Verses Written During a Sleepless Night

What it is

This is an English translation of 'Verses Written During a Sleepless Night', a poem Alexander Pushkin wrote in 1830 during his Boldino period. The record lists it on Wikisource under short poems. The speaker cannot sleep and addresses the night, asking it to explain its meaning and whether it prophesies or beckons.

Why it matters

Pushkin wrote many of his most productive works at Boldino in 1830, and this poem shows his interest in inner restlessness and the mysteries of time. Readers meet a poet who speaks directly to abstract forces such as night, life and fate.

Look closer

• How does the speaker talk to the night, and what does that tell you about his state of mind?
• Why might a translator choose such unusual wording as 'Parca' and 'jabbering'?
• What questions does the poem ask but not answer?