The Note, / Записка,

Note

Woe is us; this clime’s bad for health and the mood,
Every day chains of clouds just get denser,
The one who later will find these Notes should
Burn and scatter on the my verses.
Like the ’s treasure, its crown in old tales,
once vanished, passed on,
And like that fed in the Khan’s ponytails
With time passing, would also be gone;
Like during the thaw,
;
Like—without a trace also—
;
Like after a , despair may be banished
Though at first our souls wrings and smotes,
The same way—seeking no glory—may vanish,
Together with the , these Notes.
But who needs this stuff? .
Why did I, the hunter-ragpicker,
On the face of existence a blemish, a scab,
A lecher, and a pimp who loves ,
?
Such a meaningless loss of candles and ink
And a waste of the force of the current.
How annoying: All these years irretrievably lost,
Playing, singing, and having much fun;
.
Alas, things look bad, you are done.
So I dare you to burn, you dumb-as-a-bell,
My amazing, ingenious lines!

Увы нездоров,
цепочкой.
Нашедший Записки, на
Сожги и развей мои строчки.
Как Амзтарахан,
;
Как вымрет когда-нибудь ,
Что пасся у хана в косицах;
Как в сильную оттепель тают следы
;
Как — столь же бесследно —
;
Как после минует тоска,
Нам душу шершаво потискав, —
Так — столь же бесславно — исчезнут пускай
С вместе Записки.
Кому это нужно все — ,
Зачем я, ,
На лоне бытья
,
Записки в реки сочинил
И сплавил в куда-то.
Напрасная
растрата.
Какая досада: лета напролет
;
.
, .
!
Попробуй пожги только, ,
Мои гениальные строчки.

Chapter Notes

Despite its many oddities, Between Dog and Wolf features a strict, formal structure: eight prose chapters from the perspective of the itinerant grinder Ilya Zynzyrella; five prose chapters that concern the life and thoughts of the dog-keeper Yakov Palamakhterov; four chapters consisting of 36 poems written by Yakov; and a final chapter made up of a single, separate poem, again authored by Yakov. As Alexander Boguslawski writes, the chapters follow this pattern: ABCABACABACABACBAC (“How Sokolov’s” 205). Sergei Orobii suggests that “in the novel Between Dog and Wolf, the principle that will become the cornerstone for determining the root affiliation of Sokolov’s texts of the 2000s is mastered: prose is replaced with ease by poetry, or even merges with it. Such a narrative maneuver, of course, originates not in the plot, but in the field of language: considering that the Russian literary language has ‘worn out’ from constant use and has lost all expressiveness, the writer tries to get away from the usual linguistic norms and constructs a unique style, which becomes the driving force of the narrative. Here, the boundaries between replicas, between direct and indirect speech, between chatter and quotation are fundamentally blurred” (299).

structure

Sent in a Separate Bottle

In Note XXXVI, Yakov claims to send his other 36 poems in a bottle down the river (R273/E216).

intratextuality

structure

посланная отдельной бутылкой

In Note XXXVI, Yakov claims to send his other 36 poems in a bottle down the river (R273/E216).

intratextuality

Text Annotations

XXXVII

Boguslawski suggested that the book cointains 37 Notes as an allusion to the year of Pushkin’s death, 1837 (“How Sokolov’s” 207).

intertextuality structure

Post Scriptum

Latin: something written after the main thing.

foreign

Wind Rose

A meteorological tool and predecessor of the compass rose used to show wind speed. It would be worth recalling that Roza Vetrova is one of the main characters and images in Sokolov’s A School for Fools.

explanatory intertextuality self-reference

Mongol Horde

Original Russian: Татарской оравы (Tatarskoi oravy) — Tatar horde.

translation

Amztarakhan

As Ostanin writes, “Amztarakhan (more correct Ashtarakhan, Aztarakan) — the capital of the Astrakhanskii khanate, which arose during the disintegration of the Golden Horde, located not far from the Itil’” (27). According to Boguslawski, “old Tatar names of today’s Astrakhan” (“Annotations” 236).

location Russia explanatory

roaches

Animal motif.

motif

tracks of sleighs and of elks Melt and leave no marks to observe

Prints in the snow.

explanatory

elks

Animal motif.

motif

did vanish the works Of nations and the nations themselves

Like the prints in the snow that fade away, so, too, do the things left behind by peoples and cultures. This is the opposite of Pushkin’s message in his famous 1836 poem “Exegi Monumentum.” Read it in the original and in an English translation here. Indeed, Yakov’s apparent invitation to burn his verses will similarly be reversed at the end of the Note. Sokolov responds: “As a keep Soviet critic would write, Pushkin’s verse is life-affirming, while Sokolov’s, on the contrary, is decadent” (personal communication, August 4, 2023).

explanatory intertextuality

bottle

Alcohol theme.

theme

bottle

Alcohol theme.

theme

Therein lies the rub

A reference to Hamlet’s famous monologue.

intertextuality foreign

liquor

Alcohol theme.

theme

Compose all these Notes at this river’s spring And floated them down in a hurry

So he must have been sailing down the river.

explanatory

You gaze in the tumbler—and you’re just a ghost

In the original, instead of “ghost” (chosen here for the sake of rhyming) we read “udod,” hoopoe. José Vergara writes: “Ilya remains transfigured into this avian symbol of violence, lost family, and longing. Even as he seeks to paint himself as a hero of his own creation, a prophetic Elijah, at the end of the day, Yakov’s poem emphasizes that for Ilya and the other heroes of Sokolov’s novel there is no escaping this identity and his mistakes and traumas. The natural world, through this bird imagery, underscores this view by inscribing these myths upon the characters. Furthermore, the hoopoe image interweaves with Dog’s fixation on alcohol as the revelation of one’s hoopoe identity is found in the reflection inside a tumbler. In vino veritas, indeed.” (“Flap” 366–367). Animal-human motif. Alcohol theme.

translation motif theme

tumbler

Instead of a more common “mirror,” he takes a look at himself reflected on a tumbler. Alcohol theme.

theme

Now I darn my old sack during pre-winter’s spell, Fix the fishnets, and sharpen tools’ tines, But I know—pushy buds will stealthily swell And burst out from their narrow confines.

Kolb reads these lines as follows: “It will not escape the careful reader a/ that the harmless hunters’ activities of mending nets and barrels [in the translation: tines] are followed by a political allusion (hope for a Thaw), and b/ the proximity of the rhyming words bochki [barrels] and strochki [lines]” (212). She suggests that “[a]ccording to the logic of rhyme and to the barrel metaphors,” this part of the poem acts as “a statement of “hope for the publication of the barrel of lines” (212).

explanatory translation

darn

Sewing theme.

theme

pre-winter

Time before winter. A continuation of the temporal setting: autumn shifting into winter (again).

time

buds

Leaf bud. Plant motif. Sokolov explains: “The time of composition of Note 37 is pre-winter, when nature seems to fall asleep. The author is concerned about bad weather, an unhealthy climate. He is saddened by approaching old age and the coming winter, but the finale of the Note is optimistic. The Binger believes that spring will come after winter. The buds of plants will swell and burst, and the foliage will bloom. The mood expressed in these lines is similar to the mood conveyed in the charming poetry of Kozma Prutkov” (personal communication, August 4, 2023). Sokolov mentions in particular the poem “Junker Schmidt.” Read the original and a translation here.

motif intertextuality

Записка XXXVII

Amf4 / Amf3, ABAB.

Амф4 / Амф3. ABAB.

rhyme metrical pattern

XXXVII

Boguslawski suggested that the book cointains 37 Notes as an allusion to the year of Pushkin’s death, 1837 (“How Sokolov’s” 207).

intertextuality structure

Post Scriptum

Latin: something written after the main thing.

foreign

нам, наш климат для нас

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

Тут тянутся тучи

Alliteration (tu, t).

Аллитерация (ту, т).

sound stylistic device

розе ветров

Wind rose — a meteorological tool and predecessor of the compass rose used to show wind speed. It would be worth recalling that Roza Vetrova is one of the main characters and images in Sokolov’s A School for Fools.

explanatory self-reference intertextuality

сгинула

Colloquial: to disappear.

некогда

Literary: once, at some point.

Амзтарахан

explanatory Russia location

Амзтарахан, Татарской оравы столица

Alliteration (t, st).

Аллитерация (т, ст).

sound stylistic device

Татарской

A Tatar — a person from Tatarstan (now the Republic of Tatarstan), a speaker of a Tatar language. The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was forcibly established in 1920 and lasted throughout the Soviet period.

Russia location

оравы

Low: horde, gang.

таракан

Roach. Animal motif.

motif

следы Полозьев и лосей наброды

Prints in the snow.

explanatory

Полозьев

Runners — the pieces of a sled that provide support on either side.

explanatory

лосей

Elk. Animal motif.

motif

пропали труды Народов и сами народы

Как исчезают отпечатки на снегу, так исчезают и вещи, оставленные народами и культурами. Это противоположное посланию Пушкина в его знаменитом стихотворении 1836 года “Exegi Monumentum”. Можно читать его здесь. Действительно, предпологаемое предложение Якова сжечь свои стихи аналогичным образом будет перевернуто в конце Записки. Соколов комментирует: “Как написал бы заядлый советский критик, этот пушкинский стих жизнеутверждающий, а соколовский наоборот - упаднический” (личная переписка, 4 августа 2023).

explanatory intertextuality

Народов и сами народы

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

бутылки

Alcohol theme.

Алкогольная тема.

theme

чекушкою

Colloquial: a small bottle of vodka. Alcohol theme.

theme register/style

вот в чем вопрос

A reference to Hamlet’s famous monologue. Read a Russian translation here.

intertextuality foreign

охотник-лохмотник

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

лохмотник

Dated: in rags.

заскорузлый нарост, Срамник, выпивоха и сводник

Enumeration.

Перечисление.

rhythm

Срамник

Low: shameless person.

выпивоха

Low: drunkard. Alcohol theme.

верховьях

The upper section of the river, characterized by the highest gradients and, respectively, the highest velocities of water flow.

explanatory

низовья

Downstream, close to the river mouth. So he must have been sailing down the river.

explanatory

трата свечей и чернил И силы теченья растрата

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

свечей и чернил И силы теченья

Alliteration (s, ch, l, n).

Аллитерация (с, ч, л, н).

sound stylistic device

Гуляешь

Colloquial: to have fun, to relax. The frequent use of the verb gulyat’ is linked to the fact that, in chapter 10, Orina is defined as gulyaschaya: “была у нас Оря гулена, а стала гулящая” (R220/E124). In her case, “гулена” means “party person” and “гулящая” is used to describe a woman with chaotic romantic relationships.

Гуляешь, коля́дуешь лишку

Alliteration (l, sh, k). The unusual accent on the verb not only characterizes the register of the character, but reinforces the metrical pattern.

Аллитерация (л, ш, к). Нестандартное ударение в глаголе не только характеризует регистр героя, но и укрепляет метрическую схему.

sound metrical pattern stylistic device

коля́дуешь

Generally, to go caroling, but here, to revel and drink. Alcohol theme.

theme

лишку

Low: excess, surplus.

Посмотришься в кружку — а ты уж удод

José Vergara writes: “Ilya remains transfigured into this avian symbol of violence, lost family, and longing. Even as he seeks to paint himself as a hero of his own creation, a prophetic Elijah, at the end of the day, Yakov’s poem emphasizes that for Ilya and the other heroes of Sokolov’s novel there is no escaping this identity and his mistakes and traumas. The natural world, through this bird imagery, underscores this view by inscribing these myths upon the characters. Furthermore, the hoopoe image interweaves with Dog’s fixation on alcohol as the revelation of one’s hoopoe identity is found in the reflection inside a tumbler. In vino veritas, indeed.” (“Flap” 366–367). Animal-human motif. Alcohol theme.

motif theme

кружку

Instead of a more common “mirror,” he takes a look at himself reflected on a mug. Alcohol theme.

theme

удод

Here, Yakov avoids the expected rhyme “урод” (monster, ugly person, deformity). The hoopoe appears several times throughout the novel, mostly in Yakov’s poems (R167, 168, 169, 233, 236, 262, 280/E31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 145, 149, 199). José Vergara writes: “the hoopoe plays a key role in the story of Tereus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In this myth, the Thracian king rapes Philomela, his wife Procne’s sister, and cuts out her tongue to keep the secret. After Philomela manages to convey to Procne what happened, the sisters conspire to kill the latter’s son, Itys, and feed him to Tereus. Upon learning of their actions, Tereus in turn seeks them out, but before he can enact his revenge, the gods transform them all into birds: Procne into a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale, Tereus into a hoopoe. According to the folklore, the hoopoe’s hooting call is said to mean “where, where” in Greek – Tereus’s plea as he searches for his displaced family” (“Flap” 364–365). Throughout the novel, Ilya is associated with the hoopoe in that he also looks for his missing family. Therefore, Ilya reenacts this plot as he seeks out Orina and their son, Yakov. “He is displaced, like Tereus, in his various transformations and peregrinations, pursuing his idealized family,” José Vergara writes, “but constantly mired by the imagery he uses and that is used to describe him” (“Flap” 366). Animal-human motif.

intratextuality motif foreign language intertextuality

Хреново

Vulgar: really bad.

худые делишки

Set expression: худые дела (just no good, all is terrible).

phraseologism

Предзимье

Time before winter. A continuation of the temporal setting: autumn shifting into winter (again).

time

Предзимье застало за штопкой мешка, Починкой мережи и бочки, Но знаю — набухнут исподтишка И лопнут настырные почки

Kolb reads these lines as follows: “It will not escape the careful reader a/ that the harmless hunters’ activities of mending nets and barrels are followed by a political allusion (hope for a Thaw), and b/ the proximity of the rhyming words bochki and strochki” (212). She suggests that “[a]ccording to the logic of rhyme and to the barrel metaphors,” this part of the poem acts as “a statement of “hope for the publication of the barrel of lines” (212).

explanatory

штопкой

Darning. Sewing theme.

theme

мережи

Dialectical: fish net.

исподтишка

Colloquial: stealthily, on the sly.

настырные

Low: pushy, aggressive, insolent.

почки

Мотив растений. Соколов объясняет: “Время написания Записки 37 - предзимье, когда природа как бы засыпает, автор озабочен плохой погодой, нездоровым климатом, его огорчает грядущая старость и наступающая зима, но финал Записки оптимистичен: Запойный верит, что после зимы придет весна: почки растений набухнут и лопнут, и листва распустится. Настроение, выраженное в этих строчках, сходно с настроением, переданным в очаровательной поэзе Козьмы Пруткова” (личная переписка, 4 августа 2023). Соколов намекает на стихотворение “Юнкер Шмидт”. Можно его читать здесь.

motif intertextuality

дурья башка

Set expression: fool, dumb person.

phraseologism

The Note, Sent in a Separate Bottle / Записка, посланная отдельной бутылкой

Note XXXVII

Post Scriptum

Записка XXXVII

Post Scriptum

The Note, / Записка,

Note