Original | Versione inglese di De Cate & Navrozov
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СОЛДАТСКАЯ | A SOLDIER'S SONG |
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Я полмира почти через злые бои | Through many a battle and half the world |
прошагал и прополз с батальоном, | Behind my unit I trudged and crawled. |
а обратно меня за заслуги мои | Then home they brought me, all sick and mauled, |
с санитарным везли эшелоном. | In a special train of the medical corps. |
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Подвезли на родимый порог, - | In a truck they delivered me to the door |
на полуторке к самому дому. | Of my house, right on the threshold. |
Я стоял - и немел, а над крышей дымок | I stared and was dumbstruck by what I saw: |
поднимался не так - по-другому. | The smoke from the chimney seemed special. |
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Окна словно боялись в глаза мне взглянуть. | The windows were bent on avoiding my eye, |
И хозяйка не рада солдату - | And the lady inside didn't greet me as kin, |
не припала в слезах на могучую грудь, | Didn't throw herself on my breast with a cry, |
а руками всплеснула - и в хату. | Just threw up her hands and hurried back in. |
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И залаяли псы на цепях. | And the dogs started baying and tugging the chain |
Я шагнул в полутемные сени, | As I passed through the foyer's tight squeeze, |
за чужое за что-то запнулся в сенях, | And I stumbled on something that wasn't even mine, |
дверь рванул - подкосились колени. | Felt the door, and went weak in the knees. |
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Там сидел за столом, да на месте моем, | There sat at the table, where I used to sit, |
неприветливый новый хозяин. | The new man of the house, looking darkly. |
И фуфайка на нем, и хозяйка при нем, - | And by him was a woman and why - that was it - |
потому я и псами облаян. | That's why the dogs were barking. |
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Это значит, пока под огнем | Man alive, I thought, while I was pulling my weight |
я спешил, ни минуты не весел, | Under fire, denied all mercy and wisdom, |
он все вещи в дому переставил моем | He moved things around my house in his way, |
и по-своему все перевесил. | And changed them around as it pleased him. |
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Мы ходили под богом, под богом войны, | While we prayed to God before every attack |
артиллерия нас накрывала, | That his covering fire might not fail... |
но смертельная рана нашла со спины | But this deadlier blow was struck from the back, |
и изменою в сердце застряла. | And it stuck in the heart like betrayal. |
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Я себя в пояснице согнул, | I doubled up, peasant-like, with a low bow, |
силу воли позвал на подмогу: | I summoned all my wilt and I whispered: |
«Извините, товарищи, что завернул | Well, excuse my mistake, I'll be going now, |
по ошибке к чужому порогу». | It's the wrong house, friends, it must be. |
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Дескать, мир да любовь вам, да хлеба на стол, | What I meant was: May you have peace and love |
чтоб согласье по дому ходило... | In your house, and bread in the oven... |
Ну, а он даже ухом в ответ не повел, | As for him, well, he didn't even look up, |
вроде так и положено было. | As though what had happened was normal. |
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Зашатался некрашенный пол, | The floorboards swayed as though bereft, |
я не хлопнул дверьми, как когда-то, - | But I didn't slam the door as I did once - |
только окна раскрылись, когда я ушел, | Only the windows opened as soon as I left, |
и взглянули мне вслед виновато. | And gave me a guilty look from a distance. |