(A fable)
The Lion once gathered the beastly throng.
And he decreed, without a stuttering habit,
That from now on the one most strong
Would be simply — the Rabbit.
The little Rabbit went into the wood,
And there was dancing, there was singing there!
But from where a birch tree stood Climbed down a Bear.
‘Get out of my way,’ the Rabbit squeaked, ‘You dummy!
Don’t you see who’s coming?’
The Bear guffawed (‘How ludicrous and grim!’)
He whacked the bunny in the midst of laughter
And not one spot was left of him
— Not even any fur thereafter.
But from an oak the Owl raised up a fuss
With its prophetic voice, ‘You’ll rue this blunder.
The Rabbit was the strongest among us,
According to the Lion’s law we’re under.
He told us when we met, the wood’s aristocracy.’
And here the Bear began to cry — repeating
‘O heaven, how could I know about the Rabbit? See,
I wasn’t at the meeting.’
(Басня)
Однажды Лев собрал зверей
И объявил, не заикаясь,
Что, мол, отныне всех сильней
Считаться будет Заяц.
Пошел Зайчишка в лес
И ну плясать да петь!
Но тут с березы слез
Медведь.
— С дороги! — пискнул Заяц. — Идиот!
Или не видишь, кто идет? —
Медведь захохотал.
(Ну, право же, смешно!)
Он так хватил косого среди смеха,
Что от того осталось лишь пятно
И не осталось даже меха.
Но с дуба вдруг Совы раздался вещий глас:
— Поплатишься ты за бестактность эту
Ведь Заяц был сильней всех нас,
Согласно львиному декрету.
Лев объявил о том, собрав лесную знать. —
Заплакал тут Медведь: — О небо...
Откуда же я мог про Зайца это знать?
Ведь я-то на собранип-то не был!
«3 Heart, betrayal! / But never parting! / And the tan arm of the thief / To the white lips. Short concussion of bones on the plates. / Gregory! Dimitry! / Tsar-killers! Blood and fluff! / And — on the spears / With the second jump!»
«4 "Your chest is redolent, / Just like a rosemary trunk... / A most honorable lady..." / "My young honored one..." "I'm dark, unrecognized, quiet... / With what shall I repay..." / From underneath the eyelids / Something, "With life!" did say. In every chased-down stranger / We ar...»
«White sail out in the bay / billowing in the wind. / Why sail so far away? / Why leave so much behind? Winds must play on the seas / and masts creak in the wind. / Fortune is not what he seeks, / nor what he's left behind. A golden light still pours / down onto deep blue seas; / th...»
«1 Into the treasure chest / Of the midnight depths / I let down / A steady hand. Amid seaweed / There's no sight of him! / My treasure-chest / Is not in the sea! Into the singing height / Clouds beyond — / With double thunder / I get brave — and now A lark has dropped / ...»