In rainy weather
they gather together
to play.
To double – redouble –
a stake was no trouble,
they say.
They did not find it hard
to entrust to a card
their pay,
So no day of rain
ever slipped by in vain,
they say.
by Александр Сергеевич Пушкин (Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin)
a.k.a. Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin
(1833)
translated by Robert Chandler
Fun fact:
This piece of course precedes Pushkin’s famous short story ‘The Queen of Spades’.
I found this 1916 silent film adaption in the Expressionist style, made famous by works such as Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, with burnt in English subtitles (give it a few moments at the start as they don’t show up immediately) which might be of interest if you have an hour to spare.
Rambling At The Bridge Head 