Читать книгу Boris Godunov - Александр Сергеевич Пушкин, Александр Пушкин, Pushkin Aleksandr - Страница 3

   VOROTINSKY. To keep the city's peace, that is the task

   Entrusted to us twain, but you forsooth

   Have little need to watch; Moscow is empty;

   The people to the Monastery have flocked

   After the patriarch. What thinkest thou?

   How will this trouble end?

   SHUISKY.                 How will it end?

   That is not hard to tell. A little more

   The multitude will groan and wail, Boris

   Pucker awhile his forehead, like a toper

   Eyeing a glass of wine, and in the end

   Will humbly of his graciousness consent

   To take the crown; and then—and then will rule us

   Just as before.

   VOROTINSKY.   A month has flown already

   Since, cloistered with his sister, he forsook

   The world's affairs. None hitherto hath shaken

   His purpose, not the patriarch, not the boyars

   His counselors; their tears, their prayers he heeds not;

   Deaf is he to the wail of Moscow, deaf

   To the Great Council's voice; vainly they urged

   The sorrowful nun-queen to consecrate

   Boris to sovereignty; firm was his sister,

   Inexorable as he; methinks Boris

   Inspired her with this spirit. What if our ruler

   Be sick in very deed of cares of state

   And hath no strength to mount the throne? What

   Say'st thou?

   SHUISKY. I say that in that case the blood in vain

   Flowed of the young tsarevich, that Dimitry

   Might just as well be living.

   VOROTINSKY.                 Fearful crime!

   Is it beyond all doubt Boris contrived

   The young boy's murder?

   SHUISKY.              Who besides? Who else

   Bribed Chepchugov in vain? Who sent in secret

   The brothers Bityagovsky with Kachalov?

   Myself was sent to Uglich, there to probe

   This matter on the spot; fresh traces there

   I found; the whole town bore witness to the crime;

   With one accord the burghers all affirmed it;

   And with a single word, when I returned,

   I could have proved the secret villain's guilt.

   VOROTINSKY. Why didst thou then not crush him?

   SHUISKY.                        At the time,

   I do confess, his unexpected calmness,

   His shamelessness, dismayed me. Honestly

   He looked me in the eyes; he questioned me

   Closely, and I repeated to his face

   The foolish tale himself had whispered to me.

   VOROTINSKY. An ugly business, prince.

   SHUISKY.                    What could I do?

   Declare all to Feodor? But the tsar

   Saw all things with the eyes of Godunov.

   Heard all things with the ears of Godunov;

   Grant even that I might have fully proved it,

   Boris would have denied it there and then,

   And I should have been haled away to prison,

   And in good time—like mine own uncle—strangled

   Within the silence of some deaf-walled dungeon.

   I boast not when I say that, given occasion,

   No penalty affrights me. I am no coward,

   But also am no fool, and do not choose

   Of my free will to walk into a halter.

   VOROTINSKY. Monstrous misdeed! Listen; I warrant you

   Remorse already gnaws the murderer;

   Be sure the blood of that same innocent child

   Will hinder him from mounting to the throne.

   SHUISKY. That will not baulk him; Boris is not so timid!

   What honour for ourselves, ay, for all Russia!

   A slave of yesterday, a Tartar, son

   By marriage of Maliuta, of a hangman,

   Himself in soul a hangman, he to wear

   The crown and robe of Monomakh!—

   VOROTINSKY.                   You are right;

   He is of lowly birth; we twain can boast

   A nobler lineage.

   SHUISKY.        Indeed we may!

   VOROTINSKY. Let us remember, Shuisky, Vorotinsky

   Are, let me say, born princes.

   SHUISKY.                     Yea, born princes,

   And of the blood of Rurik.

   VOROTINSKY.              Listen, prince;

   Then we, 'twould seem, should have the right to mount

   Feodor's throne.

   SHUISKY.       Rather than Godunov.

   VOROTINSKY. In very truth 'twould seem so.

   SHUISKY.                      And what then?

   If still Boris pursue his crafty ways,

   Let us contrive by skilful means to rouse

   The people. Let them turn from Godunov;

   Princes they have in plenty of their own;

   Let them from out their number choose a tsar.

   VOROTINSKY. Of us, Varyags in blood, there are full many,

   But 'tis no easy thing for us to vie

   With Godunov; the people are not wont

   To recognise in us an ancient branch

   Of their old warlike masters; long already

   Have we our appanages forfeited,

   Long served but as lieutenants of the tsars,

   And he hath known, by fear, and love, and glory,

   How to bewitch the people.

   SHUISKY. (Looking through a window.) He has dared,

   That's all—while we—Enough of this. Thou seest

   Dispersedly the people are returning.

   We'll go forthwith and learn what is resolved.