Translation:Lapta (Kuprin)

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Lapta
by Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin, translated by Wikisource

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Russian original published in 1916 in the periodical Геркулесъ, no. 4—5 (1916)

4910430LaptaWikisourceAleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin

Forgotten Games

Lapta^[1]

This folk game, unfortunately forgotten and neglected, is one of the most interesting and beneficial games. Unlike football, it does not lead boys to kicking their opponent’s legs or ribs, or even knocking out eyes.

Nor does it stop at the juggling of lawn tennis (that fashionable sport!). It combines the virtues of both, without their flaws.

In lapta one needs resourcefulness, deep breathing, loyalty to one’s side, attentiveness, agility, fast running, a sharp eye, a firm hand, and an unshakable confidence that one cannot be defeated.

The players divide into two sides: the “upper” and the “lower” (as they say in Moscow), or the “batting” and the “catching” (as in Petrograd^[2]).

The weaker players begin for the upper side.With a stick about a meter long and two inches thick, the ball (called “Arabian” in Petrograd) must be struck skillfully as it is tossed up.

The ball soars to such a height that it disappears from sight. Its flight may last fifteen to twenty seconds, and sometimes even thirty, when it sails over fences, houses, and bell towers (the ball flies especially high in what is called a “candle”).

Then the second player goes, then the third, and so on. Each member of the batting side must, while the ball is still in flight, run across into the enemy’s field—some thirty, a hundred, or even two hundred sazhens—and return home untagged. But the opposing side often has masters who can catch the ball in midair, scorching their hands, and hurl it at the runner, striking him in that part of the back where it loses its honorable name.Once a player is tagged, the turn passes to the other side. But sometimes well-practiced teams can hold their ground for two or three hours or more. While some play, others rest.

There is no place in this game for cowards or idlers.

I earnestly recommend this native Russian game not only as physical exercise, but also as a harmless amusement that fosters comradeship: “help your own!”

—

A. Kuprin

↑ Lapta is a traditional Russian bat-and-ball game, somewhat resembling baseball or cricket. It is played with two teams: one batting and one fielding. The batting team tries to strike the ball and run across the field and back without being hit by the ball. The name lapta is usually kept in transliteration, since there is no exact English equivalent. (Wikisource contributor note)
↑ From 1914 to 1924, Saint Petersburg was officially renamed Petrograd. This change was decreed by Tsar Nicholas II on August 18 (August 31, New Style), 1914, as a patriotic response to anti-German sentiment during World War I . In 1924, following the death of Vladimir Lenin, the city was renamed Leningrad, and later, in 1991, restored its historic name Saint Petersburg. (Wikisource contributor note)

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Original:

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[1] Lapta is a traditional Russian bat-and-ball game, somewhat resembling baseball or cricket. It is played with two teams: one batting and one fielding. The batting team tries to strike the ball and run across the field and back without being hit by the ball. The name lapta is usually kept in transliteration, since there is no exact English equivalent. (Wikisource contributor note)

[2] From 1914 to 1924, Saint Petersburg was officially renamed Petrograd. This change was decreed by Tsar Nicholas II on August 18 (August 31, New Style), 1914, as a patriotic response to anti-German sentiment during World War I . In 1924, following the death of Vladimir Lenin, the city was renamed Leningrad, and later, in 1991, restored its historic name Saint Petersburg. (Wikisource contributor note)

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