Letter 162

Date	26 November/8 December 1869
Addressed to	Ivan Klimenko
Where written	Moscow
Language	Russian
Autograph Location	unknown
Publication	Мои воспоминания о Петре Ильиче Чайковском (1908), p. 62–63 ("1871/1872") П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том V (1959), p. 190–191 П. И. Чайковский. Забытое и новое (1995), p. 85-86
Notes	Manuscript copy in Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve

Text and Translation

Based on a handwritten copy in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin, which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter.

Tchaikovsky wrote this letter in the old Church Slavonic dialect, in response to a similar letter from Klimenko, in a parody of a church sermon.

Russian text (original)

English translation By Brett Langston

Брате! Возлюбе премудрых Господь, заньже и сердец восхваление и вертограду ангельску благопоспешно сущу, и той земли и ада, яко от тли разверзшему тако глаголаше: восплещите рукама и гласом хвалу воспоенну да не от мира в езеро приснопрославленну — абие же аз сотворих. И паки реку: се жертву умащенну окропих; се в огнь и в исоп вонзениу облекох; и горько плакася, еже о гресех родися, в ризе хваления и в воню благоухания притворившу, одежды нетления возвестих. Такоже и ко Ефесеонам: камо лице препрославленно пригвоздишь? камо жену имаше лютейшу и златоукрашенну отженишь? Овому тринадесять и седмь проколол еси, овому жеи живот прияху, яко воистину препрославися. Прости же меня, брате, тако воспоюще: к дщери небесной не припаду, к дщери Доримедонтовой не притеку, яко зол душа моя исполнися и восхотех премудр быти и шестопсалмие (сиречь 6 романсов) кончати; а и то, брате, в Норме от сестер Маркисий воспоеннои, — Александре присночтимой быти надлежит, и то вем, яко старец в сновидении явися и абие прорекох. Ей Иоанне; воистину ти реку, угощеванию ны и не приложимся заутра и вечеря та чайная чаянна до седмицы наступающей отложенна есть. Обнимем убо друг друга, да единомыслием исповемы и тако возопиим: Алилуйя, Алилуйя, Алилуйя. Пётр

Brother! The Lord loveth the wise, for He is the praise of hearts and the fecund garden of angels, and to he who freed both earth and Hades from corruption he spake thus: Clasp thy hands and with thy voice sing that which is sung neither from the land nor from the waters ever blessed — as I have done. And further to declare: "Behold, I have sprinkled the anointed sacrifice; behold, I have been clothed in fire and bathed in hyssop; and wept bitterly for I was born of sins, clothing myself in the robe of praise and the fragrance of incense, I wear the garments of incorruptibility. And also to the Ephesians: Whose glorious visage shalt thou nail to the cross? Where shalt thou find a steadfast wife with a dowry of gold? Thou hast pierced the thirteenth and seventh, and been given life from another, for thou hast been truly blessed. Forgive me, brother, for extoling thus: I shall neither prostrate myself before the daughter of heaven, nor hasten to the daughter of Dorimedontov, for my soul is filled with evil and I must repenteth with six psalms (that is to say, six romances); and then, brother, I must hasten to Norma sung by the sisters Marchisio, and the ever-venerable Alexandra, as it was prophesied to me in a dream. To thee, Johannes; verily I say that we shall not partake of the morning feast, and that tea at the teahouse is postponed until the coming week. Let us embrace one another, such that with one mind we may confess our sins and cry out thus: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Pyotr