Andrei v3

[RiverNotch]

Andrei


Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted frescoes at the Andronikov
Monastery, his home,
but few of them survived
the Revolution.

He observed that the history
of the Slavs is all suffering,
that the Christ was cruel
to leave so many people
behind, so his mentor
Theophan the Greek
warned him to be wary
of his watching.

He implored the naked pagans
who caught him as he stumbled
through their revels at Kupala
Night to hang him
head down, he was not worthy
of the same cross as the Christ,
and a woman moved by wonder
kissed him, let him go.

He mourned snow falling
in a church while conversing
with the ghost of Theophan
and vowed never to speak
again after he'd driven
an axe through the skull
of a Slav who tried to rape
a fellow Slav, a Fool-for-Christ.

He watched the prince's men
ride down the naked pagans
come morning and could do nothing
but cover the eyes
of his young apprentice,

until he broke his silence
when a bell on its first striking
rang out clearly, did not crack,
and the boy the prince had hired
to lead its casting broke down crying
on the mud by his side.
"You'll cast bells, I'll paint icons."

And three serene figures
draped in the most stubborn
color, azure, sit
in a circle, a house and a tree
and a mountain bending towards them---

Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted icons for the Trinity
Lavra outside Moscow,
whose bells did not survive
the Revolution.

v2
Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted frescoes at the Andronikov
Monastery, his home,
but few of them survived
the Revolution.

He observed that the history
of the Slavs is all suffering,
that the Christ was cruel
to leave so many people
behind, so his mentor
Theophan the Greek
warned him to be wary
of his watching.

He implored the naked pagans
who caught him as he stumbled
through their revels at Kupala
Night to hang him
head down, he was not worthy
of the same cross as the Christ,
and a woman moved by wonder
kissed him, let him go.

He refused to paint
the Last Judgement on the walls
of the church in Vladimir
when his friends, fellow artists,
returned early from their journey
to the prince's more generous
brother with their eyes
gouged out, instead adorning
its walls with a feast.

He mourned snow falling
in a church while conversing
with the ghost of Theophan
and vowed never to speak
again after he'd driven
an axe through the skull
of a Slav who tried to rape
a fellow Slav, a Fool-for-Christ.

He watched the prince's men
ride down the naked pagans
come morning and could do nothing
but cover the eyes
of his young apprentice,

until he broke his silence
when a bell on its first striking
rang out clearly, did not crack,
and the boy the prince had hired
to lead its casting broke down crying
on the mud by his side.
"You'll cast bells, I'll paint icons."

Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted icons for the Trinity
Lavra outside Moscow,
whose bells did not survive
the Revolution.


v1
Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted frescoes at the monastery
of St. Andronik in Moscow
but few of them survived
the Revolution.

Tarkovsky's Rublev
observed that the history
of the Slavs is all suffering,
that the Christ was cruel
to leave so many people
like the Ever-Virgin
or St. Ivan the Theologian
behind, so his mentor
Theophan warned him
to be wary of his watching.

Tarkovsky's Rublev
implored the naked pagans
who caught him as he stumbled
through their revels at the eve
of the Feast of St. Ivan
the Forerunner to hang him
head down, he was not worthy
of the same cross as the Christ,
and a woman moved by wonder
kissed him, let him go.

Tarkovsky's Rublev
mourned snow falling
in a church while conversing
with the ghost of Theophan
and vowed never to speak
again after he'd driven
an axe through the skull
of a Slav who tried to rape
a fellow Slav, a Fool-for-Christ.

Tarkovsky's Rublev
watched the boyar's men ride
down the pagans come morning
and could do naught but hide
his young student's eyes,

until he broke his silence
when a bell on its first striking
rang out clearly, did not crack,
and the boy the boyar hired
to lead its casting fell down weeping
on the mud by his side.

Tarkovsky's Rublev
painted frescoes at the monastery
of St. Andronik, his home,
but few of them survived
the Revolution.