How many have already fallen there.. M. Цветаева

How many have already fallen there-
Far land with no way back-
As everyone in turn,I'm also destined
To reach the last instant.

My grass-green eyes,my soul that sang and fought
And spread her blinding beams,
My golden hair and enchanting voice
Will vanish like a dream!

The search of bread,the things of day's importance
Perpetually will last,
And there'll be all-as if my own  life-span
Was nothing but the dust!

So childish in my faces,always shifting,
And so seldom-harsh,
Who liked so much to watch the wood in chimney
Turn finally in ash,

Who liked the cello,and the horses' trot in forest,
And bells which used to ring,
So natural and true in every moment
I had to live.

To each of you-I've never known the borders:
Who's mine and who's not?!-
I now appeal:believe me-this I order,
And love me-this I want.

I beg for love-both orally and written,
For both "yes" and "no",
For days and nights,for being sadness-stricken
And only 20 years old;

Forgiving the offenders without doubt-
As I'm ordained;
My tenderness' eternal pouring out,
And look that might seem vain;

For things occur in happy incontinuance,
For both truth and game;
You,listen:love me most of all for reason
That I'll die one day.

"Уж сколько их упало в эту бездну..",думаю,весь текст не надо писать.


Рецензии
Murad,
Bravo for being brave and for taking this one on.
Tsvetaeva does not translate easily. Her word choice
adds an another layer of emotional meaning that's
so hard to capture in a different language.

I love this poem and attempted to translate it too,
but did not go further than the first stanza.
I guess I'm just paralized with awe and too timid
to work with it like with any other material.

Best,
Dina

How many of them plunged into the hollow
Unfurling wide and forth
A day will come for me to quietly go
From surface of the Earth

Беляева Дина   19.07.2009 18:05     Заявить о нарушении
Thanks a lot.I also often feel timid and not self-confident doing this kind of work.I understand that if even the best translators could hardly express properly the palette of her unique spirit,my translations may leave much to be desired.But I felt a strong desire to let English-speaking people-maybe I'll come across some of them in my life-touch this miracle at least this way.The poem I've chosen is,as I think,one of the most low-tempered in her heritage,if her poems can be ever named"low-tempered". If my work makes somebody take interest in Tsvetaeva-I'll be very happy.And I hope sincereness and passion may excuse lack of experience and knowledge.
With best regards,
Murad

Мурад Дарумов   20.07.2009 00:35   Заявить о нарушении