Evgenia Berkovich. Dont you cry

Don’t you cry, man. Easy, easy.
Step inside and see, come on.
Prayers, that have kept you busy,
Made a wonder: he is gone.

His cave’s vacant. Not a nail in,
Not a plank, an empty space.
Nothing helps your faith upscaling:
He has left without a trace.

Floors are clean. No blood to step in.
No evidence at least.
As if it has never happened.
As if he did not exist.

Justice has not been established,
A robed man didn’t start a fight.
Moisha had at least the tablets —
Here’s the mysticism outright.

Should the fear not knock us fainted,
He was not — for our sake.
We will simply get eggs painted,
Simply eat our Easter cake,

Simply have the Sabbath honored,
Go to bed, turn off the gas,
Someone simply will be born and
Once again will die for us.

(from Russian)


Евгения Беркович

***

Что ты плачешь? Буде, буде.
Сам зайди и посмотри.
Ты же так молил о чуде —
Вот и нет его внутри.
 
Ни следа в пустой пещере,
Ни дощечки, ни гвоздя,
Ничего тебе по вере
Не оставил, уходя.
 
Крови нет на мокрой глине,
Абсолютно ничего.
Как и не было в помине.
Просто не было его.
 
Никого не задержали,
Не шумел мужик в плаще.
Вот у Мойши — хоть скрижали,
А тут мистика вообще.
 
Можно больше не бояться,
Не был — значит, невредим.
Просто так покрасим яйца.
Просто так кулич съедим.
 
Просто так почтим субботу,
Ляжем спать, погасим газ,
Просто так родится кто-то
И опять умрет за нас.
 


Рецензии
Agree with Janya.
Also, a robed man isn't clear. A mystery man?
A sacred arrival?
A random man in random coat?

Should the fear not knock us fainted - another problematic line. Weren't we knocked down by fear? It is so simple in the original.
And 2 nd line, "Not to be is not to die."
"Turn off the gas" isn't "turn off the stove." Unless they run a gas station.

I really like the first stanza, though

Галина Иззьер   27.09.2024 14:51     Заявить о нарушении
thanks, Galya, and I appreciate you took time to take a look. I take it as a sign that things are improving somewhat.
- Now, a robed man - it is not that clear in the original. I think she referred at least to a Roman guard or mb even to Pontius Pilate as a predecessor of a silovik.
So it is better to leave it as unclear and ambiguous as in the original.
- Should the fear not knock us fainted - what's wrong with it? the fear can knock us fainted, but we should not succumb to fear. It pretty much captures the meaning of Можно больше не бояться
- gas - it relates to a gas stove, so it is totally legitimate to say turn off the gas< see, f.ex. an instruction: Shutting off the gas to the stove yourself is safe only if the gas odor is faint and is clearly coming from the stove area.

Валентин Емелин   27.09.2024 15:24   Заявить о нарушении
and who will admire my wonderful rhymes:
a nail in - upscaling
step in - happened
established - the tablets
and , of course,
honored - born and?
okey, will take the credit myself))

Валентин Емелин   27.09.2024 21:43   Заявить о нарушении
На это произведение написаны 2 рецензии, здесь отображается последняя, остальные - в полном списке.