Sentence 1 in Angel
This is a sentence in Russian from Angel. It is composed of 17 words.
В дверях Эдема ангел нежный главой поникшею сиял, а демон мрачный и мятежный над адской бездною летал.
в
In - adposition
Эдема
Edem - proper noun
эдем
ангел
Angel - noun
нежный
delicate - adjective
поникшею
drooping - noun
,
а
a - coordinating conjunction
демон
Demon - proper noun
-
мрачный
gloomy - adjective
и
and - coordinating conjunction
мятежный
rebellious - adjective
над
above - adposition
адской
.
English translation
At the door of Eden, a gentle angel shone with drooping head, And a gloomy and rebellious demon flew over the hellish abyss.
Description
Analysis of the phrase in context.
The poem immediately presents a striking contrast by placing two powerful figures at symbolic thresholds.
On one side, a tender angel stands in the doorway of Eden—a universal emblem of purity, innocence, and divine grace.
His bowed head suggests humility or perhaps a reflective sorrow, yet his very presence shines with an inner light that signifies goodness and gentle strength.
Opposite him, the demon is introduced with dark, brooding adjectives: he is gloomy and rebellious.
Instead of being confined to the depths of hell, he soars above a hellish abyss, emphasizing his defiant, untamed nature.
This line establishes the poem’s central duality between light and darkness, setting the stage for the emotional and philosophical interplay that follows.
On one side, a tender angel stands in the doorway of Eden—a universal emblem of purity, innocence, and divine grace.
His bowed head suggests humility or perhaps a reflective sorrow, yet his very presence shines with an inner light that signifies goodness and gentle strength.
Opposite him, the demon is introduced with dark, brooding adjectives: he is gloomy and rebellious.
Instead of being confined to the depths of hell, he soars above a hellish abyss, emphasizing his defiant, untamed nature.
This line establishes the poem’s central duality between light and darkness, setting the stage for the emotional and philosophical interplay that follows.
Word sources
A quick overview of the meaning of each word and its etymology.
| в | в | ||
| дверях | дверь | door | Inherited from Old East Slavic двьрь (dvĭrĭ), from Proto-Slavic *dvьrь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *dwírs, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwṓr, whence English door, Lithuanian durys, Latin forum, Sanskrit द्वार (dvā́ra). |
| Эдема | эдем | ||
| ангел | ангел | angel | Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos). Doublet of а́ггел (ággel). |
| нежный | нежный | gentle | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *něžьnъ. By surface analysis, не́га (néga, “luxury, comfort, prosperity”) + -ный (-nyj). |
| главой | глава | head | Inherited from Old East Slavic глава (glava), borrowed from Old Church Slavonic глава (glava). Doublet of голова́ (golová), the regular East Slavic reflex. |
| поникшею | поникшею | ||
| сиял | сиять | to shine | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sijati. |
| а | а | but | |
| демон | - | ||
| мрачный | мрачный | dark | Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic мрачьнъ (mračĭnŭ), from Proto-Slavic *mȍrčьnъ. Analyzable as мрак (mrak) + -ный (-nyj). Doublet of мо́ро́чный (móróčnyj). |
| и | и | and | From the early Cyrillic letter iže, from Greek Η (I, eta). |
| мятежный | мятежный | rebellious | Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic мѧтежьнъ (mętežĭnŭ). Equivalent to мяте́ж (mjatéž) + -ный (-nyj). |
| над | над | above | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nadъ. |
| адской | адский | hellish | ад (ad) + -ский (-skij) |
| бездною | бездна | abyss | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bezdъna. By surface analysis, без- (bez-) + дно (dno). |
| летал | летать | to fly | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lětati, frequentative from *letěti. |