Poet
Canto III: The Country Damsel
Canto IV: Rural Life
Canto V: The Fete
Canto VI: The Duel
Canto VII: Moscow
Canto VIII: The Great World

Mon Portrait

Written by the poet at the age of 15.

Vous me demandez mon portrait,
Mais peint d'apres nature:
Mon cher, il sera bientot fait,
Quoique en miniature.

Je suis un jeune polisson
Encore dans les classes;
Point sot, je le dis sans facon,
Et sans fades grimaces.

Oui! il ne fut babillard
Ni docteur de Sorbonne,
Plus ennuyeux et plus braillard
Que moi-meme en personne.

Ma taille, a celle des plus longs,
Elle n'est point egalee;
J'ai le teint frais, les cheveux blonds,
Et la tete bouclee.

J'aime et le monde et son fracas,
Je hais la solitude;
J'abhorre et noises et debats,
Et tant soit peu l'etude.

Spectacles, bals, me plaisent fort,
Et d'apres ma pensee,
Je dirais ce que j'aime encore,
Si je n'etais au Lycee.

Apres cela, mon cher ami,
L'on peut me reconnaitre,
Oui! tel que le bon Dieu me fit,
Je veux toujours paraitre.

Vrai demon, par l'espieglerie,
Vrai singe par sa mine,
Beaucoup et trop d'etourderie,
Ma foi! voila Pouchekine.

Note: R