Waves roll in columns on their usual route —
Splashing and humming, they run;
People, too, stride in a lousy crowd —
Every one trails everyone.
Waves favor cold of their slavery more
Than heat of midday sunny rays,
People take care of their souls… But lo! —
Their souls are colder than waves!
Волны катя́тся одна за другою
С плеском и шумом глухим,
Люди проходят ничтожной толпою
Также один за другим.
5 Волнам их неволя и холод дороже
Знойных полудня лучей;
Люди хотят иметь души… и что же? —
Души в них волн холодней!
«You flow like a river with your strange name / And your asphalt transparent like water in a river. / Oh my Arbat, / you are my vocation, / You are my joy and my misfortune. / / Your pedestrians are not exalted people, / Their heels pound...»
«The music of the soul is ever fainter, / the music of the attack is ever more resonant. / But don’t hasten (to comment) on that: / so as not to be deceived in the darkness, / that the music of the attack is more resonant, / and the music of the soul ever fainter. / / the louder is t...»
«No matter how they insulted our courtyard, it’s in a classic period. / No way of coping with it now even though it’s been disarmed. / There’s Volodya in the courtyard / with his silver strings, / his golden fingers, his voice is needed. No matter how they fought against the guitar, th...»
«The Roman empire in its period of decline / retained the appearance of firm order. / The chief was in place, his comrades-in-arms by his side, / life was fine, judging by the reports. / / But critics will say that the word “comrades-in-arms” isn’t a Roman item, / that this mistake...»