Стихотворения - Блейк Уильям. Страница 36

«Леность и обман блаженный...»

Перевод В. Потаповой

Леность и обман блаженный —

Красоты наряд бесценный.

"Let the Brothels of Paris be opened..."

"Let the Brothels of Paris be opened

With many an alluring dance

To awake the Pestilence thro' the city,"

Said the beautiful Queen of France.

The King awoke on his couch of gold,

As soon as he heard these tidings told:

"Arise & come, both fife & drum,

And the Famine shall eat both crust & crumb."

Then he swore a great & solemn Oath:

"To kill the people I am loth,

But if they rebel, they must go to hell:

They shall have a Priest & a passing bell."

Then old Nobodaddy aloft

Farted & belch'd & cough'd,

And said, "I love hanging & drawing& quartering

Every bit as well as war & slaughtering.

Damn praying & singing,

Unless they will bring in

The blood of ten thousand by fighting or swinging."

The Queen of France just touched this Globe,

And the Pestilence darted from her robe;

But our good Queen quite grows to the ground,

And a great many suckers grow all around.

Fayette beside King Lewis stood;

He saw him sign his hand;

And soon he saw the famine rage

About the fruitful land.

Fayette beheld the Queen to smile

And wink her lovely eye;

And soon he saw the pestilence

From street to street to fly.

Fayette beheld the King & Queen

In tears & iron bound;

But mute Fayette wept tear for tear,

And guarded them around.

Fayette, Fayette, thou'rt bought & sold,

And sold is thy happy morrow;

Thou gavest the tears of Pity away

In exchange for the tears of sorrow.

Who will exchange his own fire side

For the steps of another's door?

Who will exchange his wheaten loaf

For the links of a dungeon floor?

O, who would smile on the wintry seas,

& Pity the stormy roar?

Or who will exchange his new born child

For the dog at the wintry door?

«Двери настежь, парижские бордели!..»

Перевод В. Топорова

«Двери настежь, парижские бордели!

Пусть зараза по городу летит,

С голытьбою обвенчана судьбою», —

Королева Франции велит.

Король со златого ложа слетел,

То услыхав, чего знать не хотел:

«Вставай, народ, труба зовет,

Не то всё до крошки Голод сожрет!»

И вот Король дал великий обет:

«Приязни в кровавых казнях нет,

Но бунтовщикам я воли не дам —

На плаху полягут ко всем чертям!»

И вот Не Породивший Сына отец

Съел, рыгнул и раскашлялся под конец:

«Обожаю войны, повешения, четвертования,

Смакую каждый кусок страдания.

Набили оскомину благодарственные завывания,

Предпочитаю выслушивать поношения

И выкушивать многотысячные жертвоприношения!»

Шар Земной Антуанетта взяла, —

Зараза из платья ее плыла.

К земле клонилась наша добрая Королева —

Лизоблюдами отягощенное древо.

Увидел верный Лафайет

Жест властный Короля —

И голод Францию объял,

И вымерли поля.

Услышал верный Лафайет

Антуанетты смех —

Зараза вспыхнула в стране,

Затронув вся и всех.

Увидел верный Лафайет

В цепях сию Чету —

И с тихим плачем стал не Палач им,

А Сторож на посту.

Ты был менялой, Лафайет,

Но барыши пропали:

Ты сострадания слезу

Променял на слезы печали.

Кто променяет свой очаг

На черный чужой порог?

Кто променяет пшеничный хлеб

На тюремный замок?

Кто ж пожалеет ураган

И ливневый поток?

Кто ж променяет свое дитя

На пса, что в пути промок?

(1800-1803)

"My Spectre around me night and day..."

I My Spectre around me night and day

Like a wild beast guards my way;

My Emanation far within

Weeps incessantly for my sin.

II 'A fathomless and boundless deep,

There we wander, there we weep;

On the hungry craving wind

My Spectre follows thee behind.

III 'He scents thy footsteps in the snow,

Wheresoever thou dost go,

Thro' the wintry hail and rain.

When wilt thou return again?

IV 'Dost thou not in pride and scorn

Fill with tempests all my morn,

And with jealousies and fears

Fill my pleasant nights with tears?

V 'Seven of my sweet loves thy knife

Has bereaved of their life.

Their marble tombs I built with tears,

And with cold and shuddering fears.

VI 'Seven more loves weep night and day

Round the tombs where my loves lay,

And seven more loves attend each night

Around my couch with torches bright.

VII 'And seven more loves in my bed

Crown with wine my mournful head,

Pitying and forgiving all

Thy transgressions great and small.

VIII 'When wilt thou return and view

My loves, and them to life renew?

When wilt thou return and live?

When wilt thou pity as I forgive?'

а ['O'er my sins thou sit and moan:

Hast thou no sins of thy own?

O'er my sins thou sit and weep,

And lull thy own sins fast asleep. ]

b ['What transgressions I commit

Are for thy transgressions fit.

They thy harlots, thou their slave;

And my bed becomes their grave. ]

IX 'Never, never, I return:

Still for victory I burn.

Living, thee alone I'll have;

And when dead I'll be thy grave.

X 'Thro' the Heaven and Earth and Hell

Thou shalt never, never quell:

I will fly and thou pursue:

Night and morn the flight renew.'

с ['Poor, pale, pitiable form

That I follow in a storm;

Iron tears and groans of lead

Bind around my aching head.]

XI 'Till I turn from Female love

And root up the Infernal Grove,

I shall never worthy be

To step into Eternity.

XII 'And, to end thy cruel mocks,

Annihilate thee on the rocks,

And another form create

To be subservient to my fate.

XIII 'Let us agree to give up love,

And root up the Infernal Grove;

Then shall we return and see

The worlds of happy Eternity.

XIV 'And throughout all Eternity

I forgive you, you forgive me.

As our dear Redeemer said:

"This the Wine, and this the Bread."