Sergey Esenin
The night is dark, I cannot sleep...

The night is dark, I cannot sleep,
I’ll stroll beside the river.
The lightning there begins to leap
in fizzing girdle’s sliver.

On mountain now birch-candles glow
In silver’s moonlit feathers.
So come, my heart, now let us go
To hear the songs of zithers.

I’ll feast my eyes, and I will stare
Upon a maiden’s beauty,
And I will dance to zither’s air,
Relieve your veil of duty.

To emerald wood and tower’s shadow
By silken flowers blooming,
I’ll take you to the hill-girt plateau
Till poppied dawn is looming.

Translated by Rupert Moreton