Korney Chukovsky
Buzzy-Wuzzy Busy Fly

Buzzy-Wuzzy, Busy Fly,
Yellow belly, beady eye!

Buzzy-Wuzzy ran around,
Buzzy-Wuzzy found a pound.

Off she went to the Bazaar
And she bought a samovar:

"Come and meet me, Bugs and Roaches!
I invite you all to tea!"

Roaches gathered without number,
Emptied tumbler after tumbler.

And the bugs, too, honest hearts —
Each three cups with milk and tarts.

So it went on, hale a hearty,
Buzzy-Wuzzy's Birthday Party!

Then a jolly flock of Fleas
Brought her boots:
"Do wear them, please!"
And no common boots were they:
With gold buckles, bright and gay.

Then to Buzzy-Wuzzy
Came kind old Granny Bee
With a jar of honey
That goes nice with tea.

"Butterfly, here's pastry!
Darling, try some jam!
So you find it tasty?
Oh, how glad I am!"

Suddenly
        A sly old spider
Sidled up
        And sat beside her,
Buzzy-Wuzzy set to kill
Buzzy-Wuzzy's blood to spill.

"Help me help me, honoured guests,
Slay him, the detested pest!

        For I greeted you
        And I treated you!
Don't forsake me now
At my fatal hour!

But the Beetles and the Bugs,
        Getting scared to death,
Under saucers, cups and mugs
        Huddled, out of breath.

        Under couches
        Crouched the Roaches,
        Bugs - poor creatures —
        Hid in pitchers.
Beetles huddled under beds —
No one wished to lose their heads!

        No one at the party
        Budges from the spot,
        No one cares if Buzzy
        Perishes or not!

And the Grasshoper, non-stop
Leaped across the table-top:
Hoppety-skippety
Out of the house,
Hid in a brambebush,
Quite as a mouse!

But the pest isn't meaning to joke —
Bind the Fly hand and foot with a rope,
Sticks his terrible teeth in her heart,
From the wound scarlet blood-drops start!

Buzzy screams, Buzzy cries
        At the top of her voice,
While the villain goes on
        To suck blood and rejoice.

Suddenly with twists and turns,
A Mosquito comes;
In his hand a lantern burns;
Threatening, he hums:

"Where's the coward? Bring him here!
His sharp talons I don't fear."

In a jiffy, up he flies,
Pulls his sabre out and cries:
"Now, you brute!" and at full gallop
Deals the pest a deadly wallop!

By the hand he takes the fly,
To the window leads her, spry:
"Now the villain's dead and perished.
Now I've freed the one I cherished?
I'll be happy as can be
If you come and marry me!"

Here the Beetles and the Roaches
Crawled from under couches:
"Glory, glory to Mosquito
        The Victorious!"

The the Fireflies in a crowd
Lit their lamps and cheered aloud,
And it got so merry,
So jolly around!

Hey, you nimble Centipede,
Hurry down the road full-speed,
Bring along musicians —
Let us sing and dance!

The musicians come along,
Ply their drumsticks, lithe and strong.
Boom-boom-boom! - the dance begins,
With Mosquito Buzzy spins.

After Buzzy, without stop,
Stamps the Bedbug: clop-clop-clop!
Ladybirds with Butterflies,
Bugs of every sort and size!
And the Giant Beetles, too,
Daintly-dressed and well-to-do,
Waving hats and prancing,
With Gypsy-Moths go dancing.

Ta-ra-ra-ra! Gay and loud
Sang and danced the insect crowd,
On and on goes, hale and hearty,
Buzzy-Wuzzy's Wedding Party!
She'll be married to Mosquito —
Ugly Spider's bold defeater!
And the Ant, and the Ant,
With his top hat aslant,
Hops and skips around his Missis,
Blows the Girl-Gnats stealthy kisses:
"Oh you naughty gnats,
Oh you saucy brats,
Cocky Cockroaches in your stetson hats!"

All the jolly swarm
Will carouse till dawn —
For today is Buzzy-Wuzzy's
        Jolly wedding-day!

Translated by Dorian Rottenberg