Marina Tsvetaeva
Gypsy wedding

Dirt flies
From under the hooves.
Shawl like a shield
Over the face.
Newlyweds, have fun
Without the young!
Eh, carry them out,
Disheveled stallion!

We didn't have freedom
Under mother and dad,
The whole field for us
Is marital bed!

Full without bread and without wine drunk —
Thus the gypsy wedding does run!

Full is the glass.
Empty is the glass.
Guitar sound, dirt and moon.
To right and to left swings the den.
Gypsy — to knight!
To gypsy — knight!

Hey mister, careful — it burns!
Thus drinks gypsy wedding!

There, on the shawls'
And fur-coats' heap
There's ringing and rustling
Of steel and lips.
Ringing of spurs,
Necklaces — in return.
Silk has whistled
Under someone's hand.
Someone has howled like a wolf,
Someone like a bull is snoring.
Thus sleeps the gypsy wedding.

Translated by Ilya Shambat