Texts
Book 8 References
Where to? Pierre asked himself. Where can I go now? Surely not to the Club or to pay calls? All men seemed so pitiful, so poor, in comparison with this feeling of tenderness and love he experienced: in comparison with that softened, grateful, last look she had given him through her tears.
It was clear and frosty. Above the dirty, ill-lit streets, above the black roofs, stretched the dark starry sky. Only looking up at the sky did Pierre cease to feel how sordid and humiliating were all mundane things compared with the heights to which his soul had just been raised. At the entrance to the Arbát Square an immense expanse of dark starry sky presented itself to his eyes. Almost in the center of it, above the Prechístenka Boulevard, surrounded and sprinkled on all sides by stars but distinguished from them all by its nearness to the earth, its white light, and its long uplifted tail, shone the enormous and brilliant comet of 1812—the comet which was said to portend all kinds of woes and the end of the world. In Pierre, however, that comet with its long luminous tail aroused no feeling of fear. On the contrary he gazed joyfully, his eyes moist with tears, at this bright comet which, having traveled in its orbit with inconceivable velocity through immeasurable space, seemed suddenly—like an arrow piercing the earth—to remain fixed in a chosen spot, vigorously holding its tail erect, shining and displaying its white light amid countless other scintillating stars. It seemed to Pierre that this comet fully responded to what was passing in his own softened and uplifted soul, now blossoming into a new life.
The Great Comet of 1812
Featured Characters: PIERRE, ALL
[PIERRE]
Where to now?
Where can I go now?
Not to the
Club
Not to pay calls
[PIERRE]
Mankind seems so pitiful
So poor
Compared to
that softened, grateful, last glance
She gave me through her tears
[ALL]
It was clear and cold
Above the dirty streets
Above the black roofs
Stretched the dark starry sky
[PIERRE]
This vast firmament
Open to my eyes
Wet with
tears
[ALL]
And there in the middle
Above Prechistensky
Boulevard
Surrounded and sprinkled on all sides by stars
Shines The
Great Comet of 1812
The Brilliant Comet of 1812
[PIERRE]
The comet said to portend
Untold horrors
And
the end of the world
[PIERRE]
But for me
The comet brings no fear
No, I
gaze joyfully
[PIERRE]
And this bright star
Having traced its
parabola
With inexpressible speed
Through immeasurable space
Seems suddenly
To have stopped
Like an arrow piercing the
earth
Stopped for me
[PIERRE]
It seems to me
That this comet
Feels me
Feels my softened and uplifted soul
And my newly melted heart
Now
blossoming
Into a new life