Daniil Kharms (pseudonym of Daniil Ivánovich Yuvachev, 1905-1942)
We are rushing to school today. 1936
Autograph manuscript signed ('Daniil Kharms') of the poem 'Mi speshim segonia v shkolu' ('We are rushing to school today'), n.d. [1936].

In Russian. A rough draft in black ink and pencil with extensive cancellations and emendations, title and 58 lines on one leaf, 201 x 146mm.

'Ya furazku
I tuzhurku
Nadevau
Na hodu,
Potomu chto
Den
Segonia
Samiy
Luchiy
Den
V godu!
Potomuchto
Den segonia
Samiy luchchiy deni v godu,
Potomu chto
Ya segodnia
V shkolu
V perviy raz begu'.

Kharms's evocation of the excitement of the first day at school: ‘A cap / And a jacket / I put on / On the run, / Because / The day / Today / Is the / Best / Day / In the year. / … Because / I am today /Running to school / For the first time’. The poem was first published in Chizh in 1936. The present manuscript shows significant revisions to the last section of the poem, and in addition has a variant reading for line 10.

Kharms's activities had become severely constrained after his arrest and internal exile to Kursk in 1932-33: the public activities of the OBERIU writers' collective ceased, and he published no further illustrated children's books. Nevertheless, he continued to contribute individual poems and stories (sometimes anonymously) to children's magazines such as Chizh, and these were indeed almost his sole source of income.

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.