"Winter Night" by Boris Pasternak

"Winter Night" by Boris Pasternak

  It snowed and snowed throughout the land,
A ceaseless snowing.
On the table, a candle burned;
A flame was glowing.

Like a swarm of gnats in summer
That flock to a light,
Snowflakes flew to the windowpane,
Afloat in the night.

The storm drew arrows on the glass
And circles, growing.
On the table, a candle burned;
A flame was glowing.

Up on the ceiling, shadows stirred,
Vivid and fleeting,
But where hands met and then legs met
Two fates were meeting.

And, knocked to the floor with a thud,
Two shoes came to rest;
And wax fell as lightly as tears
On folds of a dress.

All disappeared in snowy haze,
Blinding and blowing;
On the table, a candle burned;
A flame was glowing.

The candle shook in a draft, caught
In the chill one brings;
Temptation's heat, like an angel,
Raised its cross-shaped wings.

All February long it snowed,
And time and again
On the table, a candle burned;
A flame was glowing.

Змияя ночь by Boris Pasternak
Translated by Frank Beck

  ​This poem was written by Boris Pasternak, a poem called Winter Night. If you look at the poem itself, it seems to be a compressed version of “Doctor Zhivago,” which is famous for its novels and movies.

​ The background of 'Winter Night' is the Russian Revolution in the dark, 'Snowstorm' is a whirlpool of revolution that swept all the way to Siberia, and 'Candlelight' symbolizes an individual's life swaying precariously in front of the storm of the times. The “Shadow of Destiny,” which crosses paths in a flashlight-like situation, resembles the novel’s main characters, Yuri and Lara.

  Until a certain picture is drawn by an artist, there is always time for a painter to feel the condensation of energy in his soul. Energy that is difficult to describe in words runs through my head like complicated thoughts, inspiration or imaginations that suddenly arise.

 At this time, the painter must bring out this energy. Otherwise, this energy is intense and hot, as if burning the painter itself like a candle. I sometimes wonder if this energy itself wanted to come out into the world. Because after being taken out, the painter tastes a peace and tranquility that cannot be expressed in the world. Because of this inexplicable phenomenon, the artist can continue to paint.

 A painter is a vessel that feels this energy and brings it out in a visible form to the world. I accepted this role as a vessel as a mission in my life and since then my life has become simple and comfortable. I accepted it as my destiny in my life.

 Today I received an email from my VIP art lover with New Year's greetings. This is an e-mail interpreting the October candlelight among the calendar pictures I sent to the customer.
​
He read a poem called Winter Night from Dr. Zhivago's movie or novel from this candle and told it to me. I think this in-depth interpretation is the greatest gift to a painter.

 Often, a painter receives a certain energy and draws a picture, but there are many times when the picture is not understood. Or, there are times when I discover the reason and meaning of the painting only later. Especially since I usually paint unintentional pictures. Through my unintended paintings, I gained comfort, healing, and the courage to go out into the wild world. I am the one who delivers these comforts. My paintings in 2023 want to light up the world like this candle.