Sergey Esenin
Why is the moon shining so dimly...

«Why is the moon shining so dimly
on the gardens and walls of Horossan?
As if I'm walking the Russian plain
Under the rustling mantle of the fog», —

I asked that dear Lala,
Of the silent cypress at night,
But my host didn't whisper a word,
But rather raised their proud heads to the sky.

«Why is the moon shining so dimly?» —
I asked the flowers in the silent thicket,
And the flowers replied: You ache
Like the sadness of the rustling rose».

The rose has splashed itself with petals,
With those petals she sent secretly to me:
«Your Shagane is cherished by another man,
Your Shagane kissed another man.»

She said: «The Russian man will not notice...»
For the heart — a song, and for the song — life and body...
That's why the moon shines so dimly,
That's why it has become so sadly pale.

There have been too many betrayals,
Tears and sufferings, who wanted them, who doesn't want.
........................................................
But still in centuries
The violet nights are blessed on earth.

Translated by Lyuba Coffey