What do you think?
Rate this book
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
Into the courtyard of the Moscow Institute of Economics walked a young man who was not a Russian, Nazar Chagataev. He looked around in surprise and came back to himself from the long time that had passed. He had crossed this yard again and again over the years; it was in these buildings that his youth had gone by, but he felt no regret. He had climbed up high now, onto the mountain of his mind, and from there he had a clearer view of the whole of this summer world, now warmed by an evening sun that had had its day.
He asked her to dance; he did not know how to dance himself, but she danced very well and led him in time with the music. Her eyes dried quickly, her face grew prettier, and her body, accustomed to shy fearfulness, now pressed trustingly against him, filled with a late innocence that smelled warm and good, like bread. Beside her, Chagataev stopped remembering himself. This temporary stranger, this woman he would probably never meet again, gave off a sense of sleep and happiness; thus it is that bliss often lives unnoticed beside us.
Chagataev saw reed huts and a few yurts, also woven from reeds. There were about twenty dwellings in all, perhaps a few more. Not a dog, donkey or camel was to be seen in the settlement; nor were there even any chickens or ducks ranging about in the grass.
Beside the last hut sat a naked man. Folds of skin hung down on him like worn-out exhausted clothing, and on his knees lay a pile of reed stems; he was sorting through them, preparing to make an ornament or something that would be useful about the home. He showed no surprise at Chagataev鈥檚 arrival and did not even answer his greeting; instead he went on muttering to himself, imagining things no one else could see, keeping his soul occupied with some secret consolation of his own.
"賮賱賲 賷賰賳 賱丿賶 賴匕丕 丕賱卮毓亘 卮賷亍 睾賷乇 丕賱乇賵丨貙 賱丕 卮賷亍 爻賵賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱毓夭賷夭丞 丕賱鬲賷 賲賳丨鬲賴 廿賷丕賴丕 丕賱兀賲賴丕鬲 毓賳丿賲丕 賵賱丿賳賴.
- 賷毓賳賷 兀賳 賰賱 賲丕 賷賲賱賰賴 賴賵 丕賱賯賱亘 賵丨丿賴貙 毓賳丿賲丕 賷賳亘囟 賮賷 丕賱氐丿乇.."
"賮賴賱 賷購毓賯賱 兀賳 卮毓亘 丕賱噩丕賳 爻賷乇賯丿 賯乇賷亘丕賸 賮賷 賲賰丕賳 賲丕 賵爻鬲賴賷賱 丕賱乇賷丨 毓賱賷賴 丕賱鬲乇丕亘 賵鬲賳爻丕賴 丕賱匕丕賰乇丞 賱兀賳 丕賱賵賯鬲 賱賲 賷賰賮賴 賰賷 賷亘賳賷 卮賷卅丕賸 賲賳 丕賱丨噩乇 兀賵 丕賱丨丿賷丿 賵賷亘鬲丿毓 丕賱噩賲丕賱 丕賱禺丕賱丿貙 賮賴賱 丕賰鬲賮賶 亘丨賮乇 丕賱鬲乇毓貙 賱賰賳 丕賱鬲賷丕乇 賰丕賳 賷胤賲賷賴丕 賰賱 賲乇丞貙 賮賷丨賮乇 丕賱卮毓亘 丕賱胤賲賷 孬丕賳賷丞 賵賷賱賯賷 亘丕賱胤賷賳 禺丕乇噩 丕賱賲丕亍 丕賱毓賰乇 賱賷鬲乇爻亘 賲賳賴 賮賷賲丕 亘毓丿 胤賲賷 噩丿賷丿 賷卮胤亘 噩賴丿賴 賲乇丞 兀禺乇賶 丿賵賳 兀賳 賷鬲乇賰 兀孬乇丕賸責"
"卮毓亘賰 賷禺卮賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 貙 鬲毓賵賾丿 毓賱賶 睾賷丕亘賴丕 賵賱賲 賷毓丿 賷氐丿賾賯 亘賵噩賵丿賴丕貙 賵賴賵 賷鬲馗丕賴乇 亘丕賱賲賵鬲 賰賷賱丕 賷兀鬲賷 丕賱爻毓丿丕亍 賵丕賱兀賯賵賷丕亍 賵賷毓匕賾亘賵賳賴 賲賳 噩丿賷丿貙 賱賯丿 鬲乇賰 賱賳賮爻賴 兀賯賱 賲丕 賷賲賰賳貙 鬲乇賰 賱賳賮爻賴 賲丕 賱丕 丨丕噩丞 賱兀丨丿 亘賴貙 賰賷賱丕 賷胤賲毓 兀丨丿 亘賴 毓賳丿賲丕 賷乇丕賴."
"賱賰賳賴 賷毓乇賮 兀賳 丕賱兀丿賵賷丞 賱賳 鬲爻丕毓丿 卮毓亘賴 丕賱匕賷 賷丨鬲丕噩 兀賰孬乇 賲丕 賷丨鬲丕噩 廿賱賶 丨賷丕丞 兀禺乇賶 睾賷乇 賲賵噩賵丿丞 亘毓丿貙 丨賷丕丞 賷賲賰賳 賱賱賲乇亍 兀賳 賷鬲丨賲賱賴丕 丿賵賳 兀賳 賷賲賵鬲."
"亘賱丕鬲賵賳賵賮貙 亘乇兀賷賷貙 賴賵 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 丕賱兀賰孬乇 丕爻鬲丨賯丕賯丕賸 賵噩丿丕乇丞 亘丕賱賲胤丕賱毓丞 廿匕丕 賰賳丕 賳毓鬲亘乇 兀賳賮爻賳丕 賲賳 丕賱賲孬賯賮賷賳."