The penguin timidly hides its fat body in the rocks. The song about the petrel is a poem by Maxim Gorky. See what “Song of the Petrel” is in other dictionaries

Maksim Gorky

Song of the Petrel

Over the gray plain of the sea the wind gathers clouds. Between the clouds and the sea, the Petrel soars proudly, like black lightning. Now touching the wave with his wing, now soaring up to the clouds like an arrow, he screams, and the clouds hear joy in the bold cry of the bird. In this cry is the thirst for a storm! The power of anger, the flame of passion and the confidence of victory are heard by the clouds in this cry. The seagulls moan before the storm - they moan, rush over the sea and are ready to hide their horror before the storm at its bottom. And the loons also groan - they, the loons, cannot enjoy the battle of life: the thunder of blows frightens them. The stupid penguin timidly hides its fat body in the rocks... Only the proud Petrel soars boldly and freely over the foam-gray sea! Darker and lower clouds descend over the sea, and sing, and the waves rush to the heights to meet the thunder. Thunder rumbles. The waves groan in the foam of anger, arguing with the wind. Now the wind embraces flocks of waves in a strong embrace and throws them with wild anger onto the cliffs, smashing the emerald masses into dust and splashes. The petrel soars with a cry, like black lightning, like an arrow pierces the clouds, tearing off the foam of the waves with its wing. Here he is rushing around like a demon - a proud, black demon of the storm - and he laughs and weeps... He laughs at the clouds, he weeps with joy! In the rage of thunder, - a sensitive demon, - he has long heard fatigue, he is sure that the clouds will not hide the sun - no, they will not! The wind howls... Thunder rumbles... Flocks of clouds burn with blue flames over the abyss of the sea. The sea catches the arrows of lightning and extinguishes them in its abyss. Exactly fire snakes, curl into the sea, disappearing, reflections of these lightnings. - Storm! A storm is coming soon! This brave Petrel soars proudly between the lightning over the angry roaring sea; then the prophet of victory shouts: “Let the storm blow stronger!” Listen.

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Song about the Petrel

First published in the magazine "Life", 1901, book four, April. As already indicated, the song is the final part of "Spring Melodies". IN independent work it was transformed by M. Gorky after the rest of “Spring Melodies” was banned by the tsarist censorship. “Song of the Petrel” was created by M. Gorky in March 1901 in Nizhny Novgorod, after returning from a trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow. “Petrel,” wrote M. Gorky on March 28, 1928 to the editors of the newspaper “Izvestia,” “was written by me in Nizhny and was sent to “Life” by mail." (Archive of A.M. Gorky.) Having written out the entire text of the "Song about the Petrel" from the magazine "Life", the tsar's censor reported: "The said poem made a strong impression in literary circles of a certain direction, and Gorky himself began to be called not only the "petrel", but also the "storm herald", since he not only announces the coming storm, but calls the storm behind him." (Collection "Gorky's Revolutionary Path", Tsentralkhiv. M.-L., 1933, pp. 50-51.) Old Bolshevik Em. Yaroslavsky in the article "The Path of the Proletarian Writer in the Underground" recalled the first years of the twentieth century: “Gorky’s story “Spring” (“Spring Melodies” - Ed.) appears, which was printed and copied by hand; but especially great importance had Gorky's "Petrel" - this battle song of the revolution. It is unlikely that in our literature one can find a work that would go through as many editions as Gorky's "Petrel". It was reprinted in every city, it was distributed in copies printed on a hectograph and on a typewriter, it was copied by hand, it was read and reread in workers' circles and in student circles. Probably, the circulation of "Petrel" in those years was several million... There is no doubt that... Gorky's appeals and his fiery battle songs - "Petrel", his "Song of the Falcon" - were no less revolutionary influence on the masses than the proclamations of individual revolutionary committees of the party organization; and the party organizations themselves often published Gorky’s appeals and disseminated them widely among the masses. number of V.I. Lenin’s favorite works of M. Gorky: “Vladimir Ilyich,” said N.K. Krupskaya, - very much appreciated Alexei Maksimovich Gorky as a writer. He especially liked “Mother”, articles in “New Life” about philistinism - Vladimir Ilyich himself hated all philistinism - he liked “At the Lower Depths”, he liked the songs about the Falcon and the Petrel, their mood, he loved such things by Gorky as “Passion-faces”, like “Twenty-six and one”. (N.K. Krupskaya. Lenin and Gorky. " TVNZ", 1932, number 222, September 25.) Artistic images“Songs about the Petrel” were repeatedly used by V.I. Lenin and other leaders of the Bolshevik Party in the struggle for the socialist revolution. In 1906, in the article “Before the Storm,” V.I. Lenin wrote: “We stand, by all indications, on the eve of a great struggle. All forces must be aimed at making it a one-time, concentrated, full of the same heroism of the masses , which marked all the great stages of the great Russian revolution. Let the liberals cowardly nod at this coming struggle solely in order to threaten the government, let these narrow-minded philistines put all the strength of their “mind and feelings” into waiting for new elections - the proletariat is preparing for the struggle, unitedly and cheerfully walking towards the storm, rushing into the very the thick of the battle. We have had enough of the hegemony of the cowardly cadets, these “stupid penguins” who “timidly hide their fat bodies in the cliffs.” "Let the storm blow harder!" (V.I. Lenin. Works, 4th ed., vol. 11, p. 117.) V. M. Molotov in farewell speech on Red Square on June 20, 1936, he said: “With our own in special ways came great artist Maxim Gorky joined the ranks of fighters for communism. He entered our ranks even before the revolutionary upsurge of 1905, but already with the unfurled banner of the petrel of the revolution." (Pravda. 1936. issue 169, June 21.) M. I. Kalinin called Gorky's "Petrel" a harbinger of 1905. ( Collection "M.I. Kalinin on Literature". L. 1949, pp. 153--154.) In the article "On the sixtieth anniversary of the birth of Comrade Stalin" M.I. Kalinin wrote: "1900-1901 were years further rise of the revolutionary movement throughout Russia. There was energy for struggle in society. Gorky's "Petrel" seemed to generalize the mood, the desire to fight the autocracy, with its orders." (Ibid., p. 158.) In the article "The Glorious Path of the Komsomol" (1938) M.I. Kalinin pointed out: "Since the end of the nineties has intensified significantly revolutionary movement both in the capitals and in the provinces... The labor movement entered the wider arena political struggle, captured and carried away huge masses of people, which Gorky magnificently expressed in his “Petrel”. (Ibid., p. 160.) At a meeting of Dnepropetrovsk Komsomol activists, M.I. Kalinin said: “I highly advise Komsomol members, our youth, to read Gorky’s Petrel. It perfectly conveys the revolutionary aspirations of the progressive people of old Russia.” (Ibid., p. 158.) During the years of the heroic struggle of the Russian people against the autocracy, “The Song of the Petrel” was one of the powerful means of revolutionary propaganda. "Song of the Petrel" was included in all collected works. Published based on the text prepared by M. Gorky for the collected works in the “Book” edition.

SONG ABOUT THE PETUREVESTLE

Maksim Gorky

Over the gray plain of the sea the wind gathers clouds. Between the clouds and the sea, the Petrel soars proudly, like black lightning.

Now touching the wave with his wing, now soaring up to the clouds like an arrow, he screams and - the clouds hear joy in the bold cry of the bird.

In this cry is the thirst for a storm! The power of anger, the flame of passion and the confidence of victory are heard by the clouds in this cry.

Seagulls moan before the storm - they moan, rush over the sea and are ready to hide their horror before the storm at its bottom.

And the loons also groan - they, the loons, cannot enjoy the battle of life: the thunder of blows frightens them.

The stupid penguin timidly hides its fat body in the rocks... Only the proud Petrel soars boldly and freely over the foam-gray sea!

Darker and lower clouds descend over the sea, and sing, and the waves rush to the heights to meet the thunder.

Thunder rumbles. The waves groan in the foam of anger, arguing with the wind. Now the wind embraces flocks of waves in a strong embrace and throws them with wild anger onto the cliffs, smashing the emerald masses into dust and splashes.

The petrel soars with a cry, like black lightning, like an arrow pierces the clouds, tearing off the foam of the waves with its wing. Here he is rushing around like a demon - a proud, black demon of the storm - and laughs and sobs... He laughs at the clouds, he sobs with joy!

In the rage of thunder, - a sensitive demon, - he has long heard fatigue, he is sure that the clouds will not hide the sun - no, they will not!

The wind howls... Thunder rumbles...

Flocks of clouds burn with blue flames over the abyss of the sea. The sea catches the arrows of lightning and extinguishes them in its abyss. Like fiery snakes, the reflections of these lightnings curl into the sea, disappearing.

Storm! A storm is coming soon!

This brave Petrel proudly soars between the lightning over the roaring angry sea, then the prophet of victory shouts:

Let the storm blow stronger!..

March 1901

"Life", 1901, No. 4; Sat. "Songs of Struggle", ed. Union of Russian Social Democrats, Geneva, 1902, p. 20

Poetry in Bolshevik publications 1901-1917 / Intro. article, comp., prep. text and notes I. S. Eventova. L., Sov. writer, 1967 (Poet's book)

“It is unlikely that in our literature one can find a work that would go through as many editions as Gorky’s Burevestnik. It was reprinted in every city, it was distributed in copies printed on a hectograph and on a typewriter, it was copied by hand, it was read and reread in workers' circles and in student circles. Probably, the circulation of "Burevestnik" in those years was several million" (E. Yaroslavsky. See: "Gorky's Revolutionary Path", M.-L., 1933, pp. 8 - 9).

The song was written in response to the bloody dispersal of a student demonstration at the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg on March 4, 1901. The irony of fate is that the song was published legally - in the fourth issue of the magazine "Life" (April 1901). It was not conceived as an independent work, but was part of the satirical story “Spring Melodies,” where different layers of society were depicted as birds. This song was sung by a little siskin (apparently a student). Censorship prohibited publication full story, but thoughtlessly allowed the song of the siskin (the entire “Spring Melodies” was printed illegally on a hectograph by Nizhny Novgorod radicals). Before going to press, Gorky changed the final phrase. Instead of "Wait! A storm is coming soon!" staged "Let the storm blow harder!" As a result, on April 17, Gorky and his bosom friend, the poet Skitalets, were arrested and then expelled from Nizhny Novgorod. His farewell resulted in a mass demonstration. The magazine was closed in May.

The song was set to music by P. N. Renchitsky (melodeclamation).

The student unrest of 1901 is also dedicated to

Over the gray plain of the sea the wind gathers clouds. Between the clouds and the sea, the Petrel soars proudly, like black lightning.

Now touching the wave with his wing, now soaring up to the clouds like an arrow, he screams, and the clouds hear joy in the bold cry of the bird.

In this cry is the thirst for a storm! The power of anger, the flame of passion and the confidence of victory are heard by the clouds in this cry.

Seagulls moan before the storm - they moan, rush over the sea and are ready to hide their horror before the storm at its bottom.

And the loons also groan - they, the loons, cannot enjoy the battle of life: the thunder of blows frightens them.

The stupid penguin timidly hides its fat body in the rocks... Only the proud Petrel soars boldly and freely over the foam-gray sea!

Darker and lower clouds descend over the sea, and sing, and the waves rush to the heights to meet the thunder.

The petrel soars with a cry, like black lightning, like an arrow pierces the clouds, tearing off the foam of the waves with its wing.

So he rushes around like a demon, a proud, black demon of the storm, and laughs and sobs... He laughs at the clouds, he sobs with joy!

In the rage of thunder, - a sensitive demon, - he has long heard fatigue, he is sure that the clouds will not hide the sun - no, they will not!

The wind howls... Thunder rumbles...

Storm! A storm is coming soon!

This brave Petrel soars proudly between the lightning over the angry roaring sea; then the prophet of victory shouts:

Let the storm blow stronger!..

Analysis of the poem “Song of the Petrel” by Gorky

Poets, writers, composers are inseparable from their time. They themselves, like chronometers, measure the beginnings and ends. historical periods. They don't create as much works of art, as much as time itself, which would be different without them. “The Song of the Petrel” brought closer the revolution, which was still ahead and seemed beautiful, like everything distant.

Thirst for the Storm

But there were others too. They were symbolized by the Petrel. They were possessed by a thirst for storm, struggle, change. Peace and immutability were synonymous with mustiness and inertia. Approaching peals of thunder caressed their ears, distant flashes of lightning reflected in their eyes.

Brave, daring, strong, they rushed towards the lightning in the black space between the sky and the sea and found the meaning of life in the whirlwinds of the wind and the crests of the waves.

If it were not for the subsequent two wars and two revolutions, the Song of the Petrel could simply pass for a vivid manifestation of M. Gorky’s literary talent. But he, like his like-minded people, did not hide the fact that this was a call for revolution.

It would seem that everything is clear. But why are there so many gloomy images and epithets in this ode to joy and triumph?

Black demon of loneliness

The flight of the Petrel in the chaos of clouds, waves, and lightning looks strange. Why is he alone? Revolutionary change requires leaders and masses, not an oracle. There were already quite enough rebels at that time; they numbered in the tens of thousands. And in nature, birds do not fly alone.
And why is there so much black in this picture, which looks like the threshold of the apocalypse? Why is Petrel a demon? Not best comparison For folk hero. In Rus' they were identified with demons, thoroughly negative characters.

Some authors believe, and most likely with good reason, that these images reveal eternal theme the loneliness of the artist, detachment from everyday life and worthless vanity. The Creator must be alone, like God on the eve of the creation of the world, when light was not yet separated from darkness and everything was inevitably black.

Whether this motive was conscious of M. Gorky or not, we will no longer know. Perhaps he did not fully understand what his calls would lead to. “It is not possible for us to predict how our word will respond.”

Read poetry on this page "Song of the Petrel" Russian poet Maxim Gorky written in 1901 year.