said; They loved the thing. Of a sudden, it moved: It came upon them swiftly; It crushed them all to blood. But some had opportunity to squeal. Artel' rabochih Soorudila ogromnyj kamennyj shar Na vershine gory. Potom truzheniki spustilis' v dolinu I, obernuvshis', stali lyubovat'sya delom ruk svoih. - |to grandiozno, - govorili oni. Im nravilos' ih tvorenie. Vdrug shar kachnulsya i pokatilsya vniz; On mgnovenno nastig lyudej I razdavil ih vseh. Nekotorye, pravda, uspeli vskriknut'. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo Mnogie kamenshchiki Slozhili ogromnyj kirpichnyj shar Na vershine gory. Zatem oni spustilis' v dolinu I obozreli svoe tvorenie. - Velichestvenno, - skazali oni; SHar im nravilsya. I vdrug on pokachnulsya I pokatilsya na nih I mgnovenno vseh razdavil. No nekotorye uspeli vzvizgnut'. Per. Andreya Sergeeva - 32 - Two or three angels Came near to the earth. They saw a fat church. Little black streams of people Came and went in continually. And the angels were puzzled To know why the people went thus, And why they stayed so long within. Dva ili tri angela Proletali nizko nad zemlej. Oni uvideli roskoshnyj hram; K nemu so vseh storon Uzkimi temnymi ruchejkami stekalis' lyudi I ischezali vnutri. Angely ne mogli ponyat', Pochemu vse lyudi idut v odno i to zhe mesto I ostayutsya tam tak dolgo. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 33 - There was One I met upon the road Who looked at me with kind eyes. He said: "Show me of your wares." And I did, Holding forth one. He said: "It is a sin." Then I held forth another. He said: "It is a sin." Then I held forth another. He said: "It is a sin." And so to the end. Always He said:"It is a sin." At last, I cried out: "But I have none other." He looked at me With kinder eyes. "Poor soul," He said. Vo vremya stranstvij ya vstretil cheloveka. On posmotrel na menya uchastlivo i skazal: - Pokazhi, nad chem ty trudish'sya. YA dostal iz meshka Odno iz moih izdelij. CHelovek skazal: - |to greh. Togda ya izvlek drugoe. CHelovek skazal: - I eto greh. YA pokazal emu eshche odno. On skazal: - |to tozhe greh. I tak do samogo konca On vse vremya povtoryal: - |to greh. Nakonec ya vskrichal: - No u menya bol'she nichego net! On posmotrel na menya S angel'skoj dobrotoj I proiznes: - Bednaya dusha! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 34 - I stood upon a highway, And, behold, there came Many strange pedlers. To me each one made gestures, Holding forth little images, saying; "This my pattern of God. Now this is the God I prefer." But I said: "Hence! Leave me with mine own, And take you yours away; I can't buy of your patterns of Cod, The little gods you may rightly prefer." YA stoyal na prigorke, I stolpilis' vokrug menya Strannogo vida brodyachie torgovcy. Kazhdyj podaval mne znaki, Protyagival malen'kij obrazok I govoril: - Vot izobrazhenie moego Boga. |to Bog, kotorogo predpochitayu ya. Togda ya kriknul im: - Proch'! Uberite vashi obrazki, Ostav'te mne moego sobstvennogo Boga. YA ne mogu pokupat' izobrazheniya chuzhih bogov, Pust' dazhe vy iskrenne v nih verite. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 35 - A man saw a ball of gold in the sky, He climbed for it, And eventually he achieved it - It was clay. Now this is the strange part: When the man went to the earth And looked again, Lo, there was the ball of gold. Now this is the strange part: It was a ball of gold. Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold. CHelovek uvidel v nebe zolotoj shar. On stal vzbirat'sya na nebo I nakonec dobralsya do shara. Tot okazalsya glinyanym. No vot chto stranno: Kogda chelovek spustilsya na zemlyu I snova posmotrel vverh - SHar opyat' byl zolotym. O chudo! |to byl zolotoj shar. Klyanus' nebesami! |to byl zolotoj shar. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo CHelovek uvidal v nebe zolotoj shar; On polez za nim I v konce koncov dobralsya k nemu - SHar byl glinyanyj. I vot chto stranno: Kogda chelovek vernulsya na zemlyu I opyat' posmotrel v nebo, Tam byl zolotoj shar. I vot chto stranno: |to byl zolotoj shar. Klyanus' nebom, eto byl zolotoj shar. Per. Andreya Sergeeva - 36 - I met a seer. He held in his hands The book of wisdom. "Sir," I addressed him, "Let me read." "Child-" he began. "Sir," I said, "Think not that I am a child, For already I know much Of that which you hold. Aye, much." He smiled. Then he opened the book And held it before me.- Strange that I should have grown so suddenly blind. YA vstretil proroka. V rukah on derzhal Knigu mudrosti. - O gospodin, - obratilsya ya k nemu, Pozvol' mne zaglyanut' v nee. - Ditya... - nachal on. - O mudrec, - perebil ya ego, - Ne dumaj, chto ya rebenok, - YA ved' mnogoe uzhe znayu Iz togo, chto zdes' napisano. Da, mnogoe! On zasmeyalsya, Potom raskryl knigu Pered moimi glazami. Udivitel'naya veshch': ya srazu oslep. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo YA vstretil proroka. On derzhal v rukah Knigu mudrosti. - Gospodin, - poprosil ya, - Pozvol' pochitat'. - Ditya, - nachal on. - Gospodin, - perebil ya, - Ne dumaj, chto ya ditya, Ibo ya uzhe znayu mnogo Iz togo, chto ty derzhish'; Da, mnogo. On ulybnulsya I on otkryl svoyu knigu I pokazal mne. Stranno, chto ya tak vnezapno oslep. Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 37 - On the horizon the peaks assembled; And as I looked, The march of the mountains began. As they marched, they sang: "Aye! We come! We come!" Na gorizonte sgrudilis' skaly. Stoilo mne vzglyanut' tuda - Gory poshli v nastuplenie. Priblizhayas', oni peli: - Smotri! My idem! My idem! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo Na gorizonte gory gruppirovalis'; I poka ya glyadel, |ti giganty dvinulis' v nastuplen'e. Dvigayas', oni peli: "Da! My pridem! My pridem!". Per. Andreya Sergeeva - 38 - The ocean said to me once: "Look! Yonder on the shore Is a woman, weeping. I have watched her. Go you and tell her this,- Her lover I have laid In cool green hall. There is wealth of golden sand And pillars, coral-red; Two white fish stand guard at his bier. "Tell her this And more,- That the king of the seas Weeps too, old, helpless man. The bustling fates Heap his hands with corpses Until he stands like a child With surplus of toys." Okean skazal mne odnazhdy: - Smotri! Von tam, na beregu, Rydaet zhenshchina. YA vse glyazhu na nee... Pojdi i skazhi ej vot chto: Ee vozlyublennogo ulozhil ya V moih prohladnyh zelenyh chertogah Na lozhe iz zolotogo peska, Mezhdu krasnyh korallovyh kolonn; Dve belye ryby stoyat na strazhe u izgolov'ya. Skazhi ej eto I dobav' eshche, chto car' morskoj. Dryahlyj, bespomoshchnyj starec, Plachet tozhe. Neterpelivyj Rok Slozhil emu na ruki stol'ko mertvyh tel, CHto on teper' napominaet rebenka, Stoyashchego s grudoj igrushek. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 39 - The livid lightnings flashed in the clouds; The leaden thunders crashed. A worshipper raised his arm. "Hearken! Hearken! The voice of God!" "Not so," said a man. "The voice of God whispers in the heart So softly That the soul pauses, Making no noise, And strives for these melodies, Distant, sighing, like faintest breath, And all the being is still to hear." Ognennye niti molnij sverkali sredi tuch, Razdavalsya olovyannyj grohot groma. Bogomolec vozdel ruki: - Vnimajte! Vnimajte! Vot on, golos Boga! - Nepravda, - skazal chelovek, - Golos Boga zvuchit v nashih serdcah nezhnym shepotom; On nastol'ko tih, CHto dusha zamiraet, prislushivayas', I zhadno lovit melodichnye zvuki, Dalekie, ele slyshnye, pohozhie na legkie vzdohi; V takie minuty my zastyvaem, Vsecelo obrativshis' v sluh. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 40 - And you love me? I love you. You are, then, cold coward. Aye; but, beloved, When I strive to come to you, Man's opinions, a thousand thickets, My interwoven existence, My life, Caught in the stubble of the world Like a tender veil,- This stays me. No strange move can I make Without noise of tearing. I dare not. If love loves, There is no world Nor word. All is lost Save thought of love And place to dream. You love me? I love you. You are, then, cold coward. Aye; but, beloved - - I ty lyubish' menya? - YA lyublyu tebya. - Togda ty prosto trus. - Da, no poslushaj, lyubimaya, Kogda ya stremlyus' k tebe, Lyudskie peresudy, beschislennye terniya, Neustojchivost' moego polozheniya, ZHizn' moya, Opletennaya nezrimymi putami, Slovno pojmannaya v set', - Vse eto ostanavlivaet menya. Ni odnogo nevernogo shaga nel'zya mne sdelat' Inache vozniknet nevoobrazimyj skandal. YA ne mogu reshit'sya. - Kogda lyubish', Ne sushchestvuet dlya tebya ni mir, Ni lyudskaya molva; Ne sushchestvuet nichego, Krome samoj lyubvi I myslej o nej. Ty lyubish' menya? - YA lyublyu tebya. - Togda ty prosto trus. - Da, no poslushaj, lyubimaya... Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 41 - Love walked alone. The rocks cut her tender feet, And the brambles tore her fair limbs. There came a companion to her, But, alas, he was no help, For his name was Heart's Pain. Lyubov' hodila po svetu odna. Ostrye kamni ranili ee nezhnye stupni, SHipy carapali ee prekrasnoe telo. Potom u nee poyavilsya sputnik, No uvy, on nichem ne mog ej pomoch' - Ved' imya ego bylo Stradanie. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 42 - I walked in a desert. And I cried: "Ah, God, take me from this place!" A voice said: "It is no desert." I cried: "Well, but - The sand, the heat, the vacant horizon." A voice said: "It is no desert." YA brel po beskrajnej pustyne. I vozopil ya: - Bozhe, vyvedi menya otsyuda! Golos otvetil: - |to ne pustynya. YA vskrichal: - No posmotri zhe - Pesok, zhara, golyj gorizont... Golos povtoril: - |to ne pustynya. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo YA bluzhdal v pustyne. I voskliknul: "Gospodi, voz'mi menya otsyuda!" Golos promolvil: "|to ne pustynya". YA voskliknul: "Da, no - |tot pesok, etot znoj, etot pustoj gorizont". Golos promolvil: "|to ne pustynya". Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 43 - There came whisperings in the winds: "Good-bye! "Good-bye! Little voices called in the darkness: "Good-bye! "Good-bye! Then I stretched forth my arms. "No- No-" There came whisperings in the wind: "Good-bye! "Good-bye! Little voices called in the darkness: "Good-bye! "Good-bye! Do menya donessya shepot vetra: - Proshchaj! Proshchaj! Tihie golosa povtoryali vo t'me: - Proshchaj! Proshchaj! YA proster pred soboyu ruki. YA voskliknul: - Net! Net! Do menya donessya shepot vetra: - Proshchaj! Proshchaj! Tihie golosa povtoryali vo t'me: - Proshchaj! Proshchaj! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 44 - I was in the darkness; I could not see my words Nor the wishes of my heart. Then suddenly there was a great light "Let me into the darkness again." YA prebyval vo t'me; YA byl nesposoben obdumyvat' moi slova I ponimat' ustremleniya moego serdca. Potom vdrug zazhegsya oslepitel'nyj svet. - Vernite menya opyat' vo t'mu! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo YA prebyval vo t'me; YA ne videl ni moih slov, Ni zhelanij moego serdca. Zatem vnezapno yavilsya velikij svet... "Verni menya obratno vo t'mu". Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 45 - Tradition, thou art for suckling children. Thou art the enlivening milk for babes; Bot no meat for men is in thee. Then - But, alas, we all are babes. Tradicii, vy - dlya grudnyh detej; Vy - moloko dlya mladencev, No ne pishcha dlya vzroslyh lyudej. Poetomu... No uvy, vse my - mladency. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo Tradiciya, ty dlya grudnyh detej, Ty zhivitel'noe moloko dlya mladencev, No uzh nikak ne myaso dlya muzhchin. Tak, stalo byt' - No, k sozhalen'yu, my vse mladency. Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 46 - Many red devils ran from my heart And out upon the page. They were so tiny The pen could mash them. And many struggled in the ink. It was strange To write in this red muck Of things from my heart. Mnozhestvo krasnyh d'yavolov Vyplesnulos' na stranicu iz moego serdca. Oni byli takimi kroshechnymi, CHto ya mog razdavit' ih perom. Eshche mnogie barahtalis' v chernil'nice. Stranno bylo Pisat' etim krasnym mesivom, Okrashennym krov'yu moego serdca... Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo Krasnye chertiki prygali iz moego serdca Pryamo na stranicu. Takie kroshechnye, CHto pero moglo by ih razmozzhit'. I prodolzhali borot'sya v kaple chernil. Stranno bylo |toj merzostnoj krasnoj zhizhej Izlivat' sokrovennosti serdca. Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 47 - "Think as I think," said a man, "Or you are abominably wicked, You are a toad." And after I had thought of it, I said: "I will, then, be a toad". - Dumaj tak zhe, kak ya, - skazal chelovek, Inache ty merzkij nechestivec, Otvratitel'naya zhaba. Porazmysliv, ya otvetil: - V takom sluchae predpochitayu byt' zhaboj. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo "Dumaj, kak dumayu ya, - skazal chelovek, - A inache ty gnusnaya tvar'; Ty zhaba". Podumavshi nemnogo, ya skazal: "Pust' uzh ya budu zhaba". Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 48 - Once there was a man, - Oh, so wise! In all drink He detected the bitter, And in all touch He found the sting. At last he cried thus: "There is nothing, - No life, No joy, No pain,- There is nothing save opinion, And opinion be damned." ZHil odnazhdy chelovek - Ax, kakoj mudrec! Iz vseh napitkov On predpochital samyj gor'kij, Iz vseh prikosnovenij - Ukol zhala. V konce koncov on vskrichal: - Nichego net - Ni zhizni, Ni radosti, Ni boli, - Nichego net, krome moih oshchushchenij, Bud' oni proklyaty! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo ZHil-byl odin chelovek - Oh, do chego zhe mudryj! V kazhdom napitke On obnaruzhival gorech', V kazhdom prikosnovenii Videl ozhog. V konce koncov on voskliknul: "Net nichego - Ni zhizni, Ni radosti, Ni stradan'ya, - Est' tol'ko mnenie, A mnenie pust' katitsya k chertu". Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 49 - I stood musing in a black world, Not knowing where to direct my feel. And I saw the quick stream of men Pouring ceaselessly, Filled with eager faces, A torrent of desire. I called to them: "Where do you go? What do you see?" A thousand voices called to me. A thousand fingers pointed. "Look! Look! There!" I know not of it. But, lo! in the far shy shone a radiance Ineffable, divine, - A vision painted upon a pall; And sometimes was, And sometimes it was not. I hesitated. Then from the stream Came roaring voices, Impatient: "Look! Look! There!" So again I saw, And leaped, unhesilant, And struggled and fumed With outspread clutching fingers. The hard hills tore my flesh; The ways bit my feet. At last I looked again. No radiance in the far sky, Ineffable, divine, No vision painted upon a pall; And always my eyes ached for the light. Then I cried in despair: "I see nothing! Oh, where do I go?" The torrent turned again its faces: "Look! Look! There!" And at the blindness of my spirit They screamed: "Fool! Fool! Fool!" Ob®yatyj mrakom etogo mira, YA stoyal, razmyshlyaya, kuda napravit' put'. I uvidel ya, chto mimo menya Neskonchaemym potokom dvigayutsya lyudi, Vozbuzhdennye, s goryashchimi glazami; Ih podgonyaet neterpenie. YA sprosil: - Kuda vy toropites'? CHto vy takoe uvideli? Tysyachi golosov otvetili mne. Tysyachi perstov ukazali: - Smotri! - Smotri! Vot ono! YA ne ponyal, o chem oni govoryat. I vdrug na gorizonte nebo ozarilos' siyaniem, Nevidannym, bozhestvennym, Rascvetivshim svod nebesnogo shatra Izumitel'nymi kraskami; Ono to poyavlyalos', To ischezalo. YA stoyal v nereshitel'nosti. I snova iz tolpy doneslis' do menya Vzvolnovannye golosa: - Smotri! Smotri! Vot ono! YA opyat' vzglyanul - I, otbrosiv kolebaniya, rinulsya vsled za lyud'mi; V yarosti ya prodiralsya skvoz' tolpu S pomoshch'yu kulakov. Na dorogah ya sbil nogi, V gorah izranil telo. Kogda v konce koncov ya vnov' posmotrel na nebo, Uzhe ne ozaryalos' ono siyaniem, Nevidannym, bozhestvennym; Mrachen byl svod nebesnogo shatra. No glaza moi zhazhdali sveta. Togda vskrichal ya v otchayan'i: - YA nichego ne vizhu! O, kuda zhe ya idu? Lyudi v tolpe snova pokazyvali mne: - Smotri! Smotri! Vot ono! I poteshalis' oni Nad slepotoyu moej dushi: - Glupec! Glupec! Glupec! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 50 - You say you are holy, And that Because I have not seen you sin. Aye, but there are those Who see you sin, my friend. Ty govorish' mne. chto ty pravednik, Znaya, chto ya ne videl, Kak ty greshish'. Da, eto tak, Zato drugie videli, drug moj. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 51 - A man went before a strange god, - The god of many men, sadly wise. And the deity thundered loudly, Fat with rage, and puffing: "Kneel, mortal, and cringe And grovel and do homage To my particularly sublime majesty." The man fled. Then the man went to another god,- The god of his inner thoughts. And this one looked at him With soft eyes Lit with infinite comprehension, And said: "My poor child!" CHelovek predstal pered strannym Bogom - Bogom mnogih lyudej, mudrym i potomu pechal'nym. Bozhestvo totchas progrohotalo gromovym golosom, Razduvayas' i pyhtya ot yarosti: - Na koleni, smertnyj! Povergnis' vo prah! Presmykayas', dolzhen ty yavit' pochtenie Pred moej vysochajshej osoboj! CHelovek pustilsya nautek. Potom prishel on k drugomu Bogu - Bogu ego sobstvennyh myslej. |tot Bog posmotrel na nego, I uvlazhnivshiesya glaza ego Zasvetilis' dobrotoyu i ponimaniem. On skazal: - Moe bednoe ditya! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 52 - Why do you strive for greatness, fool? Go pluck a bough and wear it. It is as sufficing. My Lord, there are certain barbarians Who tilt their noses As if the stars were flowers, And thy servant is lost among their shoe-buckles. Fain would I have mine eyes even with their eyes. Fool, go pluck a bough and wear it. - Zachem ty stremish'sya k velichiyu, glupec? Otlomi vetku i uvenchaj sebya. Vot i vse, chto tebe nuzhno. - Gospodi, vokrug - nastoyashchie varvary, Oni zadirayut nosy k zvezdam, Slovno k cvetam na nebe, I rab tvoj zateryalsya sredi pryazhek ih bashmakov. Po spravedlivosti ya dolzhen byt' ne nizhe ih. - Glupec, otlomi vetku i uvenchaj sebya. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 53 - I Blustering god, Stamping across the sky With loud swagger, I fear you not. No, though from your highest heaven You plunge your spear at my heart, I fear you not. No, not if the blow Is as the lightning blasting tree, I fear you not, puffing braggart. II If thou can see into my heart That I fear thee not, Thou wilt see why I fear thee not, And why it is right. So threaten not, thou, with thy bloody spears, Else thy sublime ears shall hear curses. III Withal, there is one whom I fear; I fear to see grief upon that face. Perchance, friend, he is not your god; If so, spit upon him. By it you will do no profanity. But I - Ah, sooner would I die Than see tears in those eyes of my soul. I Kichlivyj Bog, Oglushayushchij nebesa Svoej gromoglasnoj pohval'boj, YA ne boyus' tebya. Pust' s nebesnyh vysot Celish' ty kop'em v moe serdce, YA ne boyus' tebya. Dazhe esli udar tvoj Podoben molnii, szhigayushchej derev'ya, YA ne boyus' tebya, napyshchennyj hvastun, II Esli b ty smog prochest' v moem serdce, CHto ya ne boyus' tebya, Ty ponyal by, pochemu net vo mne straha I pochemu eto pravil'no. Tak ne grozi zhe mne svoimi okrovavlennymi kop'yami, Inache vysochajshie ushi tvoi uslyshat proklyatiya. III No est' vse zhe nekto, pred kem ya trepeshchu, Na ch'em lice boyus' uvidet' pechal'. Vozmozhno, drug, eto ne tvoe bozhestvo; Esli tak, plyun' na nego, Ty etim ne svershish' svyatotatstva. No ya... Ah, ya skoree umru, CHem uvizhu slezy na glazah moej dushi! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 54 - "It was wrong to do this," said the angel "You should live like a flower, Holding malice like a puppy, Waging war like a lambkin." "Not so," quoth the man Who had no fear of spirits; "It is only wrong for angels Who can live like the flowers, Holding malice like the puppies, Waging war like the lambkins." - Ty sovershil durnoj postupok, - skazal angel, Ty dolzhen zhit' kak cvetochek, Byt' dobrym, kak shchenochek I krotkim, kak yagnenochek. - Ty ne prav, - otvetstvoval chelovek, Ne ispytyvavshij straha pered nebozhitelyami, - |to durnoj postupok lish' dlya angelov, Kotorym nichto ne meshaet zhit' kak cvetochki, Byt' dobrymi, kak shchenyata, I krotkimi, kak yagnyata. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 55 - A man toiled on a burning road, Never resting. Once he saw a fat, stupid ass Grinning at him from a green place. The man cried out in rage: "Ah! do not deride me, fool! I know you - All day stuffing your belly, Burying your heart In grass and tender sprouts: It will not suffice you." But the ass only grinned at him from the green place. CHelovek brel po raskalennoj doroge, Ne davaya sebe otdyha. Kak-to raz na zelenoj luzhajke Zametil on zhirnogo glupogo osla, Tarashchivshegosya na nego i skalivshego zuby. CHelovek vskrichal v yarosti: - |j, ne smejsya nado mnoj, ostolop! YA znayu tebya - Ty celymi dnyami nabivaesh' sebe bryuho. Vse, chto tebe nuzhno v zhizni, - |to trava i molodye pobegi; Skol'ko b ty ni s®el - tebe vse malo! No osel lish' tarashchilsya na nego, Stoya na zelenoj luzhajke. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 56 - A man feared that he might find an assassin, Another that he might find a victim. One was more wise than the other. Odin chelovek boyalsya povstrechat' ubiicu, Drugoj - najti ubitogo Pervyj byl umnee Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 57 - With eye and with gesture You say you are holy. I say you lie; For I did see you Draw away your coals From the sin upon the hands Of a little child. Liar! I vzglyadom, i zhestami Ty pokazyvaesh', chto ty svyatoj. No ya govoryu: - Ty lzhesh'! - Ved' ya videl, Kak ty sbrasyval s plech Tyagoty svoih grehov Na ruki malen'kogo rebenka. Lzhec! Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 58 - The sage lectured brilliantly. Before him, two images: "Now this one is a devil, And this one is me." He turned away. Then a cunning pupil Changed the positions. Turned the sage again: "Now this one is a devil, And this one is me." The pupils sat, all grinning, And rejoiced in the game. But the sage was a sage. Mudrec prepodaval blestyashche. On postavil pred soboyu dvuh idolov: - Predpolozhim, chto eto - d'yavol, A eto - ya... Tut on otvernulsya, A prokazlivyj uchenik Pomenyal idolov mestami. Mudrec prodolzhal: - Tak vot, predpolozhim, chto eto - d'yavol, A eto - ya. Ucheniki edva sderzhivali smeh, Teshas' zabavoj. No mudrec vse zhe ostalsya mudrecom. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo Mudrec vrazumlyal iskusno. Vot pered nim dva risunka: "Pust' eto budet d'yavol, A eto pust' budu ya". I on otvernulsya. Postrel-uchenik, radi shutki, Pomenyal mestami risunki. Mudrec povtoril, ne glyadya: "Pust' eto budet d'yavol, A eto pust' budu ya". Ucheniki uhmylyalis', Razbiral ih bezumnyj smeh. No mudrec taki byl mudrec. Per. Vladimira Britanishskogo - 59 - Walking in the sky, A man in strange black garb Encountered a radiant form. Then his steps were eager; Bowed he devoutly. "My Lord," said he. But the spirit knew him not. Bluzhdaya po nebu, CHelovek v strannom chernom odeyanii Uzrel izluchavshuyu siyan'e figuru. Zataiv dyhanie, podoshel on blizhe, Otvesil pochtitel'nyj poklon. - O moj Gospod'! - skazal on. No tot ne znal ego. Per. Anatoliya Kudryavickogo - 60 - Upon the road of my life, Passed me many fair creatures, Clothed all in white, and radiant. To one, finally, I made speech: "Who art thou?" But she, like the others, Kept cowled her face, And answered in haste, anxiously: "I am Good Deed, forsooth; You have often seen me." "Not uncowled," I made reply. And with rash and strong hand, Though she resisted, I drew away the veil And gazed at the features of Vanity. She, shamefaced, went on; And after I had mused a time, I said of myself: "Fool!"