A Teddy-Bear whose ways were bad
Was taught good manners by his Dad.
“When taken out for tea, my lad,
You mustn’t squeal and roar like mad.
It’s bad to boast and to be rude
And make a noise while chewing food.
“Take off your cap to folks you know
And don’t forget to say hullo.
Try not to walk upon all fours.
Especially when out of doors.
“It’s very impolite to yawn.
But if you must, take care
To put your paw upon your mouth
Like any decent bear.
“Don’t argue, squabble, scratch or fight.
Obey your elders, be polite,
Show seniors respect.
“For instance, Granny has poor sight,
So always see her home at night.
You’ll do so, I expect?”
So Teddy-Bear whose ways were bad
Was taught good manners by his Dad.
But though he did improve in part.
The bear remained a bear at heart.
He bowed to animals he knew.
Brown bears and even foxes, too.
He’d rise and offer them his seat
And on the whole, appeared quite sweet.
And yet with folks he didn’t know
He wasn’t half so good — Oh no!
He growled and snarled and used bad words,
Disturbed the bees and scared the birds.
And when he went by underground
He snapped his teeth and answered back
And pushed the passengers around
Until they thought their ribs would crack.
It takes a lot of time and care
To civilise a rude young bear.
And yet — our story makes it plain —
Your time may still be spent in vain.
Медведя лет пяти-шести
Учили, как себя вести:
— В гостях, медведь,
Нельзя реветь,
Нельзя грубить и чваниться.
Знакомым надо кланяться,
Снимать пред ними шляпу,
Не наступать на лапу,
И не ловить зубами блох,
И не ходить на четырех.
Не надо чавкать и зевать,
А кто зевает всласть,
Тот должен лапой прикрывать
Разинутую пасть.
Послушен будь, и вежлив будь,
И уступай прохожим путь,
А старых уважай
И бабушку-медведицу
В туман и гололедицу
До дома провожай!
Так Мишку лет пяти-шести
Учили, как себя вести...
Хоть с виду стал он вежливым,
Остался он медвежливым.
Он кланялся соседям —
Лисицам и медведям,
Знакомым место уступал,
Снимал пред ними шляпу,
А незнакомым наступал
Всей пяткою на лапу.
Совал куда не надо нос,
Топтал траву и мял овес.
Наваливался брюхом
На публику в метро
И старикам, старухам
Грозил сломать ребро.
Медведя лет пяти-шести
Учили, как себя вести.
Но, видно, воспитатели
Напрасно время тратили!
«Spring, I come in from the street, where the poplar is shaken, / Where distance is frightened, the house afraid it will fall, / Where the air is blue as the laundry bag / Of a patient released from hospital. Where evening is empty, an unfinished tale / Left in the air by a star with no sequ...»
«The thread of golden honey flowed from the bottle / so heavy and slow that our hostess had time to declare: / Here in melancholy Tauris, where fate has brought us, / we are not at all bored — and glanced back over her shoulder. On all side the rites of Bacchus, as if the world / held only...»
«Heaviness, tenderness — sisters — your marks are the same. / The wasps and the honey bees suck at the heavy rose. / Man dies, heat drains from the once warm sand, / and on a black bier they carry off yesterday's sun. Oh, you tender nets and you heavy honeycombs, / Easier to lift a ston...»
«Take from my palms some sun to bring you joy / and take a little honey — so the bees / of cold Persephone commanded us. No loosing of the boat that is not moored, / no hearing of the shadow shod in fur, / no overcoming fear in life's dense wood. And kisses are all that's left us now, / ...»