Confession Of A Hooligan

Not everyone can weave verses
It is not everyone’s fad
Like an apple to roll
And at others’ feet land.
This is the greatest confession
That a hooligan has ever had.
I purposely walk unkept
With the head like a kerosene lantern
On my shoulders,
Your souls, that bare autumn,
I like to enlighten in darkness.
I love when at me a raging storm
Of rocks and curses is hurled.
I just hold tighter with the hand
Shaking bubbles of my hair.
 

It feels nice then to remember
The overgrown pond, the soft murmur of alders
And that my parents dwell somewhere
Who do not care about my poems.
Who love me like the seeds in the paddock
Like the rain that turns the meadows green
They would come to stab you with a pitchfork
For each shout and curse you hurl at me.
Poor, poor peasants!
You must have aged and become ugly,
And still in fear of God and the swamp bowels.
Oh, if you would only be aware
That the best poet in Russian country -
Is your heir!
 

Weren’t you worried for his life when in autumn
He was walking barefoot through the puddles
He now walks with a top hat on
And wears lacquered shoes.
Though inside of him still lives
A village rascal,
That bows from afar to every cow
On the butcher store’s window.
When on the square meeting a coachman
And smelling manure from his native fields,
He is ready to carry every mare’s tail
Like a wedding dress train.
 

I love my home countryside,
I truly love my homeland!
Though its as sad as rust on the willow
I am even fond of pigs’ soiled snouts.
And vibrant frog croaking in silence of the night
I get tenderly sick from my childhood memories,
During April’s night I dream of the misty veil.
 

Our maple tree, all crouched and leaning,
As if getting warm by the sunset fire.
Oh, how many crow’s eggs I stole from the nest,
Climbing up its forks!
Is it still the same now, with green branches?
Is its bark as hard as it used to be?
 

And you, my loyal freckled dog?
Blind and panting from old age,
And not sniffing the threshold from the barn,
You wander around the yard with the tail-down.
Oh, how I loved our shenanigans
When stealing a bread crust from mother
We’d nibbled it together, two of us,
Sharing every crumb like brothers.
 

I am still the same,
At heart still the same.
 

My eyes sparkle in my face like cornflowers in the rye.
Spreading the gilded sedge of verses,
I would like to convey to you all my tenderness
Good night! Good night to everybody!
A scythe chimed on the twilight glow grass …
I have an urgent need suddenly
From the window over the moon to pee.
 

Blue shine, oh, shine so blue!
Even to die in your azure will not be bad
So what, if I look like a true cynic,
With a lantern strapped to my rear end?!
Good, old weary Pegasus,
Why would I need your gentle gaits?
I came here, as a stern master
To sing praises and celebrate the rats.
My head, like August,
Pours wine of lush hair
I want to be a yellow sail
On a journey to the promised land.
 

1920.
 

 

Baumkuchen

I pretended to joke around on the spinning wooden horse,
Watching you, laughing, as your little shoes made a sound.
I casually opened a big door,
And it felt like an old, treasured toy box of mine.
 

My heartbeat overflows,
Now I’m leaving the deep forest behind,
On this moonless night that I can’t return from,
Along with the melody that started to flow,
I’ll send it to you.
 

With ordinary words and cold eyes,
You gripped my trembling hands tightly,
And soon big tears began to fall,
Filling up my little eyes.
 

So that I’ll never let go again,
I began praying deeply,
On this moonless night I can’t return from,
With the melody that broke out,
I’ll send it to you.
 

The dry sand of time,
Even if it overtakes my yearning,
On this moonless night I can’t return from,
Like the sound of the moon’s melody echoing.
 

My heartbeat overflows,
Now I’m leaving the deep forest behind,
On this moonless night I can’t return from,
Along with the melody that started to flow,
I’ll send it to you.
 

Behind The Blouse

Ku ku ku ku ku ku ku ku
Ku ku ku ku ku ku ku ku
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking
On our flight today, welcome aboard
Our crew will take good care of you
But we kindly request that
You tie your blouses tightly
So that your hearts will not fall out
Fall out, fall out
 

Wanderer, take me far away from here
My heart beats to the rhythm of your footsteps in my chest
Wanderer, take me far away from here
My heart beats to the rhythm of your footsteps in my chest
Wearing those earrings and feeding the buffaloes
Wearing those earrings and feeding the buffaloes
Has made my life so much more difficult
 

What is, what is, what is
What is, what is, what is
What is behind the blouse, what is behind the blouse?
What is behind the blouse, what is behind the blouse?
What is beneath the chunri, what is beneath the chunri?
What is beneath the chunri, what is beneath the chunri?
Oh, my!
 

Tell me, girl, where did you come from today?
Whatever is behind the blouse, please spend it on me
I have truly been gazing at you covertly
I am restless, you're too much, baby, too much!
Please be careful so that my heart doesn't fall and break
My heart is hard to fix again
Please be careful so that it doesn't fall
My heart is hard to fix again
Give my heart to your lover, to your lover
Aah!
 

What is behind the blouse, what is behind the blouse?
What is behind the blouse, what is behind the blouse?
What is beneath the chunri, what is beneath the chunri?
What is beneath the chunri, what is beneath the chunri?
Oh, my!
 

Ku ku ku ku ku ku ku ku
Ku ku ku ku ku ku ku ku
My lehenga is silken, my lehenga is silken
My lehenga is expensive, my lehenga is expensive
I shall walk with my lehenga lifted, I shall walk with my ghoonghat down
What else do I need to protect while walking, O Lord Ram, O Lord Ram
 

Oh, girl!
Hey, oh, girl!
Oh, girl!
Wow!
 

Tell me what is in your chest
I've never encountered someone like you before
I am so drawn to you
I will be rich from the treasures of your eyes
 

Tell me what is in your chest
I've never encountered anyone like you before
I am so drawn to you
I will be rich from the treasures of your eyes
Oh, my!
 

To Kachalov's Dog

Jimmy, give me for luck your paw,
I have never seen such one I swear.
Let us bark at the Moon in awe,
And the time of silence in Nature.
Jimmy, give me for luck your paw.
 

Stop licking, dear, reason prevails
Try to comprehend the simple.
'Cause you do not know life tales,
And how hard is to live with people.
 

Your master is kind and respected
And many guests gladly visit his home.
Smilingly they are all too contented
Your soft coat with fingers to comb.
 

You are devilishly handsome for a dog,
With a charming, trusting face of yours,
Not asking or waiting for a nod,
Like a drunk you embark on kissing tours.
 

My dear Jimmy, people of a great variety
Have passed through your visionary field.
Is there a chance that among such a company
A girl, the saddest of all, once appeared?
 

She will come, be assured and do not forget
When without me you gaze at her fondly
Please lick her hand for me as a regret
For everything I was and was not guilty.