Крест - перевод Н. Гумилева

The Cross  by Hikolai Gumilyov

For long the cards were lying, one after another,
Therefore I was in vain becoming tipsy afterwards.
The cold stars of march like being in great trouble
Were going pale, one after one, outdoors.

In cold brainstorm, as in craziness, exited,
I felt this gambling game to be the only dream.
"All bank I'll cover!" - cried I to the last time.
My card's then killed, and time was to defeat.

I'd come outdoors. The dawn shades so delicious
Were wandering all over the tender snow.
I can't help recollect, how did I fall to knees there
With pressing gold cross to lips and swear on:

"To get eventually free and fair like a starry sky,
To grasp your heavy stick, the Sister Poverty,
To rove long by roads as a beggar and to ask
For bread with help of those gold cross and Deity!"

The moment over.. Everyone had ceased the noise
And risen from the places, when I entered hall
In bellicose mood, in insane senseless pose,
I laid in silence on the card my gold cross.

june 1906

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Крест



Так долго лгала мне за картою карта,
Что я уж не мог опьяниться вином.
Холодные звёзды тревожного марта
Бледнели одна за другой за окном.

В холодном безумьи, в тревожном азарте
Я чувствовал, будто игра эта — сон.
«Весь банк — закричал — покрываю я в карте!»
И карта убита, и я побеждён.

Я вышел на воздух. Рассветные тени
Бродили так нежно по нежным снегам.
Не помню я сам, как я пал на колени,
Мой крест золотой прижимая к губам.

— Стать вольным и чистым, как звёздное небо,
Твой посох принять, о, Сестра Нищета,
Бродить по дорогам, выпрашивать хлеба,
Людей заклиная святыней креста! —

Мгновенье… и в зале весёлой и шумной
Все стихли и встали испуганно с мест,
Когда я вошёл, воспалённый, безумный,
И молча на карту поставил мой крест.

июнь 1906

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см. также

The Cross
Бартон Раффел , Алла Бураго

Card after card lied to me, lied and lied,
and even wine no longer helped.
Cold March stars hung pale,
anxious, outside the window.

Coldly mad, in crazy passion,
I felt the game was dream.
“I bet everything in the bank, all of it!” I shouted.
And I lost.

I left. Dawn shadows
moved gently, lovingly over the delicate snow.
I can't remember how, bur I fell
on my knees, my gold cross pressed to my lips:

“Oh to be free, to be pure, like the sky, like the stars,
to accept you staff, oh Sister Poverty,
to wander, to beg my bread,
commanding men's souls with this sacred cross!”

Another moment — and then everyone in that noisy,
launching hall shrank back, frightened,
as I stalked insanely through the room
and bet my cross on next card.