Читать книгу In Praise of Poetry - Ольга Седакова - Страница 62

5. A BRAVE FISHERMAN

A peasant song

Can you hear, mama, a bird that is singing?

Wings beating in a cage, it doesn’t drink or feed.

A fisherman once said to me

when I was going home:

take a double chain with you

and take my golden ring,

for the night is short

and spring is short

and the river takes the boats.

I bowed to him low

and then I said to him:

the double chain I’ll take, my lord,

I will not take the ring,

for the night is short

and spring is short

and the river takes the boats.

Ah, mama, I keep dreaming:

some snow and smoke I see,

and a sinful soul is crying

before a blessed angel,

for the night is short

and spring is short

and the river takes the boats.