La morale est dans la nature des choses.
Necker
The less we love a woman
the easier 'tis to be liked by her,
and thus more surely we undo her
4 among bewitching toils.
Time was when cool debauch
was lauded as the art of love,
trumpeting everywhere about itself,
8 taking its pleasure without loving.
But that grand game
is worthy of old sapajous
of our forefathers' vaunted times;
12 the fame of Lovelaces has faded
with the fame of red heels
and of majestic periwigs.
Who does not find it tedious to dissemble;
diversely to repeat the same;
try gravely to convince one
4 of what all have been long convinced;
to hear the same objections,
annihilate the prejudices
which never had and hasn't
8 a little girl of thirteen years!
Who will not grow weary of threats,
entreaties, vows, feigned fear,
notes running to six pages,
12 betrayals, gossiping, rings, tears,
surveillances of aunts, of mothers,
and the onerous friendship of husbands!
Exactly thus my Eugene thought.
In his first youth
he had been victim of tempestuous errings
4 and of unbridled passions.
Spoiled by a habitude of life,
with one thing for a while
enchanted, disenchanted with another,
8 irked slowly by desire,
irked, too, by volatile success,
hearkening in the hubbub and the hush
to the eternal mutter of his soul,
12 smothering yawns with laughter:
this was the way he killed eight years,
having lost life's best bloom.
With belles no longer did he fall in love,
but dangled after them just anyhow;
when they refused, he solaced in a twinkle;
4 when they betrayed, was glad to rest.
He sought them without rapture,
while he left them without regret,
hardly remembering their love and spite.
8 Exactly thus does an indifferent guest
drive up for evening whist:
sits down; then, when the game is over,
he drives off from the place,
12 at home falls peacefully asleep,
and in the morning does not know himself
where he will drive to in the evening.
But on receiving Tanya's missive,
Onegin was profoundly touched:
the language of a maiden's daydreams
4 stirred up in him a swarm of thoughts;
and he recalled winsome Tatiana's
pale color, mournful air;
and in a sweet and sinless dream
8 his soul became absorbed.
Perhaps an ancient glow of feelings
possessed him for a minute;
but he did not wish to deceive
12 an innocent soul's trustfulness.
Now we'll flit over to the garden where Tatiana
encountered him.
For a few seconds they were silent;
Onegin then went up to her
and quoth: “You wrote to me.
4 Do not deny it. I have read
a trustful soul's avowals,
an innocent love's outpourings;
your candidness appeals to me,
8 in me it has excited
emotions long grown silent.
But I don't want to praise you —
I will repay you for it
12 with an avowal likewise void of art;
hear my confession;
unto your judgment I submit.
“If I by the domestic circle
had wanted to bound life;
if to be father, husband,
4 a pleasant lot had ordered me;
if with the familistic picture
I were but for one moment captivated;
then, doubtlessly, save you alone
8 no other bride I'd seek.
I'll say without madrigal spangles:
my past ideal having found,
I'd doubtlessly have chosen you alone
12 for mate of my sad days, in gage
of all that's beautiful, and would have been
happy — in so far as I could!