An Englishman (‘To Stephen Graham’)

I went an Englishman among the Russians,

Set out from Archangel and walked among them,

A hundred miles,

Another hundred miles,

A moujik among moujiks,

Dirty as earth is dirty.

And found them simple and devout and kind,

Met God among them in their houses –

And I returned to Englishmen, a Russian.

Witter Bynner, A Canticle of Pan

Умом Россию не понять,

Аршином общим не измерить.

У ней особенная стать,

В Россию можно только верить!

Fyodor Tiutchev