Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (6 June 1799 – 10 February 1837 / Moscow)

Sort of saying we can have a good time but, but, lets stay on our side of the street. Have a wine - BUT? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The hangover faction, suggest that a friend is like alchohaul, a pretense of joy through chemical delusions which in the end are a futile and somewhat painful enchantment, that would have been wise to take in moderation. In an era were facebook makes friends out of people we have no personal knowledge of other than a cursory and superficial pleasantries, it suggest that connections are doomed if they exists as surface niceness. A true friend is someone who goes beyond the exchange of vanity and inaction and is one who listens and excepts one through the worst times. That is a friend and Pushkin is merrily elucidating the qualities of what a friend is not, but which we generally go by.

What's friendship to Pushkin?
Its very basis
he throws into question,
implying we have two faces.

Though he got a thumbs down, i agree with kevin shaw. We expect the relationship of friendship to be some sort of strong bond, but it is often a weak bond dressed up temporaily as something strong. patronage. but friendship is indeed a relationship to honor. no matter our friends inperfections, even when they are to the point of disgust. for we all have these points and all are in need of fiends. friendship translates in every language.

I wonder why Puskin did not have the question ‘What's friendship? ’ as the title of the poem and then simply answer his own question as he has done in the quatrain? This achieves symmetry in all four lines.
Some of his other poems are far superior. Yet several translations of some of Puskin’s poems again stress how much poetry suffers lost in translation. It is the hardest literary medium to translate due to the multiple meanings of some words in the original language and the wonderful poetic effects linking such words achieves.

Good, very good translation. In the poet`s style for sure

This poem talks about negative kind of friendship. There should not be this kind of friendship in the world. Negative kind of friendship is suitable only for conspirators.

This poem talks about negative kind of friendship. There should not be this kind of friendship in the world. Negative kind of friendship is suitable only for conspirators.

By saying what friendship is not, Pushkin is implicitly saying what it should be. The spurned lover might cry: 'Love? Don't speak to me of love! ' Yet that is the word he most wishes to heart. Disappointment in friendship does not alter the true nature of it.

True many good friends, are made over flowing intoxications. The words seem to point to a futility of friendship. Saying it ends in the empty canister and just brings remorse of frustrated futility of even trying. Though comradeship in life is part of life. I guess maybe he was just one of those poet tipsters, that look on gloom. But, poets are poets and make the world spin. [ happy or sad poets ]