The Forest King. Tales and Ballads

Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky (1783–1852) – a Russian poet, the founder of romanticism in domestic poetry, the author of elegies, romances, ballads, and epic works. The poem "The Forest King" is a translation of the ballad by I.W. Goethe. The most famous Russian translations are by V. Zhukovsky and A. Fet. V.A. Zhukovsky translated the poem in 1818. The work is based on an ancient legend about a dying boy who is called into the kingdom of the Forest King. The plot centers around a dialogue between a father and his son, who are riding a horse through the forest in the evening. The boy feels as if the Forest King is luring him: "Child, I am captivated by your beauty: "Whether by force or will, you shall be mine." The ballad inspired many musicians, most notably Franz Schubert's composition of 1815. The book also includes poems and ballads by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, which are part of the school curriculum: "Svetlana", "The Sleeping Princess", "The Riddle", and others.