You are ready from gloom to suicide,
Hang yourself, or shoot in the mouth.
Wait a while — and the spring will come to your side
After just three more snowy months.
Nightingales of the cherry will whistle,
Full of nightingales cherry will stand.
May go past you the shot from the pistol
And the rope fall apart in your hands.
With the fishing rods made of redwood
People will catch the fish on the hook,
And the swan with white breast and white feathers
Will swim lightly upon the lake.
Mounds will breathe with dampness and drown,
Will send redolence and be green,
And your neck, as it gives a way down,
Will become pouring with rain.
And the bushes under flooding river
Into lilac and cherry will bloom.
Noisy, singing, the spring will deliver
All your girlfriends and also — you.
And will love, and will bloom, and will spring again
All that dimmed in the winter from gloom.
All the dry will be cut by axe-wielding hand
And the juicy will bravely bloom.
Do not kill yourself, do hang your head,
Rather let your fantasy play.
We will live through these months however we can,
And soon afterwards — there is May!
От тоски ты готова повеситься,
Отравиться иль выстрелить в рот.
Подожди три оснеженных месяца, —
И закрутит весна хоровод.
Будут петь соловьи о черемухе,
И черемуха — о соловьях.
Дай-то бог револьверу дать промахи
И веревке рассыпаться в прах.
Будут рыб можжевеловой удочкой
Подсекать остриями крючка.
Будет лебедь со снежною грудочкой
Проплывать по реке, так легка.
Будут почки дышать влагой клейкою,
Зеленеть и струить аромат,
И, обрадованные лазейкою,
Ливни шейку твою обструят.
Зачеремушатся, засиренятся
Под разливной рекою кусты.
Запоют, зашумят, завесенятся
Все подруги твои, как — и ты.
Зазвенит, заликует, залюбится
Все, что гасло зимой от тоски.
Топором все сухое обрубится,
Смело сочное пустит ростки.
Чем повеситься, лучше загрезиться.
Не травись и в себя не стреляй.
Как-нибудь перебейся три месяца,
Ну, а там недалеко и май!
«Get up at the dawn's first glimmer / when the milkman’s on his rounds / and you'll see the happy drummer / with his drumsticks in his hands. Midday comes with reeking clamour / clanging trams and tramping feet: / hark — you’ll hear the happy drummer / marching, marching down the s...»
«Do not trust the disciples. They will betray the cause / They will break it apart, will take it, will make off with it / They will dishonour the spirit, they will bury the body / They will not suffer the bones to mourder at rest in the clay. Do not trust the disciples. Put them from you in pe...»
«Fears, jeers, tears / And all that caper / Aren't worth the ink / Aren't worth the paper. / Blots and smears / Aren’t worth the ink / Nor what gives off / A moral stink. / Go and write odes / Where "liberty" / Lamely rhymes / With "brotherly". / Go and write ballads / Whe...»
«In the state there is the law / Citizens cannot ignore. / In the anti-state the sheep / Have a private rule they keep. Under rule of law the folk / Serve what gives them food and drink / But rebellion has no book / And revolt no pen and ink. When rebellion goes to press / When revolt...»