Original Poem
Vējš augstākās priedes nolauza, Kas kāpās pie jūras stāvēja. Pēc tālēm tās skatieniem gribēja sniegt, Ne slēpties tās spēja, ne muguras liekt. "Kam lauzi mūs naidīgā pretvara, Vēl cīņa pret tevi nav nobeigta!" Vēl ilgās pēc tālēm dveš pēdējais vaids, Ik zarā pret varu šņāc nerimstošs naids. Un augstākās priedes pēc lauzuma Par kuģiem iz ūdeņiem iznira. Pret vētru lepni cilājās krūts, Pret vētru cīņa no jauna dūc. "Brāz bangas tu, naidīgā pretvara, Mēs sniegsim tāles, kur laimība. Tu vari mūs šķelt, tu vari mūs lauzt, Mēs tāles sniegsim, kur saule aust !"
Translation (English)
The wind snapped the tallest pines,
That stood on the dunes by the sea.
They wanted to reach out to the far distances,
They couldn't hide or bend their backs.
"Why do you break us, hostile force,
The fight against you isn't over yet!"
Still longing for the distances, the last sigh breathes,
In every branch, an endless hatred hisses against the power.
And the tallest pines after being broken
Rose from the waters like ships.
Against the storm, the chest proudly lifts,
Against the storm, the fight hums again.
"You, hostile force, crash the waves,
We will reach the distances where happiness is.
You can split us, you can break us,
We will reach the distances where the sun rises!"
About the Poet
Rainis (19th-20th century)
Rainis, born Jānis Pliekšāns, was a prominent Latvian poet, playwright, and politician. He played a significant role in Latvian literature and was a key figure in the Latvian national awakening.
Read more on Wikipedia →Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Free verse
- When Written
- Early 20th century
- Background
- The poem reflects themes of resilience and defiance against oppressive forces, likely inspired by Latvia's struggles for independence and identity.
Sources: https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauztās_priedes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_literature, https://www.babelmatrix.org/works/lv/Rainis_-1865/Lauztās_Priedes
Detailed Explanation
The poem 'Lauztās priedes' (The Broken Pines) by Rainis uses the metaphor of pines broken by the wind to symbolize resilience and defiance against oppressive forces. The pines, standing tall on the dunes by the sea, represent strength and the desire to reach beyond immediate confines. Despite being broken, they emerge from the waters like ships, ready to face the storm again. This imagery reflects a spirit of perseverance and hope, suggesting that even when faced with adversity, there is a determination to strive towards a brighter future where happiness and freedom await. The poem captures the essence of the Latvian struggle for independence and identity, with the pines symbolizing the nation's resilience and the unyielding spirit of its people. The recurring theme of reaching for the distances where the sun rises signifies hope and the pursuit of a better tomorrow.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vējš | vētra | wind | Veesh |
| augstākās | visaugstākās | tallest | aug-staa-kaas |
| priedes | koki | pines | prie-des |
| nolauza | salauza | broke | no-lau-za |
| Kas | kurš | that | kas |
| kāpās | smilšu kalnos | dunes | kaa-paas |
| pie | blakus | by | pie |
| jūras | okeāna | sea | juu-ras |
| stāvēja | atradās | stood | sta-vee-ja |
| Pēc | pēc tam | after | peets |
| tālēm | tālām vietām | distances | taa-lem |
| tās | viņas | those | tas |
| skatieniem | skatiens | look | ska-tee-ni-em |
| gribēja | vēlējās | wanted | gri-bee-ja |
| sniegt | dot | reach | sniegt |
| Ne | nē | not | ne |
| slēpties | paslēpties | hide | slep-ties |
| spēja | varēja | could | spee-ja |
| muguras | muguras | backs | mu-gu-ras |
| liekt | saliekt | bend | liekt |
| Kam | kuram | why | kam |
| lauzi | salauzi | break | lau-zi |
| mūs | mēs | us | moos |
| naidīgā | naidīgs | enemy | nai-di-gaa |
| pretvara | pretspēks | opponent | pret-va-ra |
| Vēl | vēl | still | veel |
| cīņa | cīņa | fight | cee-nya |
| pret | pret | against | pret |
| tevi | jūs | you | te-vi |
| nav | nav | not | nav |
| nobeigta | pabeigta | over | no-beig-ta |
| ilgās | ilgās | longing | il-gaas |
| dveš | elpo | breathes | dvesh |
| pēdējais | pēdējais | last | pee-dee-yais |
| vaids | vaids | sigh | vaids |
| Ik | katrs | every | ik |
| zarā | zarā | branch | za-raa |
| šņāc | šņāc | hisses | shnaats |
| nerimstošs | nepārtraukts | unceasing | ne-rim-stosh |
| naids | naids | hatred | naids |
| Un | un | and | un |
| pēc | pēc | after | peets |
| lauzuma | salauzuma | breakage | lau-zu-ma |
| Par | par | like | par |
| kuģiem | kuģiem | ships | ku-gyeem |
| ūdeņiem | ūdeņiem | waters | uu-de-nyeem |
| iznira | iznira | emerged | iz-ni-ra |
| Pret | pret | against | pret |
| vētru | vētru | storm | vee-tru |
| lepni | lepni | proudly | lep-ni |
| cilājās | cilājas | moves | ci-laa-yaas |
| krūts | krūts | chest | kruuts |
| no | no | from | no |
| jauna | jauna | anew | yau-na |
| dūc | dūc | buzzes | duuts |
| Brāz | trieciens | strike | braaz |
| bangas | bangas | waves | ban-gas |
| tu | tu | you | tu |
| Mēs | mēs | we | mees |
| sniegsim | dosim | give | snieg-sim |
| tāles | tāles | distances | taa-les |
| kur | kur | where | kur |
| laimība | laimība | happiness | lai-mee-ba |
| Tu | tu | you | tu |
| vari | vari | can | va-ri |
| šķelt | šķelt | split | shkelt |
| lauzt | lauzt | break | lauzt |
| saule | saule | sun | sau-le |
| aust | aust | rises | aust |
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