óÂÚШПÂ.
'ъÊÂÎШÂ, Í‡Í Û‰‡П.
"äÂÒ‡ПÂ‚Ó ÍÂÒ‡ПЧ - ·Ó„Û ·Ó„Ó‚Ó".
Ä Ú‡ÍÓÏÛ,
Í‡Í ъ,
ÚÍÌÛÚ¸Òъ ÍÛ‰‡?
ɉ ÏÌ ۄÓÚÓ‚‡ÌÓ ÎÓ„Ó‚Ó?

ÖÒÎË ·Ш ъ ·ШÎ
χÎÂ̸ÍËÈ,
Í‡Í Ó͇Ì,-
̇ ЖШÔÓВÍË ‚ÓÎÌ ‚ÒÚ‡Î,
ÔПËÎË‚ÓÏ Î‡Ò͇ÎÒъ Í ÎÛÌ ·Ш.
ɉ ÎЧ·ËÏÛЧ Ì‡ÈÚË ÏÌÂ,
'‡ÍÛЧ, Í‡Í Ë ъ?
'‡Í‡ъ Ì ÛÏÂÒÚË·Ҹ ·Ш ‚ ÍПÓУÓÚÌÓ Ì·Ó!

é, ÂÒÎË · ъ ÌËщ ·ШÎ!
ä‡Í ÏËÎÎË‡П‰ÂП!
óÚÓ ‰Â̸„Ë ‰Û¯Â?
çÂ̇ÒШÚÌШÈ ‚ÓП ‚ ÌÂÈ.
åÓËУ Ê·ÌËÈ П‡ÁÌÛÁ‰‡ÌÌÓÈ ÓП‰Â
ÌÂ У‚‡ÚËÚ ÁÓÎÓÚ‡ ‚ÒÂУ ä‡ÎËÙÓПÌËÈ.

ÖÒÎË · ·ШÚ¸ ÏÌ ÍÓÒÌÓъÁШВÌШÏ,
Í‡Í Ñ‡ÌÚ
ËÎË èÂÚП‡П͇!
ÑÛ¯Û Í Ó‰ÌÓÈ Á‡ÊÂВ¸!
ëÚËУ‡ÏË ‚ÂÎÂÚ¸ ËÒÚÎÂÚ¸ ÂÈ!
à ÒÎÓ‚‡
Ë ÎЧ·Ó‚¸ ÏÓъ -
ÚПËÛÏهθ̇ъ ‡П͇:
ÔШ¯ÌÓ,
·ÂÒÒΉÌÓ ÔПÓȉÛÚ ÒÍ‚ÓÁ¸ ÌÂÂ
ÎЧ·Ó‚ÌËЖШ ‚ÒÂУ ÒÚÓÎÂÚËÈ.

é, ÂÒÎË · ·ШÎ ъ
ÚËУËÈ,
Í‡Í „ПÓÏ,-
ÌШÎ ·Ш,
‰ПÓÊ¸Ч Ó·ЗъÎ ·Ш ÁÂÏÎË Ó‰ПъУ΂¯ËÈ ÒÍËÚ.
ü ÂÒÎË ‚ÒÂÈ Â„Ó ÏÓщ¸Ч
‚ШПÂ‚Û „ÓÎÓÒ Ó„ПÓÏÌШÈ,-
ÍÓÏÂÚШ Á‡ÎÓÏъÚ „ÓПъщË ПÛÍË,
·ПÓÒ‡ъÒ¸ ‚ÌËÁ Ò ÚÓÒÍË.

ü ·Ш „·Á ÎÛВ‡ÏË „ПШÁ ÌÓВË -
Ó, ÂÒÎË · ·ШÎ ъ
ÚÛÒÍÎШÈ, Í‡Í ÒÓÎЖÂ!
éВÂ̸ ÏÌ ̇‰Ó
ÒËъ̸ÂÏ ÏÓËÏ ÔÓËÚ¸
ÁÂÏÎË ÓÚÓщ‡‚¯Â ÎÓÌЖÂ!

èПÓȉÛ,
ÎЧ·Ó‚ËщÛ ÏÓЧ ‚ÓÎÓВ‡.
Ç Í‡ÍÓÈ ÌÓВË
·П‰ӂÓÈ,
̉ÛÊÌÓÈ
͇ÍËÏË ÉÓΡهÏË ъ Á‡В‡Ú -
Ú‡ÍÓÈ ·Óθ¯ÓÈ
Ë Ú‡ÍÓÈ ÌÂÌÛÊÌШÈ?

1916

 

 

 

Six words.
Heavy as a blow.
"Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's- to God what is God's."
And one
such as I, where shall I squeeze in?
Where is my den?
If only I were
small
as the great Pacific -
I'd stand up on the tiptoes of my waves
and caress the moon with my tides.
Where am I to find a beloved
equal to myself?
Such a woman has no place in the tiny heavens!
If only I were poor!
As a billionaire!
What's money to the soul?
There's an insatiable thief in mine.
All the gold in California couldn't feed
the unbridled horde of my desires.
If I could only be as tongue-tied
as Dante
or Petrarch!
Turn my soul's fire on one woman!
Make it smolder out in verse!
My words and my love-
would form a triumphal arch:
the beloveds of all centuries
would pass through it gloriously,
leaving no trace.
If only I were
quiet
as thunder-
I would whimper
and, trembling, embrace earth's decrepit cloister.
If I
roar in an enormous voice
with all the power of thunder-
comets will wring their burning hands,
and fling themselves down in despair.
I would crack open nights with my eye's ray,
if only I were
dim as the sun!
I so need
to slake with my shining
the sunken bosom of the earth!
I will pass by,
dragging my titanic love.
In what
delirious
feverish night,
by what Goliaths was I conceived-
so big
and so useless?
 
1916

next