Russian feminism, joys of
Valentine's Day seems like a perfect occasion to remember the victims of the gender-equality struggle. *Bows head* And on that note...
If you ever wanted to learn all there is to know about gender relations in Russia, and understand why feminism there has been short-circuited for a century, you could hope for no better find than the following terrible poem. A Russian girl recently posted this (in translation) on the Lucy Lawless fan list, apparently because she believes it's "beautiful". The author, discovered by ladykate63, is one Natalia Shevchenko, whoever she may be.
It's not just the cliches and triteness that are so awful, it's the sentiments: the ridiculous mystification of femininity (did you know God chose women? what for, may I ask?), the idea that a woman is always suffering and enduring and working her butt off while the man goes around doing whatever men do, and that this is as it must be, and there is virtue in all this.
The translation I saw on the forum was incomprehensible, so here's a translation I made. It was a painful exercise to translate this rubbish, so I fear the English is a bit better than the original deserves... I kept veering into parody, because it's hard to write this with a straight face. :D Actually, there is a 'male chauvinist response' to this floating around the net, but that's quite deliberately tongue-in-cheek, whereas this (sad to say) is not. There is also a different translation of this by LadyKate.
Read it and weep...
I am a woman, and that means an actress,
Who hides a hundred faces and a thousand roles.
I am a woman, and that means an empress,
Beloved of all the princes of the earth.
I am a woman, and that means a scapegoat
Who's known the taste of many a bitter hurt,
I am a woman, and that means a desert,
That will devour you in its blazing heat.
I am a woman, I am strong - I must be,
Since life is struggle... But, do not forget,
I am a woman, aching-tender, gentle,
Yet I am woman, and that means I'm Fate!
I am a woman, a bright burst of passion,
Yet mine must be endurance and hard work,
I am a woman: I'm the joy untreasured,
The chance at happiness, and all that never was.
I am a woman, dangerous by nature,
Within me ice and fire live as one.
I am a woman, beauty that is ageless,
Eternal from the maiden to the crone.
I am a woman; every road you walk on
Brings you to me, to me and not to Rome.
I am a woman, and divinely chosen --
Though by the same God's hand divinely cursed.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - актриса,
Во мне сто лиц и тысяча ролей.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - царица,
Возлюбленная всех земных царей.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - рабыня,
Познавшая солёный вкус обид.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - пустыня,
Которая тебя испепелит.
Я - женщина, сильна я поневоле,
Но, знаешь, даже если жизнь - борьба…
Я - женщина, я слабая до боли,
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - судьба!
Я - женщина, я просто вспышка страсти,
Но мой удел - терпение и труд.
Я - женщина, я - то большое счастье,
Которое совсем не берегут…
Я - женщина, и этим я опасна,
Огонь и лёд на век во мне одной.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я прекрасна
С младенчества до старости седой.
Я - женщина, и, значит, все дороги
Ведут - ко мне, а не в какой-то Рим…
Я - женщина, я - избранная Богом,
Хотя уже наказанная Им…
If you ever wanted to learn all there is to know about gender relations in Russia, and understand why feminism there has been short-circuited for a century, you could hope for no better find than the following terrible poem. A Russian girl recently posted this (in translation) on the Lucy Lawless fan list, apparently because she believes it's "beautiful". The author, discovered by ladykate63, is one Natalia Shevchenko, whoever she may be.
It's not just the cliches and triteness that are so awful, it's the sentiments: the ridiculous mystification of femininity (did you know God chose women? what for, may I ask?), the idea that a woman is always suffering and enduring and working her butt off while the man goes around doing whatever men do, and that this is as it must be, and there is virtue in all this.
The translation I saw on the forum was incomprehensible, so here's a translation I made. It was a painful exercise to translate this rubbish, so I fear the English is a bit better than the original deserves... I kept veering into parody, because it's hard to write this with a straight face. :D Actually, there is a 'male chauvinist response' to this floating around the net, but that's quite deliberately tongue-in-cheek, whereas this (sad to say) is not. There is also a different translation of this by LadyKate.
Read it and weep...
I am a woman, and that means an actress,
Who hides a hundred faces and a thousand roles.
I am a woman, and that means an empress,
Beloved of all the princes of the earth.
I am a woman, and that means a scapegoat
Who's known the taste of many a bitter hurt,
I am a woman, and that means a desert,
That will devour you in its blazing heat.
I am a woman, I am strong - I must be,
Since life is struggle... But, do not forget,
I am a woman, aching-tender, gentle,
Yet I am woman, and that means I'm Fate!
I am a woman, a bright burst of passion,
Yet mine must be endurance and hard work,
I am a woman: I'm the joy untreasured,
The chance at happiness, and all that never was.
I am a woman, dangerous by nature,
Within me ice and fire live as one.
I am a woman, beauty that is ageless,
Eternal from the maiden to the crone.
I am a woman; every road you walk on
Brings you to me, to me and not to Rome.
I am a woman, and divinely chosen --
Though by the same God's hand divinely cursed.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - актриса,
Во мне сто лиц и тысяча ролей.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - царица,
Возлюбленная всех земных царей.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - рабыня,
Познавшая солёный вкус обид.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - пустыня,
Которая тебя испепелит.
Я - женщина, сильна я поневоле,
Но, знаешь, даже если жизнь - борьба…
Я - женщина, я слабая до боли,
Я - женщина, и, значит, я - судьба!
Я - женщина, я просто вспышка страсти,
Но мой удел - терпение и труд.
Я - женщина, я - то большое счастье,
Которое совсем не берегут…
Я - женщина, и этим я опасна,
Огонь и лёд на век во мне одной.
Я - женщина, и, значит, я прекрасна
С младенчества до старости седой.
Я - женщина, и, значит, все дороги
Ведут - ко мне, а не в какой-то Рим…
Я - женщина, я - избранная Богом,
Хотя уже наказанная Им…