Innokenty Annensky
Sudden snow

Out of the fog two eyes burned
The mute blackness of the snow.
And the smoke remained in the
Air as a fountain’s hot gold.

I know that a fiery dragon all
Coverуd in downy snow will now
On its riotous course break the
Sleep of the spellbound distance.

And with it weary slaves doomed
To a cold pit drag along
Heavy coffins, creaking and
Clanging with their chains.

Meanwhile with its broken lantern
Half extinguished, amid the
Nightmare of thoughts and dozing.
Midnight walks through the cars.

It is like a ghostly monk, and
The more muffled its patrols the
More fumes in the black dreams.
The more numbnesses and suffocations:

The more words that are unlike
Words, the more disgusting the
Breath, and the jolting of heads
Lolling in the red cushions.

Like a thief aiming at a pocket.
Midnight is quiet while we are alive;
It only pours out its dope silently
And stifles the black influxes.

And from below, a clatter; and from the
Side, a rumble; and ever more aimless, more
Anonymous... and the chaos of semi-existences
Is abominable to those who have not fallen asleep

But the night is dwindling... Both decrepit
And gray, still yesterday the autumn Sunset,
Daybreak rises up from its
Sickbed of languishing Shadow.

Torment again looks in the eye those
Who during the night had forgotten their
Infirmity, and the clatter jars more
Strongly, breaking up the films of frost.

The steam has obscured the red
Flame with a yellow wall...
...And the diseased tooth must
Steadily gnaw through the cold stone.

Translated by R. H. Morrison