The sense of your bidding is unclear:
to pray, to curse, is it, to fight
you bid me, inscrutable genius?
The spring slackens, niggard, meager,
and Benozzo Gozzoli's courier
dozes in the drowsy thickets.
Hills are dark with honeyed cloud.
Look: I do not touch lithe strings.
Your gaze, prophetically flying,
is clenched, gushes no winged streams,
and beckons by no May road, trying
to outstrip Hermes in his flight.
Hobbled horses do not neigh,
Aging warriors sprawl in disarray...
Hold your palms open wide!
Risen spring is bright,
but groves of darkness are not given
to leap for joy having leapt from dreams.
The groom names not the hour,
be not guiled to tarry,
hark through ice the clarion voice,
your flax is drenched with chrism,
and, bidding goodbye to numb laze,
free, in love, you will rise.
Невнятен смысл твоих велений:
Молиться ль, проклинать, бороться ли
Велишь мне, непонятный гений?
Родник скудеет, скуп и мал,
И скороход Беноццо Гоццоли
В дремучих дебрях задремал.
Холмы темны медяной тучей.
Смотри: я стройных струн не трогаю.
Твой взор, пророчески летучий,
Закрыт, крылатых струй не льёт,
Не манит майскою дорогою
Опережать Гермесов лёт.
Не ржут стреноженные кони,
Раскинулись, дряхлея, воины...
Держи отверстыми ладони!
Красна воскресная весна,
Но рощи тьмы не удостоены
Взыграть, воспрянув ото сна.
Жених не назначает часа,
Не соблазняйся промедлением,
Лови чрез лёд призывы гласа.
Елеем напоен твой лён,
И, распростясь с ленивым млением,
Воскреснешь, волен и влюблён.
«The Elephant, one time, became the favorite / Of Leo, King of Beasts. When the others heard of it. / They all began (as usual) trying to figure out / How he had gained the King’s good graces. / “But he’s so dull!” “How plain his face is!” / “And such bad manners — what a lo...»
«The Monkey at the mirror saw a Monkey there, / In front of him. He nudged his friend the Bear. / “Just look at that!" he said. “Now, / where On earth did he get such a mug? / How he does smirk and prance about! / If I looked anything at all like that big lout, / I'd hang myself for c...»
«A gray Wolf seized a Sheep / And dragged it off into the woods with him. / But he hadn’t brought this guest along to keep / Him company: he tore the poor lamb limb from limb, / And then most ravenously munched, / So that the sheep-bones crackled, snapped, and crunched. Since there was s...»
«A Peasant had a Sheep indicted / And brought to trial for a heinous crime. / The judge, a Fox, was not one to waste time. / He told both parties: “Now, without getting excited / And shouting at each other, tell the Court just what took place. / Include all evidence material to the case....»