Boris Godunov

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Title: Boris Godunov
A Drama in Verse
Author: Alexander Pushkin
Rendered into English verse by Alfred Hayes
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5089]
[Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on April 24,
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Edition: 10

Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
0. START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BORIS
GODUNOV ***
This etext was produced by Stephen D. Leary [email protected]

BORIS GODUNOV
A Drama in Verse
By ALEXANDER PUSHKIN
Rendered into English verse by Alfred Hayes
DRAMATIS PERSONAE*
BORIS GODUNOV, afterwards Tsar.
PRINCE SHUISKY, Russian
noble.
PRINCE VOROTINSKY, Russian noble.
SHCHELKALOV,
Russian Minister of State.
FATHER PIMEN, an old monk and
chronicler.
GREGORY OTREPIEV, a young monk, afterwards the
Pretender
to the throne of Russia.
THE PATRIARCH, Abbot of the
Chudov Monastery.
MISSAIL, wandering friar.
VARLAAM,
wandering friar.
ATHANASIUS MIKAILOVICH PUSHKIN, friend
of Prince Shuisky.
FEODOR, young son of Boris Godunov.

SEMYON NIKITICH GODUNOV, secret agent of Boris Godunov.

GABRIEL PUSHKIN, nephew of A. M. Pushkin.
PRINCE
KURBSKY, disgraced Russian noble.
KHRUSHCHOV, disgraced
Russian noble.
KARELA, a Cossack.
PRINCE VISHNEVETSKY.

MNISHEK, Governor of Sambor.
BASMANOV, a Russian officer.

MARZHERET, officer of the Pretender.
ROZEN, officer of the
Pretender.
DIMITRY, the Pretender, formerly Gregory Otrepiev.

MOSALSKY, a Boyar.
KSENIA, daughter of Boris Godunov.

NURSE of Ksenia.
MARINA, daughter of Mnishek.
ROUZYA,
tire-woman of Ksenia.
HOSTESS of tavern.

Boyars, The People, Inspectors, Officers, Attendants, Guests, a Boy in
attendance on Prince Shuisky, a Catholic Priest, a Polish Noble, a Poet,
an Idiot, a Beggar, Gentlemen, Peasants, Guards, Russian, Polish, and
German Soldiers, a Russian
Prisoner of War, Boys, an old Woman,
Ladies, Serving-women.
*The list of Dramatis Personae which does not appear in the original
has been added for the convenience of the reader--A.H.
PALACE OF THE KREMLIN
(FEBRUARY 20th, A.D. 1598)
PRINCE SHUISKY and VOROTINSKY
VOROTINSKY. To keep the city's peace, that is the task
Entrusted to
us twain, but you forsooth
Have little need to watch; Moscow is
empty;
The people to the Monastery have flocked
After the
patriarch. What thinkest thou?
How will this trouble end?
SHUISKY. How will it end?
That is not hard to tell. A little more

The multitude will groan and wail, Boris
Pucker awhile his forehead,
like a toper
Eyeing a glass of wine, and in the end
Will humbly of
his graciousness consent
To take the crown; and then--and then will
rule us
Just as before.
VOROTINSKY. A month has flown already
Since, cloistered with
his sister, he forsook
The world's affairs. None hitherto hath shaken

His purpose, not the patriarch, not the boyars
His counselors; their
tears, their prayers he heeds not;
Deaf is he to the wail of Moscow,
deaf
To the Great Council's voice; vainly they urged
The sorrowful
nun-queen to consecrate
Boris to sovereignty; firm was his sister,

Inexorable as he; methinks Boris
Inspired her with this spirit. What if
our ruler
Be sick in very deed of cares of state
And hath no strength
to mount the throne? What
Say'st thou?

SHUISKY. I say that in that case the blood in vain
Flowed of the
young tsarevich, that Dimitry
Might just as well be living.
VOROTINSKY. Fearful crime!
Is it beyond all doubt Boris contrived

The young boy's murder?
SHUISKY. Who besides? Who else
Bribed Chepchugov in vain?
Who sent in secret
The brothers Bityagovsky with Kachalov?

Myself was sent to Uglich, there to probe
This matter on the spot;
fresh traces there
I found; the whole town bore witness to the crime;

With one accord the burghers all affirmed it;
And with a single
word, when I returned,
I could have proved the secret villain's guilt.
VOROTINSKY. Why didst thou then not crush him?
SHUISKY. At the time,
I do confess, his unexpected calmness,
His
shamelessness, dismayed me. Honestly
He looked me in the eyes; he
questioned me
Closely, and I repeated to his face
The foolish tale
himself had whispered to me.
VOROTINSKY. An ugly business, prince.
SHUISKY. What could I do?
Declare all to Feodor? But the tsar

Saw all things with the eyes of Godunov.
Heard all things with the
ears of Godunov;
Grant even that I might have fully proved it,

Boris would have denied it there and then,
And I should have been
haled away to prison,
And in good time--like mine own
uncle--strangled
Within the silence