Translating Prokopovich poem: He who Believes

Feofan Prokopovich (1681-1736) was one of many gifted writers, mostly clerics with court positions, who developed the syllabic verse that Kantemir was to use so memorably. He was born in Kiev and became a vocal supporter of Peter the Great's reforms, particularly those related to the Russian church. He was a propagandist for various measures, wrote a play (Vladimir: 1705) and produced handbooks on poetics and rhetoric.

Many of his poems, as in the piece translated, were religious, but Prokopovich gradually introduced a more relaxed and recreational tone, not always without satire, however, that allowed verse to serve wider purposes int the succeeding age of Classicism. {2}

translating Lomonosov's Evening Meditation

Prokopovich occasionally wrote psalms and spiritual songs, or adaptations of them, that called for greater depth and vigour. 'He Who Relies on God' is an adaptation of Psalm 90, and became a popular song in the eighteenth century. Prokopovic's language was initially rather archaic, with many Slavonicisms, but gradually became more contemporary. {2}

If no great lyricist, Prokopovich was at least sensible and intelligent, as expected of someone who was a priest but also a court official.

Prokopovich 'He Who Relies on God'

The Russian is:

КТО КРЕПОК, НА БОГА УПОВАЯ

Кто крепок, на бога уповая,
той недвижим смотрит на вся злая;
Ему ни в народе мятеж бедный,
ни страшен мучитель зверовидный,
Не страшен из облак гром парящий,
ниже ветр, от южных стран шумящий.
Когда он, смертного страха полный,
финобалтицкие движет волны.
Аще мир сокрушен распадется,
сей муж ниже тогда содрогнется;
В прах тело разбиет падеж лютый,
а духа не может и двигнути.
О боже, крепкая наша сило,
твое единого сие дело,
Без тебе и туне мы ужасны,
при тебе и самый страх нестрашный.

Other Translations

Evelyn Bristol has a simple tetrameter version. {3} I give her first eight lines:

He who firmly relies on God
He looks unmoved on all that's wrong:
Not the poor wrath of popular storm
Nor bestial tyrant frights him.
Nor thunder frights that soars from cloud
Nor wind from south lands making noise
When it comes full of mortal awe
To stir the Finno-Baltic waves.

Poem structure

The poem is written in syllabic verse, 10 syllables to the line, and rhymed AA BB CC, etc.

Кто кре́пок, на бо́га упова́я, 10A
той недви́жим смо́трит на вся зла́я; 10A
Ему́ ни в наро́де мяте́ж бе́дный, 10B
ни страшён мучи́тель зверови́дный, 10B
Не страшён из облак гром па́рящий, 10C
ни́же ветр, от ю́жных стран шумя́щий 10C

A TTS Audio Recording of the poem:

First Translation Attempt

We start with a rough draft:

He who puts his faith in God, who's strong,
may look, unmoved on every murderous wrong.
He’s not a rebel from his people’s cry,
nor finds the roughest tyrants terrify.
He does not fear the high cloud's thunder clap,
nor when the lowly south winds snarl and snap.
Nor does a sudden mortal awe enslave
him at the sight of Finn or Baltic wave.
If world is crushed, and it disintegrate,
he will, with calm unshaken, meet his fate.
A blow may break the body into dust;
but not the soul that has its earnest trust.
In You, O Lord, our only strength is known
and every action comes from You alone.
Without you, fear and terror may suborn:
when, with You, all the very worst is borne.

This needs to be brought closer to the Russian, and the verse improved.

He Who Trusts in God's Good Will

He who’s strong, and trusts in God’s good will,
may look unmoved on wholly human ill.
He is no rebel from his people’s cry,
nor do tormentors come to terrify.
He does not fear the high cloud's thunderclap,
nor lowly southerlies that howl and flap.
No mortal, awe-inspiring doubts enslave
him at the rise of Finn or Baltic wave.
If the world is crushed, it will disintegrate,
and the body, shuddering, meet its fate.
But that same body, broken into dust,
sees soul, unchanged, abiding in its trust.
In You, O Lord, our only strength is known
and every action thus is Yours alone.
Without You, Lord, we're idly filled with dread:
but find that fear itself with You has fled.

References and Resources