We shall not escape Hell, my passionate
sisters, we shall drink black resins —
we who sang our praises to the Lord
with every one of our sinews, even the finest,
we did not lean over cradles or
spinning wheels at night, and now we are
carried off by an unsteady boat
under the skirts of a sleeveless cloak,
we dressed every morning in
fine Chinese silk, and we would
sing our paradisal songs at
the fire of the robbers’ camp,
slovenly needlewomen, (all
our sewing came apart), dancers,
players upon pipes: we have been
the queens of the whole world!
first scarcely covered by rags,
then with constellations in our hair, in
gaol and at feasts we have
bartered away heaven,
in starry nights, in the apple
orchards of Paradise.
— Gentle girls, my beloved sisters,
we shall certainly find ourselves in Hell!
Быть в аду нам, сёстры пылкие,
Пить нам адскую смолу, —
Нам, что каждою-то жилкою
Пели Господу хвалу!
Нам, над люлькой да над прялкою
Не клонившимся в ночи,
Уносимым лодкой валкою
Под полою епанчи.
В тонкие шелка китайские
Разнаряженным с утра,
Заводившим песни райские
У разбойного костра.
Нерадивым рукодельницам
— Шей не шей, а всё по швам! —
Плясовницам и свирельницам,
Всему миру — госпожам!
То едва прикрытым рубищем,
То в созвездиях коса.
По острогам да по гульбищам
Прогулявшим небеса.
Прогулявшим в ночи звёздные
В райском яблочном саду…
— Быть нам, девицы любезные,
Сёстры милые — в аду!
«Her tears affected none — / the tears she had not shed. / Against an ostrich fan / her pallid cheek she laid. Admirers in the stalls / screwed up a handkerchief: / where crimson curtain palls / her hands brought white relief. They knew how warm the jewel in / her imitation ring / ...»
«Click. The bullet was engaged. / The wild candle settled down. / Oh how sorely he had aged. / How long all this had gone on. Frontiers of old age fell as / he remembered far off days — / his old regimental colours / all the glitter, all the noise. Old age brings no happiness. / He ...»
«Fifteen boys — maybe more / maybe less than fifteen / with frightened voices / said to me: / "Let's go to the cinema or the museum of Fine arts." / I answered them more or less as follows: / "I haven’t got the time." / Fifteen boys gave me snowdrops / Fifteen boys with broken voi...»
«What makes me different / from the woman with flowers / the girl who laughs and wears / a ring she will resent ? — Four papered walls where / I return to. feel at home in. / The woman with an ermine / looks away haughtily. Poor her. She looks away. / What if I scare her off / whe...»