The suite was a musical depiction of four poems written in the summer of 1893 at the Lysikof estate in Lebeden, Kharkov.
ðə swˈiːt wʌzɐ mjˈuːzɪkəl dᵻpˈɪkʃən ʌv fˈoːɹ pˈoʊᵻmz ɹˈɪʔn̩ ɪnðə sˈʌmɚɹ ʌv wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː æt ðə lˈaɪsɪkˌɑːf ᵻstˈeɪt ɪn lˈɛbɛdən, kˈɑːɹkɑːv.