Редьярд Киплинг. Дурак

"Вампир"

Очень вольная "верояция"


Он был дурак,молясь до слёз
(Совсем как вы и я)
Костям в тряпье, копне волос,
(Жене - ответ на ваш вопрос)
А для него - Царице грёз,
(Как для меня и вас).


Ума плоды и все труды,
Кровавый пот и годы,
Он отдал ей,и это зря,
Ведь бабам всё до фонаря
По свойству их природы.


Дурак профукал всё как есть:
(Совсем как вы и я)
достаток,гордость,совесть,честь:
(Она могла б и вдвое съесть),
Даст слабину любая персть,
(Совсем как вы и я).


А коль труды и все мечты,
Не псу под хвост,а дамочке
Вручим - проест,как ржа,не зря
Твердят - им всё до фонаря,
А нет, так всё до лампочки.


Попал дурак, как кур в ощип,
(Совсем как вы и я)
Обобран, яко тать в нощи.
Других погост зарыл в плющи,
Он - жив,хлебает лаптем щи,
(Совсем как вы и я).


Жжёт стыд огнём с виной вдвоём,
Как роженицу роды,
Что поздно понял он,а зря,
Что бабам всё до фонаря:
Такая уж порода.



The Vampire

A fool there was and he made his prayer
  (Even as you and I!)
To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair
(We called her the woman who did not care),
But the fool he called her his lady fair
  (Even as you and I!)

Oh the years we waste and the tears we waste
  And the work of our head and hand,
Belong to the woman who did not know
(And now we know that she never could know)
  And did not understand.

A fool there was and his goods he spent
  (Even as you and I!)
Honor and faith and a sure intent
But a fool must follow his natural bent
(And it wasn't the least what the lady meant),
  (Even as you and I!)

Oh the toil we lost and the spoil we lost
  And the excellent things we planned,
Belong to the woman who didn't know why
(And now we know she never knew why)
  And did not understand.

The fool we stripped to his foolish hide
  (Even as you and I!)
Which she might have seen when she threw him aside --
(But it isn't on record the lady tried)
So some of him lived but the most of him died --
  (Even as you and I!)

And it isn't the shame and it isn't the blame
  That stings like a white hot brand.
It's coming to know that she never knew why
(Seeing at last she could never know why)
  And never could understand.
The verses -- as suggested by the painting by Philip Burne Jones, first exhibited at the new gallery in London in 1897.