Уильям Блейк - Стихотворения

Восходит солнце на востоке.
Кровь, злато — вот его наряд!
Вокруг вскипает гнев жестокий.
Мечи и копья там горят.
Венец его и знаки царской власти —
Огни войны, воинственные страсти.

Why should I care for the men of Thames,
Or the cheating waves of charter'd streams;
Or shrink at the little blasts of fear
That the hireling blows into my ear?

Tho' born on the cheating banks of Thames,
Tho' his waters bathed my infant limbs,
The Ohio shall wash his stains from me:
I was born a slave, but I go to be free!

Чем обязан я вам, — если с Темзы вы родом, —
И коварным, отмеченным Хартией, водам?
Разве должен терять я присутствие духа
От всего, что вдувает наушник мне в ухо?

Берегов этих лживых я был уроженцем
И в бесчестных волнах искупался младенцем,
Смой, Огайо, с меня эту мутную воду!
я родился рабом, но познаю свободу

Abstinence sows sand all over
The ruddy limbs and flaming hair,
But Desire gratified
Plants fruits of life and beauty there.

Пламень волос и румяную плоть
Песком Воздержанье заносит.
Утоленных желаний цветущая ветвь
На сыпучем песке плодоносит.

If you trap the moment before it's ripe,
The tears of repentence you'll certainly wipe;
But if once you let the ripe moment go
You can never wipe off the tears of woe.

Схватив за вихор прежде времени случай,
Заплачешь слезами раскаянья.
Но, миг проморгав подходящий, — не мучай
Себя: нет причин для отчаянья.

He who bends to himself a Joy
Doth the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the Joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity's sunrise.

Кто удержит радость силою,
Жизнь погубит легкокрылую.

На лету целуй ее —
Утро вечности твое!

The countless gold of a merry heart,
The rubies and pearls of a loving eye,
The indolent never can bring to the mart,
Nor the secret hoard up in his treasury.

Веселых умов золотые крупинки,
Рубины и жемчуг сердец
Бездельник не сбудет с прилавка на рынке,
Не спрячет в подвалы скупец.

Why of the sheep do you not learn peace?
Because I don't want you to shear my fleece.

— Мой сын, смирению учитесь у овец!..
— Боюсь, что стричь меня вы будете, отец!

Soft deceit & idleness
These are beauties sweetest dress.

Леность и обман блаженный —
Красоты наряд бесценный.

"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?