Innokenty Annensky
Ennui

There arc the delicate pink ovals
On which the mists of morning flood,
And in unique bouquets unwinding
Steel-colored flowers bloom and bud.

For nomad flics they are temptation;
Their gloss hides poisons' virulence...
Intrusive, variegated, idle,
The bare facets of existence.

But when exhausted from a fever
And bed-ridden, as weeks progress,
You understand the pleasant hashish
Concealed within their dull sameness.

You understand - frugally counting
The strokes upon each rose you see...
As you build diamonds, willy-nilly,
Between the stations of ennui.

Translated by Vladimir Markov and Merrill Sparks