manatee comes to me manatee manatee
tells me man is alone at sea
lonely tree lonely tree lonely tree lonely tree
repeats manatee to me
from the birth to the burial peat

no friend around no foe no foe
neither loved one nor even a foe
you have only a snowstorm another storm
and a shank and a second shank
and an arm and another arm

and he will laugh right in my face
muahahahaha
bwahaha

you are the only one manatee says alone
you are alone you are all alone

even if you shout in your four voices man
even if you shout with your four mouths
a man will not change himself a damn thing
not a damn thing will change

float away manatee I tell him now
and I’m holding out a bag
let you float away deep into the darkness
and I’m holding out a jail

yes I’m alone I tell the manatee
damn I’m alone alone
so what I’m telling him so what
and I’m holding out a coat
put your coat on I say and just swim
far away where there is no one

and then the manatee puts on the coat
and as handsome as a brigantine
the manatee floats away in a coat
born of the deep sea

and now I’m left all alone
in the surrounding silence
I am alone I repeat alone
I’m alone
I’m alone i’m alone
I’m not

Translated from Russian by Leonid Yakovlev