At life's beginning; some pages of reminiscence, by Samuel Marshak. Translated by Katherine Hunter Blair. Foreword by Moura Budberg. Illustrated by G. Philippovsky

1616-1949

Ya perevel Shekspirovy sonety.

Puskai poet, pokinuv staryi dom,

Zagovorit na yazyke drugom,

V drugie dni, v drugom krayu planety.

Soratnikom ego my priznaem,

Zashitnikom svobody, pravdy, mira.

Nedarom imya slavnoe Shekspira

Po-russki znachit: "potryasai kop'em".

Tri sotni raz i tridcat' raz i tri

So dnya ego konchiny ochertila

Zemlya urochnyi put' vokrug svetila.

Svergalis' trony, padali cari...

A gordyi stih i v skromnom perevode

Sluzhil i sluzhit pravde i svobode.

I have translated Shakepeare's sonnets.

Puskai the poet, having left  the house,

Will start talking in language the friend,

In other days, in the other edge of a planet.

We recognize as the colleague of an ego,

Freedom, truths, the world.

Not without reason a name Shakespeare

In Russian means: " потрясаи копьэм ".

Three hundreds times both thirty times and three

From the date of an ego of death has outlined

The Earth  way around stars.

Thrones drop, tsars were overthrown...

And  a verse and in modest translation

Served and serves the truth and freedom.

BALLADA O KOROLEVSKOM BUTERBRODE

(Iz Aleksandra Alana Milna)

Korol',

Ego velichestvo,

Prosil ee velichestvo,

Chtoby ee velichestvo

Sprosila u molochnicy:

Nel'zya l' dostavit' masla

Na zavtrak korolyu.

Pridvornaya molochnica

Skazala: "Razumeetsya,

Shozhu,

Skazhu

Korove,

Pokuda ya ne splyu!"

Pridvornaya molochnica

Poshla k svoei korove

I govorit korove,

Lezhashei na polu:

"Veleli ih velichestva

Izvestnoe kolichestvo

Otborneishego masla

Dostavit' k ih stolu!"

Lenivaya korova

Otvetila sproson'ya:

"Skazhite ih velichestvam,

Chto nynche ochen' mnogie

Dvunogie-bezrogie

Predpochitayut marmelad,

A takzhe pastilu!"

Pridvornaya molochnica

Skazala: "Vy podumaite!"

I tut zhe koroleve

Predstavila doklad:

"Sto raz proshu prosheniya

Za eto predlozhenie,

No esli vy namazhete

Na tonkii lomtik hleba

Fruktovyi marmelad,

Korol', ego velichestvo,

Naverno, budet rad!"

Totchas zhe koroleva

Poshla k ego velichestvu

I, budto mezhdu prochim,

Skazala nevpopad:

"Ah da, moi drug, po povodu

Obeshannogo masla...

Hotite li poprobovat'

Na zavtrak marmelad?"

Korol' otvetil:

"Gluposti!"

Korol' skazal:

"O Bozhe moi!"

Korol' vzdohnul: "O Gospodi!" -

I snova leg v krovat'.

"Eshe nikto,- skazal on,-

Nikto menya na svete

Ne nazyval kapriznym...

Prosil ya tol'ko masla

Na zavtrak mne podat'!"

Na eto koroleva

Skazala: "Nu konechno!" -

I tut zhe prikazala

Molochnicu pozvat'.

Pridvornaya molochnica

Skazala: "Nu konechno!" -

I tut zhe pobezhala

V korovii hlev opyat'.

Pridvornaya korova

Skazala: "V chem zhe delo?

Ya nichego durnogo

Skazat' vam ne hotela.

Voz'mite prostokvashi,

I moloka dlya kashi,

I slivochnogo masla

Mogu vam tozhe dat'!"

Pridvornaya molochnica

Skazala: "Blagodarstvuite!"

I maslo na podnose

Poslala korolyu.

Korol' voskliknul: "Maslo!

Otlichneishee maslo!

Prekrasneishee maslo!

Ya tak ego lyublyu!

Nikto, nikto,- skazal on

I vylez iz krovati.-

Nikto, nikto,- skazal on,

Spuskayas' vniz v halate.-

Nikto, nikto,- skazal on,

Namyliv ruki mylom.-

Nikto, nikto,- skazal on,

S'ezzhaya po perilam.-

Nikto ne skazhet, budto ya

Tiran i sumasbrod,

Za to, chto k chayu ya lyublyu

Horoshii buterbrod!"

BALLAD ABOUT THE ROYAL SANDWICH

King,

His majesty,

Asked Her majesty,

That Her majesty

Ask the milkwoman:

Is it possible  to deliver milk

For a breakfast to the king.

The court milkwoman

Has told: " Разумеэтся,

I descend,

I shall tell

To the cow,

Do not sleep! "

The court milkwoman

Has gone to to the cow

Also speaks the cow,

Лежашеи on a floor:

" Their majesties Ordered

Известноэ quantity

Отборнеишего milk

To deliver to their table! "

The lazy cow

Has answered :

" Tell  their majesties,

That now very  many

People

Prefer jelly,

And also jam! "

The court milkwoman

Has told: " you подумаите! "

And there and then to the queen

Has presented the report:

" Hundred times I ask applications

For this offer,

But if you will smear

On a slice of bread

Jam,

King, and Her majesty,

Likely, yout will be glad! "

Immediately the Queen

Has gone to an ego to majesty

And, as if by the way,

Has told inattentively:

" Ah yes, mine the friend, concerning

Обешанного oils...

Whether want to try

For a breakfast fruit candy? "

King has answered:

" Nonsenses! "

King has told:

" About My God mine! "

King has sighed: " About My God! "-

Also has again lain in a bed.

" Эше anybody, - has told it,-

Anybody me on light

Did not name whimsical...

I only asked oil

For a breakfast to me to submit! "

On it queen

Has told: " Well certainly! "-

Also has there and then ordered

M

The court cow

Has told: " In what put?

I of anything bad

To tell to you did not want.

Take curdled milks,

And milk for porridge,

And a butter

I can give you too! "

The court milkwoman

Has told: " Благодарствуите! "

And oil on a tray

Has sent king.

King has exclaimed: " Oil!

Отличнеишеэ oil!

Прекраснеишеэ oil!

I so love an ego!

Anybody, anybody, - has told it

Also has got out from кровати.-

Anybody, anybody, - has told it,

Going down downwards in халате.-

Anybody, anybody, - has told it,

Having soaped hands мылом.-

Anybody, anybody, - has told it,

Moving down on перилам.-

Nobody will tell, as if I

The tyrant and сумасброд,

For that to tea I love

Хорошии a sandwich! "

BERLINSKAYa EPIGRAMMA

«God vosemnadcatyi ne povtoritsya nyne!»—

Krichat so sten slova fashistskih liderov.

A sverhu nadpis' melom: «Ya v Berline»

I podpis' vyrazitel'naya: «Sidorov».

VOT KAKO' RASSEYaNNY'

Zhil chelovek rasseyannyi

Na ulice Basseinoi.

Sel on utrom na krovat',

Stal rubashku nadevat',

V rukava prosunul ruki -

Okazalos', eto bryuki.

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

Nadevat' on stal pal'to -

Govoryat emu: "Ne to!"

Stal natyagivat' gamashi -

Govoryat emu: "Ne vashi!"

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

Vmesto shapki na hodu

On nadel skovorodu.

Vmesto valenok perchatki

Natyanul sebe na pyatki.

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

Odnazhdy na tramvae

On ehal na vokzal

I, dveri otkryvaya,

Vozhatomu skazal:

"Glubokouvazhaemyi

Vagonouvazhatyi!

Vagonouvazhaemyi

Glubokouvazhatyi!

Vo chto by to ni stalo

Mne nado vyhodit'.

Nel'zya li u tramvala

Vokzai ostanovit'?"

Vozhatyi udivilsya -

Tramvai ostanovilsya.

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

On otpravilsya v bufet

Pokupat' sebe bilet.

A potom pomchalsya v kassu

Pokupat' butylku kvasu.

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

Pobezhal on na perron,

Vlez v otceplennyi vagon,

Vnes uzly i chemodany,

Rassoval ih pod divany,

Sel v uglu pered oknom

I zasnul spokoinym snom..

"Eto chto za polustanok?" -

Zakrichal on spozaranok.

A s platformy govoryat:

"Eto gorod Leningrad".

On opyat' pospal nemnozhko

I opyat' vzglyanul v okoshko,

Uvidal bol'shoi vokzal,

Pochesalsya i skazal:

"Eto chto za ostanovka -

Bologoe il' Popovka?"

A s platformy govoryat:

"Eto gorod Leningrad".

On opyat' pospal nemnozhko

I opyat' vzglyanul v okoshko,

Uvidal bol'shoi vokzal,

Potyanulsya i skazal:

"Chto za stanciya takaya -

Dibuny ili Yamskaya?"

A s platformy govoryat:

"Eto gorod Leningrad".

Zakrichal on: "Chto za shutki!

Edu ya vtorye sutki,

A priehal ya nazad,

A priehal v Leningrad!"

Vot kakoi rasseyannyi

S ulicy Basseinoi!

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