The tangled wood was full of sound
the forest screamed, the forest groaned
with fear
to see the spear-man beast his spear.
Why does hart's horn hang heavy
with the moving mark of love?
Arrow's flash of metal hits a haunch,
and reckons right. Now beast is broken
to his knees, beaten to the ground.
His eyes look deep at death.
The horses clatter, snort, and chatter:
«We bring the Tall Ones. Useless to run.»
Useless only your exquisite motion,
your almost feminine face. No action
can save you. You fly from rack and ruin,
and searching spear-man follows fast.
Panting horses always closer,
branching antlers always lower,
twangling bowstrings over and over,
nor help nor hart from hurt and hazard.
But he rears abruptly, bristles, roars —
and shows a lion's cruel claws.
With lazy ease he touches, teases —
teaches the trick of terror.
Acquiescent and still,
they fall to fill their graves.
He rises rampant. Regal roar.
And around him everywhere lay beaten slaves.
Были наполнены звуком трущобы,
Лес и звенел и стонал,
Чтобы
Зверя охотник копьем доконал.
Олень, олень, зачем он тяжко
В рогах глагол любви несет?
Стрелы вспорхнула медь на ляжку,
И не ошибочен расчет.
Сейчас он сломит ноги оземь
И смерть увидит прозорливо,
И кони скажут говорливо:
«Нет, не напрасно стройных возим».
Напрасно прелестью движений
И красотой немного девьего лица
Избегнуть ты стремился поражений,
Копьем искавших беглеца.
Все ближе конское дыханье
И ниже рог твоих висенье,
И чаше лука трепыханье,
Оленю нету, нет спасенья.
Но вдруг у него показались грива
И острый львиный коготь,
И беззаботно и игриво
Он показал искусство трогать.
Без несогласья и без крика
Они легли в свои гробы,
Он же стоял с осанкою владыки —
Были созерцаемы поникшие рабы.
«A day of heat. The woods burning. Time / Hanging heavy. From a neighboring plot / A cock was crowing. I went through the gate. / There, on the bench, his back against the fence, / A wandering Serb, dark-skinned and lean, sat dozing. / A heavy silver crucifix hung down / Among the rolling...»
«The snow has drifted. Quietness descends. / Blind walls beside the alley here, and empty ground. / Here comes a man. To take the knife and stab him now! / — Without a sound he’ll lean against the fence, / Then slowly sink onto his knees, and lie face down. / The snowy breath that stirs...»
«I I had lots of fun today: / First the thief who pinched a pullet / From that hag across the way; / Then the horse — they tried to pull it — / Jumped and bolted like a bullet; / And the kite has flown away. But — the thief is no more free, / They have locked him in a cell; / Fo...»
«Twilight was turning to darkness outside. / Under the eaves a window banged wide. A curtain was lifted, a light briefly shone, / A swift shadow fell down the wall and was gone. Happy the man who falls head first to death: / At least for a moment his viewpoint is fresh.»