Sophia Parnok
Prologue

Voice

Enormous city. Wind. Evening.
Lights flicker in the dark,
And you, madman, are off in search of
A soul mate in each passerby.
Calm down, stop acting crazy, poet,
Resign yourself to orphan-hood
And do not pester with your cries
The people there who pass you by.

Poet

Hey, you there, who’re passing by!
Not happy and not sorrowful,
Obsessed, where are you rushing to,
A fugitive from your own self?
I don’t care if you do not like me,
Inside, deep down inside your soul,
Respond, as if you hear my voice!

Voices

We’re deafened by a thunderous sound,
And in this whole enormous city,
More piercing and more dire than thunder
For us is brief tranquility.
You’re just not traveling our road,
Your dreams confuse and rankle us,
Your talk of summits makes us fret,
Your talk of quiet will hobble us.
What even from ourselves we hide,
You dare to utter loud and clear.
You lay claim to equality
With your demented century,
But you are not the present’s peer:
For other days your other songs.
It’s not the time, a time like this,
To use your yearning to bewitch!

Poet

What sorrow, blow or mutilation
Must strike you in the here and now,
In order for a human word
To penetrate your understanding?
Well, young people, have your say,
Nurture your complacency…
But you, there, hiding in the shade,
But you, extend a hand to me!
…………………………………………………….

Poet

Don’t you know me? Poet? You’re my brother!

I don’t know you.

Poet

Stop…

I have no time.

Poet

Come back.

No reason to.

Poet

Come back, come back!

What for? To moan and groan together,
Make noise and lead a dog’s life?
Enough! I’m going to grin and bear it.
“What the hell’s your soul to me?”

Poet

The sky is torn to tatters,
And impenetrable dark…
And the sky is also mute,
And everything’s gone mad!
Don’t come closer, evil shadows,
Retreat, repulsive hue and cry!
One last time I scream, I whisper:
“Understand…”

Translated by Diana Lewis Burgin