Marina Tsvetaeva
Bethlehem. 1. Not with silver I came...

1

Not with silver I came,
Not with amber I came,
Not as a king I came,
As a shepherd I came.

Here's air of hills of mine,
Here's of two eyes of mine
Sharp gaze — and of fires
Red glare and of dawns of mine.

Where's wax — that is the fur?
Through hole I won't turn!
Poorer than all —
But ahead of all!

Behind a camel a camel
See: on that round hill,
See: walking are the kings,
See: they are bearing bins.

O — after — far!

Translated by Ilya Shambat