Speaking In Tongues
Guided by Voices

Vladimir Fyodorov

 

Translated by Natalia Skripka

 
 

Âîçâðàùåíèå íà ðîäèíó

 
Âîò ÿ è ïðèïëûë, âîò ÿ è ïðèøåë,
Çäðàâñòâóé, ìîÿ ðîäèíà…
Ñëèøêîì äîëãî øåë, ñëèøêîì äîëãî ïëûë
ß èçäàëåêà.
Êàê íåìîé óêîð íà ìåíÿ ãëÿäèò
×åðíàÿ ñìîðîäèíà.
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà!
 
Ñêîëüêî ðàçíûõ ìåñò, ñêîëüêî äàëüíèõ ìåñò
Áûëî ìíîþ ïðîéäåíî.
Ñêîëüêî ãðîìêèõ ñëîâ, ñêîëüêî íåæíûõ ñëîâ
Âûâåëà ðóêà.
À âîò òóò äðîæèò, íà âåòðó äðîæèò
×åðíàÿ ñìîðîäèíà.
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà!
 
Êàê æå ýòî òàê? Êàê æå ýòî âäðóã?
×òî ñ òîáîþ, ðîäèíà?!
 ÷åðíûé êðóòîÿð, â ìåðòâûé êðóòîÿð
Ïëåùåòñÿ ðåêà.
Êàê ñëåäû îò ïóëü, íà êðûëüöå ìîåì
×åðíàÿ ñìîðîäèíà.
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà,
Êàê îíà ãîðüêà…

Homecoming

 
From a distant land I am coming home
in my old car, and
oh, so many days, oh, so many miles
burden my meter…
Now I am met, now I am blamed
by the black currant,
which has turned bitter,
which has turned bitter,
which has turned bitter!
 
Many days ago, many months ago
I was gone far, and
many words of pride, many words of love
in my heart glittered.
Now I’m trembling here in the northern wind
with the black currant,
which is so bitter,
which is so bitter,
which is so bitter!
 
What has happened here with my native land,
with the life current?
All the riverside is now steep and dead:
killed with black litter.
All my porch was raked by the berry hail
of the black currant,
which is too bitter,
which is too bitter,
which is too bitter…
 
 

* * *

 
Ãäå-òî ìåæ Çåìëåþ è Âñåëåííîé,
Åëå ñëûøíî êðûëüÿìè øóðøà,
Âîçíåñÿñü ñ áðåãîâ õîëîäíîé Ëåíû,
Ïîïëûâåò óñòàëàÿ äóøà.
 
 ðàé åå, ìàðêñèñòñêóþ, íå ïóñòÿò.
 àä íå âòîðãíóò: íå åå âèíà…
È ðîññèéñêèì àëûì ñãóñòêîì ãðóñòè
 ÷åðíîì íåáå çàãîðèò îíà.
 
Ãîðåñòíî âçäîõíåò ââåðõó àðõàíãåë,
Ñàòàíà âíèçó ñëåçó óòðåò.
È òðåâîæíûé, ÿðêî-êðàñíûé àíãåë
 áåñêîíå÷íîñòü òèõî ïîïëûâåò.
 
 

* * *

 
Risen from the frozen northern spaces,
Hardly leaving in the sky a trail,
Heading from the Earth to better places,
There a weary soul will soar and sail.
 
Neither Hell nor Zion will he be in:
He’s a Marxist, but he’s not to blame;
He will drift, a sorrowful being,
Scarlet, in the black sky, like a flame.
 
Devils will be weeping for the stranger,
Seraphs will afford a single sigh,
And the bloody-red and anxious angel
In the ether will forever fly.