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Чёрный обелиск - Стена

 The Wall
Чувство знакомое - холод бежит по спине,
к чувству преграды - я вновь приближаюсь к стене
Снова на камень рука натыкается: стой!
Снова стена предлагает вступить с нею в бой

(This) familiar feeling, cold runs down my spine
to the feeling of an obstacle, I'm approaching again to (this) wall
Again, (my) hand runs onto the stone: stop!
Again, the wall proposes to battle with her ('to enter with her in fight")
Серой громадою высится над головой,
годы проходят, стена остается стеной
Сколько потерянных лиц отражает она,
сколько потерянных лет за спиной ...

As gray huge-mass, it's towering-up above (my) head
years passing, the wall remains (as a) wall
How many lost faces it reflects ("reflects she")
how many lost years, are at (my) back

Стена! Снова стена! Wall! Again (the) wall!

В камень шершавый впиваются руки с тоской,
как в лихорадке бурлит муравейник людской
Яркие вспышки на сумрачном небе видны,
блики ложатся на вздыбленный гребень стены

 At the scratchy/rugged stone, hands are digging-into with sadness (depression)
As if in fever, boils (~ fountain-out) human ant-heap
Bright flashes are seen at the gloomy sky
Glares-reflections are falling (lie down) at the ruffed-up crest of the wall
Lesson 21
 

Russian
Русский

 English
Английский
 

58 - пятьдесят восемь

fifty eight
 

59 - пятьдесят девять

fifty nine
 

60 - шестьдесят

sixty
 

61 - шестьдесят один

sixty one
     
 

Двадцать первый (21-й) урок

Twenty first lesson
     
 

УРОК НОМЕР ДВАДЦАТЬ ОДИН (№21)

Lesson number twenty one (#21)
     
    REVISION AND NOTES
     
1  

There are three genders in Russian : masculine, feminine and neuter.
To name living creatures, the masculine s used for males, the feminine for females.
But, for inanimate objects or abstract nouns there is no mechanical rule.
However it is very easy to know the genders of nouns thanks to their endings.

1.1

   Masculine. — When a noun ends by a consonant, it is masculine.
Thus :
 

город

town, city
 

стол

 table
  урок lesson
  самовар samovar
  билет ticket
  театр theatre
  барабан drum
  раз

(one) time, an occurrence
  диплом diploma
  язык

language, tongue

 

друг

 friend
 

ресторан

 restaurant
  хлеб bread
  сыр cheese
  снег snow
  мороз

frost (extreme coldness)
 

подарок

gift (a present)
    are masculine
     
   

But there are also masculine nouns in й and ь.
    Thus :
 

портной

 tailor
  лентяй

a do-nothing, an idler, "a lazy one"
 

день

 day
  госпиталь hospital
     
1.2  

Feminine : the ending а or я (save for a few exceptions) denotes the feminine.
Thus :

 

работа

 work
  деревня

country (countryside) or village
 

комната

a room; bedroom = спальня, спальная комната
 

игрушка

 toy
  труппа

theater troop; company = компания
 

зима

 winter
  голова head
  газета newspaper
  лестница staircase
     
   

When a noun in а is not feminine, it is because its meaning makes it impossible.
E.g.,

 

папа

daddy
    is naturally masculine.
   

There are also feminines in ь, like

 

мать (мама)

mother
     
1.3  

Neuter. — The neuter is characterized by the final о, е, and sometimes мя.
Thus :

 

слово

 word
  письмо

letter (to some one); a letter of an alphabet is буква
 

место

 place
  пальто overcoat
  вино wine
  упражнение exercise
  произношение pronunciation
  время

time (on clock)
     
1.4  

In short :
  masculine : consonant, й or ь.
  feminine : а or я or ь.
  neuter : о or е or мя.
     
2   The adjective agrees with the noun :
 

Вот красивый самовар

 here is a beautiful samovar.
  Вот красивая комната

here is a beautiful room bedroom.
  Вот красивое слово here is a beautiful word.
     
    There is also a short form of the adjective :
 

Этот самовар красив

this samovar is beautiful.
AK-NOTE : Real meaning is "this samovar is in a state of beautifulness".
  Эта комната красива

this room bedroom is beautiful.

  Это слово красиво this word is beautiful.
     
    However the short form is used less and less in the current language.
   

AK-NOTE : See lesson 20, note 6, AK-NOTE about adjectives as adverbs.
     
3  

Declensions : we have only had a glimpse of the declension of nouns.
In the masculine, we have seen that the dative is in у :
 

Ваш ребёнок

your (pl.) child (nominative)
 

Вашему ребёнку

to or for your child (dative) (the о of the last syllable is left out).
     
    We should have in the same way :
 

Ваш муж

your (pl.) husband.
 

Вашему мужу

 to or for your husband.
     
  Мой обед my dinner.
  Моему обеду to or for my dinner.
     
  Наш друг our friend.
  Нашему другу to or for our friend.
     
    In the feminine, it was the genitive we came across :
 

Жажда

 thirst.
  Без жажды without thirst.
     
 

Без

 without
   

, is always followed by the genitive, as if one said : without of thirst.
     
    Also in the plural :
 

Игрушка

 toy.
  Игрушки toys.

Tweested English Section

REFERENCES. — If a word or a turn of speech keeps escaping your memory,
make a reference to it by noting down the page further on in the book.

These are nothing but bits of declensions, which simply serve to show us the principles.
Be prepared for more intricate things, but do not be afraid :
we ask of you no sensational achievement,
we shall do as the bird which, twig by twig, builds its nest.