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Re: Fw: RE: morzh. ADA Scholarship Marches On!
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With all due respect to the ingenuity of comments on Ada's Russian pun, I
would like to suggest a non-phallic interpretation of "Morzhey." Alexey is
right when he says that in Russian only the adjective "morzhovyi" can be
used as a part of an obscene phrase in combination with "khui," "kher" or
"khren" (see Roman Jakobson's early article "On Realism in Art" in which he
discusses the epithets "morzhovyi" and "gollandksii" in Russian phallic
expletives). When Ada punningly reads the French toponym Morges (a town on
Lake Geneva specifically mentioned in Karamzin's "Letters of a Russian
Traveller") as the plural of Russian "morzh" (+es) and uses it in a
genitive case ("Morzhey"), it brings about a phonetic shift and hence
creates a French anagram of "J'ai mort" (usually followed by "de rire")--a
succinct message from Lucette.
Alexander Dolinin
At 08:32 AM 12/5/04 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear Brian,
>
>I don't remember having seen kh. m. in the Kunstkammer (anyway, it was long
>time ago that I last visited it), but I know that the poet Igor' Guberman
>has one at his house. I saw him demonstrating it to the interviewer in a TV
>program. If I remember correctly, it (the thin straight bone resembling a
>school teacher's pointer) was about 80 cm long.
>
>A Russian's first jump after "morzh" would be not what you think, but a
>person who bathes in winter. The people, who enjoy bathing in ice-holes in
>the Neva, or in other frozen rivers or lakes, are called "morzhi."
>But I do not question in the least your Morzhey connection with Lucette. As
>to the Usrsus dialogue and its possible echoes in Lucette's message, I think
>it's the case when "the size is important."
>
>Alexey
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> > > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 5:53 AM
> > > Subject: Fwd: RE: morzh
> > >
> > >
> > > > Dear Alexey,
> > > >
> > > > Quite right, in my haste I was short-circuiting "khuy morzhovyi" and
> > > "morzh"
> > > > itself. But that doesn't affect the connection with Lucette, since in
>a
> > > > verbal association a Russian's likely first jump after "morzh" will
> > > usually
> > > > be to "khuy." I don't think the Ursus passage makes that any stronger.
> > But
> > > > as a matter of interest, just how big is the "khuy morzhovyi" in
>Peter's
> > > > Kunstkammer, or in the wild?
> > > >
> > > > Brian Boyd
> > > >
> > > > EDNOTE. In the interest of scolarship, I went over to Peter's
> > Kunstkammer
> > > last
> > > > time I was in S-Pb. It was, alas, its vykhodnoi den' so I failed to
>see
> > > the
> > > > museum's most famous exhibit.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Donald B. Johnson [mailto:chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu]
> > > > Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 1:05 PM
> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > > Subject: Fw: morzh
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Dear Brian,
> > > >
> > > > I doubt that "morzh" can mean "cock" or "prick" in Russian. At least
> > not
> > > in
> > > > the modern Russian. But it can be used with the famous Russian
> > > three-letter
> > > > word for cock as an epithet, "morzhovyi" (of walrus). The whole phrase
> > ("X
> > > > > morzhovyi") is generally used as an obuse. But, if we disregard
>this,
> > > > > the genital organ of a walrus is pretty long, and you remember the
> > > > > following dialogue between Lucette and Van in part 2, chapter 8:
> > > > >
> > > > > "...it looked to me at least eight inches long -"
> > > > > "Seven and a half" murmured modest Van, whose hearing the music
> > > impaired.
> > > > >
> > > > > Lucette, who is obsessed with sex, means Van's scar, not his penis
> > > > > ("the ladder, not the lad") this time, but he is too drunk to
> > understand
> > > > that.
> > > > > Lucette, in her turn, is probably aware (although she is even more
> > > > > drunk
> > > > than Van) of the fact that Van misunderstands
> > > > > her, and she knows why he
> > > > > misunderstands her (because she had seen him making love to Ada in a
> > > > > previous chapter). So, "Morzhey" could indeed be a message from
> > > > > Lucette,
> > > > but
> > > > > via "morzhovyi".
> > > > >
> > > > best,
> > > > Alexey
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> > > > > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > > Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 9:03 PM
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > ---
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dear Jansy, (Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yes, but "twin cock crosses" is a very accurate description of
> > > > > > old-style faucets (W2: cock, 6a: A faucet, tap, or valve or the
>like
> > > > > > for starting, stopping or regulating flow); it foes not literally
> > > > > > refer to a penis. At
> > > > > the
> > > > > > same time, of course, Ada's other grip catches at Van's valve. And
> > > > > > the
> > > > > twin
> > > > > > cock crosses also bring to mind the watery twins Marina and Aqua
> > > > > > (who
> > > > has
> > > > > a
> > > > > > problem with tapwater), and their foreshadowing of Ada and
>Lucette,
> > > > > > who bursts into the room in the same sentence, just after Van's
> > > orgasm.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nabokov keeps "penis" out of his text, as Jeff observes, yet one
>of
> > > > > > the
> > > > > key
> > > > > > moments of the novel is Ada's decision to return to Van at Mont
> > > > > > Roux, in
> > > > > > 1922: "'I told him to turn,' she said, 'somewhere near Morzhey
> > > ('morses'
> > > > > or
> > > > > > 'walruses,' a Russian pun on 'Morges'--maybe a mermaid's
>message)."
> > > > > "Morzh"
> > > > > > in this sense is vulgar Russian for "cock" or "prick," and as "the
> > > > > mermaid's
> > > > > > message" indicates (Lucette has been explicitly called a mermaid
> > > > > > shortly before), and the Ophelia-like punning on private parts
>also
> > > > > > suggests (Lucette puns extensively on clitoris and other sexual
> > > > > > terms, especially
> > > > > in
> > > > > > III.5, but again Nabokov eschews "clitoris" itself), Ada's
>decision
> > > > > > to return to Van seems to have something to do with dead Lucette.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Viktor Krivulin's poem, Jeff's translation and Jeff's and Alexey's
> > > > > > commentary are delightful.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Brian Boyd
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: Donald B. Johnson [mailto:chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu]
> > > > > > Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 3:58 PM
> > > > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Krivulin poem re Nabokov. Translation
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dear Jeff,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You wrote that although Nabokov was always very precise in his
> > > > terminology
> > > > > > "this precision rarely if ever extended to human genital organs".
> > > > > > And yet, the examples you offered were all only applicable to the
> > > > "penis"
> > > > > > ...
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I sellected only one paragraph with VN=B4s euphemisms for the
> > > > > > female
> > > > sex
> > > > > an=
> > > > > > d
> > > > > > adjacent parts in "Ada" : "where she strained across the low tub
>to
> > > > turn
> > > > > on
> > > > > > both taps and then bent over to insert the bronze chained plug; it
> > > > > > got sucked in by itself, however, while he steadied her lovely
>lyre
> > > > > > and next moment was at the suede-soft root, was gripped, was deep
> > > > > > between the familiar, incomparable, crimson-lined lips. She caught
> > > > > > at the twin cock crosses, thus involuntarily increasing the
> > > > > > sympathetic volume of the
> > > > > water=
> > > > > > =B4s
> > > > > > noise, and Van emitted a long groan of deliverance" ( Penguin ed,
> > pag.
> > > > > 308).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Anyway, I enjoyed your sentence about "a penis is never simply a
> > > > > > penis
> > > > for
> > > > > > Nabokov" which nicely contrasts with Freud=B4s: " a cigar
>sometimes
> > > > > > is
> > > > > only =
> > > > > > a
> > > > > > cigar".
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> > > > > > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > > > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 6:07 PM
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Krivulin poem re Nabokov. Translation
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > From Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thank you Alexey Skylarenko for pointing out the shortcomings of
> > > > > > > my translation, especially the major goof in the second stanza
> > > > > > > (about which more below).
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > As Alexey notes, "'Mgnove' is a truncated (and nonexisting) form
> > > > > > > of 'mgnovenie,' a moment." This form wonderfully embodies the
> > > > "fragment"
> > > > > > > mentioned in the first stanza. Another of the charms of the
>first
> > > > > > > stanza
> > > > > > is
> > > > > > > the artistry which which the verb "zaselo" (got stuck) is
> > > > > > > literally stuck in the phrase "v moei golove" (in my head): "v
> > > > > > > moei zaselo golove." (Which calls to my mind the masterful first
> > > > > > > sentence of Alain Robbe-Grillet's _La jalousie_ [of which
>Nabokov
> > > > > > > said in a French interview published in 1959, "C'est le plus
>beau
> > > > > > > roman d'amour depuis Proust"], in which the structure
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > of the sentence serves as a textual analog of the image
>described:
> > > > > > > "Now
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > shadow of the column--the column which supports the southwest
> > > > > > > corner of
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > roof--divides the corresponding corner of the veranda into two
> > > > > > > equal
> > > > > > parts."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > As for stanza two, I would like to explain one reason why I
> > > > > > > misread the text as implying that it was Nabokov who "conceal[s]
> > > > > > > the genital organ / With metaphysical delight." Nabokov was
>always
> > > > > > > precise in his terminology (cf., inter alia, Peter Lubin's paper
> > > > > > > in ZEMBLA), but this precision
> > > > > > rarely
> > > > > > > if ever extended to human genital organs. So far as I can
>recall,
> > > > > > > Nabokov does not once in his published prose or poetry use the
> > > > > > > word "penis." (He
> > > > > > > *does* use the term in one of his letters to Edmund Wilson. If I
> > > > > > > recall correctly, he says, in reference to the sex scenes in one
> > > > > > > of Wilson's books, that despite their frankness, they are not
> > > > > > > arousing, in fact they are about as arousing as "trying to open
>a
> > > > > > > can of tuna
> > > > with
> > > > > > one's penis."
> > > > > > > Incidentally, the delivery of this line by Dmitri Nabokov
>playing
> > > > > > > his father during a performance of Terry Quinn's "Dear Bunny,
>Dear
> > > > Volodya,"
> > > > > > > was, for me, a delightful moment of shared hilarity during the
> > > > > > > 1998
> > > > > > Cornell
> > > > > > > Nabokov Centenary Festival.)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Whether the "pryshchushchii persik" (spurting peach) or "priap"
> > > > > > > (priapus) in Chapter XIII of Prignlashenie na kazn' (Invitation
>to
> > > > > > > a Beaheading), or the much more famous "scepter of my passion"
>in
> > > > > > > Lolita, a penis is never simply a penis for Nabokov. Few
>writers,
> > > > > > > it might be argued, have so artistically concealed "the genital
> > > organ"
> > > > with
> > > > > > "metaphysical delight."
> > > > > > > Hence my too-hasty willingness to see Nabokov as the concealer
>in
> > > > > > > stanza two rather than as the explainer of this concealment.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Finally, as I mentioned to Alexey in a personal message thanking
> > > > > > > him for his corrections, I was also distracted by the fact that
>I
> > > > > > > had composed a more ribald, even less literal, but rhymed
>version
> > > > > > > of the second stanza, not sent to the list, in which I replaced
> > > > > > > "genital organ" with "cock" and rendered "polotenchikom" as
>"with
> > a
> > > > sock."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Again, my apologies to Mr. Krivulin, and now to The Red Hot
>Chili
> > > > > > > Peppers as well.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Jeff Edmunds
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > At 10:24 AM 12/2/2004 -0800, you wrote:
> > > > > > > >----- Forwarded message from sklyarenko@users.mns.ru -----
> > > > > > > > Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 19:36:39 +0300
> > > > > > > > From: alex <sklyarenko@users.mns.ru>
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >Thank you, Jeff Edmunds, for your translation and for providing
>a
> > > > > > > >link to
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > >complete version of this poem. I found it on a different web
>page
> > > > > > > >(http://www.vavilon.ru/texts/krivulin4.html) where the poem was
> > > > > > > >published without the four last lines.
> > > > > > > >The poem's strange title apparently needs a short commentary.
> > > > > > > >"Mgnove" is
> > > > > > a
> > > > > > > >truncated (and nonexisting) form of "mgnovenie," a moment, and
> > > > > > > >the whole
> > > > > > title
> > > > > > > >plays on the first line of Pushkin's famous poem "Ya pomnyu
> > > > > > > >chudnoe mgnoven'ye"
> > > > > > > >(I remember a wondrous moment)addressed to Anna Kern (who was
>to
> > > > > > > >become Pushkin's mistress a couple of years after he had
>written
> > > > > > > >that
> > > > > > poem).
> > > > > > That's
> > > > > > > >why "mgnove" is compared to a fragment of some antique statue
>in
> > > > > > > >lines
> > > > > > 3-4.
> > > > > > > >I think the translation is marvelous, but I would like to
>correct
> > > > > > > >one
> > > > > > little
> > > > > > > >mistake. The author of the poem doesn't want Nabokov to conceal
> > > > > > > >the
> > > > > > genital
> > > > > > > >organ (of the statue) with metaphysical delight, he wants him
>to
> > > > > > > >explain why it is concealed. Also, styd i sram (the phrase
>occurs
> > > > > > > >in ADA, ch. 38) means simply "shame."
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >Krivulin has also a poem entitled Chetvyortaya Sestra ("The
> > > > > > > >Fourth
> > > > > > > >Sister") that
> > > > > > > >might have been inspired (and might be not) by Chekhov's
> > > > > > > >well-known play
> > > > > > "The
> > > > > > > >Four Sisters" (again, see ADA).
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >Alexey
> > > > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > > > From: Donald B. Johnson
> > > > > > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 3:36 AM
> > > > > > > > Subject: Fwd: Re: Krivulin poem re Nabokov. Translation
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > EDNOTE. With thanks to Jeff Edmunds on ZEMBLA's Birthday.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > From Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > The version of this poem that reached me via the list was
>both
> > > > > > > > garbled
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > > truncated, perhaps as a result of the encoding. The
>apparently
> > > > > > complete
> > > > > > > > version is available at
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > http://www.vavilon.ru/texts/prim/krivulin4.html
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > about two-thirds of the way down the page.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Below is an English version, composed hastily and
>immediately
> > > > > > > > postprandially. It is whimsical, ugly, unrhymed, and
>probably
> > > > > > > > wrong in
> > > > > > at
> > > > > > > > least three ways. My apologies to Viktor Krivulin.
> > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Marvelous Moment
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Why did you, marvelous moment,
> > > > > > > > Get stuck in my head
> > > > > > > > Like a fragment from the naughty bits
> > > > > > > > Of some antique statue?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Let Nabokov explain
> > > > > > > > The meaning of Russian diffidence and
> > > > > > > > Shame, and conceal the genital organ
> > > > > > > > With metaphysical delight
> > > > > > > > As with a wisp of cloth --
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Why? What for and from whom?
> > > > > > > > Harmony is deity
> > > > > > > > On line, connected to us
> > > > > > > > So that we don't see, but we know,
> > > > > > > > There is something there, where there is nothing
> > > > > > > >
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
----- End forwarded message -----