* * *
Так, заживо раздав,
Поровну, без обиды,
Пользующийся – прав.
Шагом Семирамиды,
Спускающейся в пруд
Лестницей трав несмятых,
И знающей, что ждут
Ризы – прекрасней снятых
По выходе из вод…
7 октября
* * *
So, being still alive, having distributed
Equitably, without offence,
Whatever to whomever can make use of it—this being right,
Slowly Sermiramis,
Descending into a pond
Down terraces of untrammeled grasses,
Knowing full well there are
Raiments—more beautiful than those cast off
That come after leaving the waters . . .
7 October 1922
Translated from the Russian into English by Mary Jane White under license from Russica Press (New York, New York), with technical assistance by Olesia Lyskovtseva, Ph.D student, Second Language Acquisition; and Peggy Mills, Ph.D. Professor of Russian, University of Iowa.