Sergey Esenin
Winter

At the moment the autumn disappeared,
The brusque winter came tearing all along.
Winged like, it has appeared,
No one knows how, why, or for how long.

Deep frosts turned the dams into sheer ice,
(A heavenly sight for every ice sprinter)
Some boys exclaimed, «Hey, it’s nice!»
Others added, «Thank you winter».

With new designs on the glazed windows
Mysterious beauty the world acquired
Even though everyone paused and admired
Who did it, when, and how? No one knows.

The falling snowflakes swirled and dashed,
Then settled down like a huge white throw.
Just then in the clouds the sunlight flashed
And a sparkle appeared on the frosted snow.

Translated by K. M. W. Klara