Ma voix aigre et fausse…
                           — Verlaine

Я скажу тебе с последней

Прямотой:

Все лишь бредни, шерри-бренди,

Ангел мой.
 

Там где эллину сияла

Красота,

Мне из черных дыр зияла

Срамота.
 

Греки сбондили Елену

По волнам,

Ну а мне — соленой пеной

По губам.
 

По губам меня помажет

Пустота,

Строгий кукиш мне покажет

Нищета.
 

Ой-ли, так-ли, дуй-ли, вей-ли,

Все равно.

Ангел Мэри, пей коктейли,

Дуй вино!
 

Я скажу тебе с последней

Прямотой:

Все лишь бредни, шерри-бренди,

Ангел мой.
 
2 марта 1931
 

Перевод Яна Пробштейна

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I will tell you this, my lady,

With final candor,

All is folly — sherry-brandy,

Oh, my angel.
 

Where Beauty shone

To a Hellene,

Disgrace gaped at me

From a black hole.
 

Greeks stole Helen

Along the sea,

While I taste a salty brine

On my lips.
 

Void will soil my lips

And disgrace,

Poverty will cock a grim snook

At my face.
 

Oh, lo, is that so, drink or sail,

It’s all the same;

Angel Mary, drink your cocktail,

Gulp your wine.
 

I will tell you this, my lady,

With final candor,

All is folly — sherry-brandy,

Oh, my angel.

 
Перевод Бернарда Меарса

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I’ll tell it straight

this one last time —

It’s all insane; it’s cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

For the Greeks — a shining

Beauty and fame;

For me it’s mere defeat —

Shabby shame.
 

The Greeks brought Helen

home by ship.

I only caught their froth

on my dumb lip.
 

I blubber on

In dull futility,

And giving me the finger

Now? Poverty.
 

Try this, try that,

Or just to whine?

Oh, Angel Mary,

Take the wine!
 

I’ll tell you straight

this one last time —

It’s all insane — just cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

Перевод Назы Семонифф

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I’ll tell you with my final

Plea:

All’s but airy bandу—sherry-brandy,

Angel, see.
 

Where Hellas soaked in purest light,

To me, disgrace

From voids of darkest night

Returned its gaze.
 

Swept Helen on the waves

The Greeks,

And as for me—just salty trace

Atop my lips.
 

Emptiness will soil

My lips,

Poverty will curl

Its quips.
 

Oh, blow or wail, come storm or gale,

It’s all fine;

Angel Mary, sip your cocktail,

Chug your wine.
 

I’ll tell you with my final

Plea:

All’s but airy bandy—sherry-brandy,

Angel, see.
 

Перевод Дмитрия Манина

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I’ll be blunt with you, my angel,

To the end:

It’s all blabber, cherry brandy,

Cuckoo-land.
 

Where the beauty of the Hellenes

Shone with grace,

Only darkness gapes obscenely

In my face.
 

Where the Greeks schlepped Helen home

On their ships,

I’m just slapped with salty foam

On my lips.
 

On my lips the taste will linger

Of the void.

I will get the middle finger

Of stark want.
 

Sad or merry, sail or tarry,

Never mind.

Sip your cocktails, angel Mary,

Swig your wine.
 

I’ll be blunt with you, my angel,

To the end:

It’s all blabber, сherry brandy,

Cuckoo-land.
 

Translation by Robert Walker

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I’ll tell it straight

This one last time —

It’s all insane; it’s cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

For the Greeks — a shining

Beauty and fame;

For me it’s mere defeat —

Shabby shame.
 

The Greeks brought Helen

Home by ship.

I only caught their froth

On my dumb lip.
 

I blubber on

In dull futility,

And giving me the finger

Now? Poverty.
 

Try this, try that,

Or just to whine?

Oh, Angel Mary,

Take the wine!
 

I’ll tell you straight

this one last time —

It’s all insane — just cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

Перевод Роберта Вокера

                           — Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
                          Verlaine
 
I’ll tell it straight

this one last time —

It’s all insane; it’s cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

For the Greeks — a shining

Beauty and fame;

For me it’s mere defeat —

Shabby shame.
 

The Greeks brought Helen

home by ship.

I only caught their froth

on my dumb lip.
 

I blubber on

In dull futility,

And giving me the finger

Now? Poverty.
 

Try this, try that,

Or just to whine?

Oh, Angel Mary,

Take the wine!
 

I’ll tell you straight

this one last time —

It’s all insane — just cherry brandy,

O Angel of Mine.
 

_____________________________

СНОСКИ

Vоiх аigrе еt fаssе… — Мой голос пронзительный и фальшивый…
Перевод Яна Пробштейна был опубликован в «New Translations of OM: Osip Mandelstam» (Ugly Duckling Press, 2006) и «Centuries Encircle Me with Fire» (ASP, 2022).
Перевод Бернарда Меарса был опубликован в «Osip Mandelstam: 50 Poems» (Persea Books, 2000).