Пусть те, кому звезда благоволит,
Кому и лесть, и почести в услугу –
Меня поймут, ведь я не фаворит,
Я счастлив верой в дорогого друга.
Любимцы королей как лепестки –
Так ноготки под солнцем превозносит.
Но их триумф и слава коротки,
За хмурым взглядом наступает осень.
Прославленный в сраженьях ветеран,
Однажды потерпевший неудачу
Забудется, и кровь недавних ран,
И честь его отныне мало значат.
Но счастлив тот, кто любит, и любим –
И в красоте своей неповторим.
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Let those who are in favour with their stars
Of public honour and proud titles boast,
Whilst I, whom fortune of such triumph bars,
Unlooked for joy in that I honour most.
Great princes\' favourites their fair leaves spread
But as the marigold at the sun\'s eye,
And in themselves their pride lies buried,
For at a frown they in their glory die.
The painful warrior famoused for fight,
After a thousand victories once foiled,
Is from the book of honour rased quite,
And all the rest forgot for which he toiled:
Then happy I that love and am beloved
Where I may not remove, nor be removed.
Дорогие читатели! Не скупитесь на ваши отзывы,
замечания, рецензии, пожелания авторам. И не забудьте дать
оценку произведению, которое вы прочитали - это помогает авторам
совершенствовать свои творческие способности
Два чоловіки (Two Husbands) - Калінін Микола Це переклад з Роберта У. Сервіса (Robert W. Service)
Unpenitent, I grieve to state,
Two good men stood by heaven's gate,
Saint Peter coming to await.
The stopped the Keeper of the Keys,
Saying: "What suppliants are these,
Who wait me not on bended knees?
"To get my heavenly Okay
A man should have been used to pray,
Or suffered in some grievous way."
"Oh I have suffered," cried the first.
"Of wives I had the wicked worst,
Who made my life a plague accurst.
"Such martyrdom no tongue can tell;
In mercy's name it is not well
To doom me to another hell."
Saint Peter said: "I comprehend;
But tribulations have their end.
The gate is open, - go my friend."
Then said the second: "What of me?
More I deserve to pass than he,
For I've been wedded twice, you see."
Saint Peter looked at him a while,
And then he answered with a smile:
"Your application I will file.
"Yet twice in double yoke you've driven...
Though sinners with our Saints we leaven,
We don't take IMBECILES in heaven."
