I Like That You Are Burning Not For Me

(Poetic tranlsation of the song by Alla Pugacheva, poetry of Marina Zvetaeva, from the movie "The Irony of Fate". See original translated by Ilya Shambat at http://poetarium.narod.ru/tsvetaeva/ilike.htm)
(Поэтический перевод песни Аллы Пугачевой, стихи Марины Цветаевой, из фильма "Ирония Судьбы". Оригинальный перевод Илья Шамбат на http://poetarium.narod.ru/tsvetaeva/ilike.htm)

I like that you are burning not for me.
I like that it is not for you I'm burning,
That never heavy sphere of planet Earth
Will underneath our feet be faster turning.
I like being frank with you and unabashed,
And humorous.  No need to play with words,
Or hide my eyes, or blush with smothering waves
When with my sleeves I'm lightly touching yours.

I thank you with this poem from my heart
For loving me – although you do not know it –
The way I am. And for my peace at night,
For being far away when sunset’s glowing.
For never sharing dreams beneath the moon,
For sun, that’s not above our heads this morning.
Why is it that you’re burning not for me,
Nor is it that for you I’m burning?

March 11, 2009