Sheltered by a Crimson Awning . . .

Afanasy Fet

1847

Sheltered by a crimson awning,
All alone, his slaves dismissed,
A lord is bidding farewell fondly
To a black-browed odalisque.
“Sarah, houri of the prophet,
My sunshine, comfort, strength, delight,
Sarah, morning’s not far off now—
Azrael will soon alight.
“After battle on the morrow
Will I still walk the earth somewhere,
Or, forever freed…
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Creator Bio

Afanasy Fet

1820–1892

Afanasy Fet is considered to be one of the greatest Russian lyric poets. Of unclear origin, Fet was thought to be the illegitimate son of Charlotte Foeth (née Becker), daughter of German Jewish poet Johann Peter Karl Wilhelm Foeth, and the Russian nobleman Afanasy Shenshin. Fet was disinherited from the Shenshin estate, a fact that haunted him even after he was recognized as a member of the nobility and allowed to carry their surname. He was praised by Russian literati, including Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Nekrasov, and Ivan Turgenev, and worked with the latter two on the prominent journal Sovremennik. His poetry was noteworthy for its musicality, sensuality, and overwhelming melancholy. In his later years, he translated literature from Latin, German, and English.

Related Guide

Poetry, 1750–1880

Jewish poets throughout Europe and the Americas created in the languages of their native tongues. From folk-song lyrics to wedding riddles and synagogue hymns, poetry, even in translation, allows us access to voices and moments, particular and collective, that we would otherwise not hear. 

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