3
Waves and youth — outside the law!
Don has moved — we die — we drown.
We ask the wind of time to bear
To grandsons a wicked rumour:
Yes! Broke the Don's ice!
The white army — Yes! — died.
But with children and wives parting,
But on Don departing,
With a white flock flying onto the block,
We died for one thing: Huts!
On the last church having baptized,
White army — for centuries.
3
Волны и молодость — вне закона!
Тронулся Дон. — Погибаем. — Тонем.
Ветру веков доверяем снесть
Внукам — лихую весть:
Да! Проломилась донская глыба!
Белая гвардия — да! — погибла.
Но покидая детей и жён,
Но уходя на Дон,
Белою стаей летя на плаху,
Мы за одно умирали: хаты!
Перекрестясь на последний храм,
Белогвардейская рать — векам.
____
Дон. 1. Белая гвардия, путь твой высок...
Дон. 2. Кто уцелел — умрёт, кто мёртв — воспрянет...
Дон. 3. Волны и молодость — вне закона!..
«On the island of Ezeli / we got along easily. / I went to Kamchatka / where you were a hat-check girl. / From the heights of Altai / I smiled and said, "Hi!" / On the shores of Amur, / I'amour.»
«Neward, we praise thee! / Youngard, we praise thee! / Joyard, we praise thee! / Knoward, we praise thee! / Grayard, we praise thee! / Mightard, we praise thee! / Wizard, we praise thee!»
«We chant and enchant, / oh charming enchantment! / No raving, no ranting, / no canting enchantment! / This ranting enchantress / has cast her enchantment — / we see what her chant meant! / Here rant! There cant! / You charming enchanter, / cast out her enchantment, / uncast it,...»
«I find the weather absolutely enchanting — / and give me leave — your darling little hand, / to help transpose an accent — elegantly does it, / So! Like this, then: death in a basket! En basquette! / There by the roadside: what whiteness, looming / in the gloaming? Is that a tree? Or...»