Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices

ANNA AKHMATOVA

ÀÍÍÀ ÀÕÌÀÒÎÂÀ

Translated by Maya Jouravel

© Translation, Maya Jouravel, 1994-1998



* * *

Here Pushkin's driven sentence had begun,
And ended Lermontov's in fatal sentence,
The mountain grass has very gentle fragrance,
And only once I managed to discern,
Where by the lake under dense shade of a chinara,
In that pre-evening and ferocious trice
The glaring of insatiable dark eyes
Of the immortal lover of Tamara.

* * *

Çäåñü Ïóøêèíà èçãíàíüå íà÷àëîñü
È Ëåðìîíòîâà êîí÷èëîñü èçãíàíüå.
Çäåñü ãîðíûõ òðàâ ëåãêî áëàãîóõàíüå,
È òîëüêî ðàç ìíå âèäåòü óäàëîñü
Ó îçåðà, â ãóñòîé òåíè ÷èíàðû,
 òîò ïðåäâå÷åðíèé è æåñòîêèé ÷àñ —
Ñèÿíèå íåóòîëåííûõ ãëàç
Áåññìåðòíîãî ëþáîâíèêà Òàìàðû.