5
Ever so softly
With a hand slim and careful
I loosen the trammels:
Little hands — and obedient
To the neighing, the Amazon rustles
Off on the ringing, empty steps of parting.
In the radiant flyway
The winged one tramples
And neighs. — Dawn’s flare in the eyes.
Little hands, little hands!
You call to no purpose:
Between us there flows Lethe’s streaming staircase.
5
Тихонько
Рукой осторожной и тонкой
Распутаю путы:
Ручонки — и ржанью
Послушная, зашелестит амазонка
По звонким, пустым ступеням расставанья.
Топочет и ржёт
В осиянном пролёте
Крылатый. — В глаза — полыханье рассвета.
Ручонки, ручонки!
Напрасно зовёте:
Меж ними — струистая лестница Леты.
«The road by the seaside garden darkens, / The lights are a fresh yellow. / I’m at peace; but please, don’t talk / To me about him. / You’re kind and loyal, we’ll be friends… / Walk, kiss, and be old… / Coming days will fly over us, / Lightly, like snowy stars. »
«Like one betrothed I receive / A letter at each day’s end, / And late at night conceive / An answer for my friend. "On my journey to the dark, / I’m staying with white death. / Do no harm, my gentle one, / To anyone on earth." Brighter, a star is shining / Between that pair of tr...»
«Because somewhere there’s simplicity and light, / Transparent, warm and joyous… / There a neighbour talks with a girl at twilight, / Over the fence, and only the bees hear, / The most tender of murmurings. While we live with ceremony, difficulty, / Honouring the rites of our bitter me...»
«For O. A. Kuzmina-Karavaeva "If we can only reach the shore, / My dear!’ — ‘Silently…" / And so we slipped down the stair, / Not breathing, searching for keys. Past the place where we once / Danced, and drank the wine, / Past the Senate’s white columns, / To where it was dark...»