A heavy shroud is placed onto the ground,
The bells are droning in a solemn show,
The spirit is again confused and troubled
By weary boredom of the Tsarskoe Selo.
Five years have passed. And all is dumb and dead here,
The world has reached the end, it seems.
The theme exhausted for all time is set here,
The palace rests now in a mortal dream.
На землю саван тягостный возложен,
Торжественно гудят колокола,
И снова дух смятен и потревожен
Истомой скуки Царского Села.
Пять лет прошло. Здесь все мертво и немо,
Как будто мира наступил конец.
Как навсегда исчерпанная тема,
В смертельном сне покоится дворец.
«Today I can see that your eyes are especially sad, / And the arms, that are hugging your knees, are so gentle, my love. / Just listen, in a faraway land by a lake called the Chad, / Wanders an elegant giraffe. His elegant body is shining in afternoon heat. / It's covered with a beautifu...»
«O, the look in your eyes this morning is more than usually sad, / With your little arms wrapped round your knees and body bent in half. / Let me tell you a story: far, far away, on the distant shores of Lake Chad, / There roams a most majestic giraffe Blessed with a handsome build and gracefu...»
«You are sadder, today: I can see. / And your arms, wrapped around your knees, are thinner. / But listen: far far away, near Lake Chad, / a delicate giraffe grazes up and down. He is blessed with sinuous beauty and with happiness, / and his hide is stamped with a magic design / that only t...»
«This evening the look in your eyes is especially sad, / And your arms are especially vine-like entwining your calf. / So listen to me: far away, on the shores of Lake Chad / There roams an exquisite giraffe. He is gracefully slender and gifted with bliss from within, / And none on the Earth...»