Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0019331, Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:27:46 -0500

Subject
Re: Charade = Shar + Ada = Sphere of Hell = Demonia
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>>>> The Russian word for boule is shar (which also means "sphere," globe").
Indeed it does.
Shar + ada = sharada ("charade"). I suspect, I managed to solve Nabokov's difficult charade in Ada.

Alexey - amazing!!
I cannot believe nobody saw this simple charade before:

Charade = Russ. Sharada = Shar + Ada = Sphere of Hell = Demonia (Antiterra)
However, in Russian plural, charades are Sharady = Shar Ady = Ada's Sphere

As opposed, I presume, to Shar Zemnoy* (Russ.) = the [Earthly] Globe
(Zemlya = Earth = Terra)


*famously featured, e.g., in the only poem-song of Okudzhava translated by VN and quoted in Ada ('Speranza', when the true batch outboys the riot)!

Ne pokachnulo b shar zemnoy = terrestrial globe is jolted
(see Verses & Versions, p. 365)

Notice that zemnoy (terrestrial, earthly) also means "of this world" as opposed to a poetic cliché nezemnoy (heavenly, out-of-this world).
It echoes with Zemsky, naturally (same root).

Victor Fet

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