Translation by Ian Probstein
“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.
Translation by Bernard Meares
— Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…
Verlaine
I’ll tell you bluntly
One last time:
It’s only maddening cherry brandy,
Angel mine!
Where the Greeks saw just their raped
Beauty’s fame,
At me through black holes gaped
Only shame.
But the Greeks hauled Helen home
In their ships.
Here a smidgen of salty foam
Flecks my lips.
What rubs my lips and leaves no trace?
Vacancy.
What thrusts a finger in my face?
Vagrancy.
Quickly, wholly, or slowly as a snail,
All the same,
Mary angel, drink your cocktail,
Down your wine.
I’ll tell you bluntly
One last time:
It’s only maddening cherry brandy,
Angel mine!
Translation by Naza Semoniff
— 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.
Translation by Dmitri Manin
— 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.
The Original
“Mа Vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…”
—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
________________
NOTES
“Mа vоiх аigrе еt fаussе…” — My voice, shrill and false…
Ian Probstein’s translation was published in “New Translations of OM: Osip Mandelstam” (UDP, 2006) and “Centuries Encircle Me with Fire” (ASP, 2022).
Bernard Meares’s translation was published in his “Osip Mandelstam: 50 Poems” (Persea Books, 2000).
