I stood for long before the hell’s gates, heavy,
But in the hell all was just dark and calm...
Oh, even Devil does not need my levy.
Wherever shall I come?
Стояла долго я у врат тяжелых ада,
Но было тихо и темно в аду...
О, даже Дьяволу меня не надо,
Куда же я пойду?..
«When partners can't agree / Their dealings come to naught / And trouble is their labor's only fruit. Once Crawfish, Swan and Pike / Set out to pull a loaded cart, / And all together settled in the traces; / They pulled with all their might, but still the cart refused to budge! / The loa...»
«A Rascal-Monkey / Donkey / Billy Goat / And klunky Bear / Set out to play a string Quartet. / They found some scores, viola, bass, two violins / And sat down in a lea beneath a linden tree / To charm the world with art. / They struck their strings, and sawed with all their heart. / ...»
«Along the streets Big Elephant was led, / To show him off, most likely. / Since Elephants are not a common thing to see / A crowd of gapers followed on his heels. / All of a sudden Pug springs up in front of them. / And seeing Elephant, it raises a great rumpus, / It lunges, barks and h...»
«A playful prankish Dragonfly / The whole Summer have sung out / Finally, she looked about; / Winter 's already coming by. Like deceased the forest stays. / Where are you, those happy days, / When for her, under each tree, / Was a home and tart with tea? The evil Winter took all i...»