June would be clammy, January crisp;
and concrete solid, sand unstable.
For there was order. Real order.
People got up and went to work.
And then they watched The Happy FeIlas
at cinemas. For there was order.
In pedigrees and in parades,
political police, and apparatus,
even in parodies — there was order.
People made fun, and were afraid,
only of those they were supposed to,
for there was order, real order.
An order of the bent and bashed.
In hours, in minutes, and in seconds,
in years as well, there was real order.
It would have gone on without end,
but then a certain person fell,
and all this order went to hell.
Июнь был зноен. Январь был зябок.
Бетон был прочен. Песок был зыбок.
Порядок был. Большой порядок.
С утра вставали на работу.
Потом «Веселые ребята»
в кино смотрели. Был порядок.
Он был в породах и парадах,
и в органах, и в аппаратах,
в пародиях — и то порядок.
Над кем не надо — не смеялись,
кого положено — боялись.
Порядок был — большой порядок.
Порядок поротых и гнутых,
в часах, секундах и минутах,
в годах — везде большой порядок.
Он длился б век и вечность длился,
но некий человек свалился,
и весь порядок — развалился.
«My former wound is quietened — / The drunk delirium is not eating my heart. / With the blue flowers of Tegeran / I'm healing them in the chaihana. The chaihana man himself with round shoulders, / To glorify his chaihana for Russians, / Is treating me to red tea / Instead of strong vod...»
«I asked the money changer today, / Who gives a half fog for a ruble, / How should I say to the beautiful Lala / The tender Persian 'I love you'? I asked the money changer today / How lighter than wind, quieter than the joyous stream, / Should I say to the beautiful Lala / The tender wor...»
«Shagane, you are my Shagane! / Maybe because I'm from the North, / I'm ready to tell you everything, / About the waving rye under the moon, / My Shagane, Shagane. Maybe because I'm from the North, / That the moon is a hundred times bigger there, / No matter how she could be beautiful, /...»
«You said that Sa'adi / Kissed only on the breasts. / Wait for God sake, / I'll learn one day! You sang 'Behind the Yefrat / The roses are better than mortal girls'. / If I were rich, / I would make another tune. I'd cut these roses, / For there is only one joy for me — / That the...»