#gumilyov

[asya-takes-photos]

В том лесу белесоватые стволы Выступали неожиданно из мглы,

Из земли за корнем корень выходил, Точно руки обитателей могил.

© Н. Гумилёв

english version

[theshatterednotes]

Russian poet Nikolay Gumilyov

[ghostdancers]

Oh, the look in your eyes this morning is more than usually sad,

With your little arms wrapped round your knees and body bent in half.

Let me tell you a story: far, far away, on the distant shores of Lake Chad,

There roams a most majestic giraffe

Blessed with a handsome build and graceful carriage

And a coat painted hypnotic, magical patterns,

With which none but the moon above dare compare

When her light falls down to be scattered and rocked on the waters,

Passing like a blazing sail far out at sea

As she runs by, nimble and carefree as a bird in flight.

I hear tell the earth has seen many wonderful things

When the giraffe hides herself away and the sun sets into night.

I know fabulous tales of far off, alien lands,

Are you crying? Let me tell you a story: far away, on the distant shores of Lake Chad,

Of a dark maiden, of a young captain's burning desire, all this I know,

But you've breathed in the damp marsh air for so long

You don't want to believe in anything but the rain out your window.

I still haven't told you about her tropic garden, with the slenderest palm trees,

The sweetest wildflowers, meadows of unbelievable grass...

There roams a most majestic giraffe.

- Nikolai Gumilyov, "Giraffe" (1907)

[vasilinaorlova]

Translation from Nikolay Gumilyov

He pledged in a solemn church In front of the Madonna statue, He will be faithful to the dame, That whose sights are unpersuaded.

And he forgot about the clandestine marriage Wasting his caresses everywhere, One night he was slaughtered in a quarrel And came to the threshold of the paradise.

“Have not you pledged in my church,– The speech of the Madonna sounded,– That you will be faithful to the dame, That whose sights are unpersuaded?

Step aside, not these harvests The King of the Heavens gathers. He who broke the word of the oath Dies unknown to God.”

But, sad and stubborn, He fell down to the Madonna’s feet: “I have nowhere met a dame That whose sights are unpersuaded.”

[vasilinaorlova]

Translation from Nikolay Gumilyov, Ballad

My friend Lucifer gave my five horses And one golden ring with a ruby, For me to be able to descend into the depths of caverns And see a young face of heavens.

The horses snorted, pawed, called away To run through the wide space of earth, And I believed that the sun is alighted for me, Shining like a ruby on the golden ring.

Many starry nights, many fiery days I wandered knowing no end to the wander, I laughed seeing the dashes of mighty horses And the play of my golden ring.

There, at the heights of mind, are the madness and snow, But I hit my horses with a swishing lash, And I directed them towards the heights of mind, And I saw there a maiden with a dolorous face.

In her quiet voice the ringings of strings wafted, In her strange gaze a question coalesced with answer, And I gave my ring to this maiden of the moon For an uncertain hue of her scattered hair.

And laughing at me, despising me, Lucifer flung open the gate to darkness for me, Lucifer gave me the sixth horse, And the name of the horse was Despair.

1918

[unbolt-me]

my Chilperic (Fragment #022)

my Chilperic (Fragment #022)

The summer was over… Henry went to Cardiff, and I got back to my tasks in the Federal Museum. It’s not a gainful place. De facto, I’m a volunteer. But I really love this work. And, of course, I do get some benefits from my work.

Who am I? I’m a curator of a few departments there, including the department of my own species. It lets me correct the records with some facts and fables about us. People…

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