>
You're one of those, my friend,
That do not have ill intent,
That may give an awful fright,
Like a grass-snake, but don't bite!
To kidnap somebody's wife
One has got to be in love,
Whereas you must play it safe
Trying to escape the grave.
TSAR (to General)
TSAR
Why are you silent, General,
Rattling your decoration metal?
Don't you see the way the nurse
Lays the state under a curse?
While the nurse is damning me
The minister sits silently,
Your first care is defence,
So repel the enemy!
GENERAL
Let her grumble, I don't mind,
Women never judge men right!
As for you, you needn't doubt,
You're a lover of a perfect kind!
Your profile inspires pride,
You're shah of Persia from behind!
Move your crown up a little,
Just to make a better sight!
TSAR (to Nursemaid)
TSAR
Look, he's not an enemy,
He has told the truth to me,
After all, he's not so stupid,
However foolish he may be!
As for you, you only try
To make trouble and defy
Your superiors. I wonder:
Are you not a foreign spy?
The Tsar is on the way
to Marusya's with the intention
to show her attention.
He sits in the coach alone
stinking of eau-de-Cologne,
followed by a suite,
all powdered and curled up, looking neat!
hey are followed by carts
loaded with boxes of sweets and nuts.
All is right: the Tsar
is going to see the bride!
TSAR
I gave orders that Fedot
Should urgently go abroad,
He is gone and lost for you,
I've got rid of him, in short!
To avoid a lonely life
Marry me and be my wife!
Why not? I'm a man of note,
And I'm sensitive to love!
MARUSYA
No sooner had Fedot
Taken the road
Than the ravens flew in
To his garden plot!
TSAR
Don't be silly, do as I say,
Take what I lay in your way!
Widowed Tsars don't come to see you
In your house every day!
Come along now! I insist!
I shall lead you to the priest.
If you're dumbfounded with delight,
Sniff’ammonia, you'll be all right!
MARUSYA
Your Majesty, you'd better chase,
Court and marry someone else,
Me, I'll wait for my Fedot,
Watch the calendar, 'nd count the days.
TSAR
Don't believe in rumours, lass,
The soldier won't return, alas!
He's somewhere in Beirut
Eating some sort of fruit!
Just try to see it my way,
You're at home while he's away!
He is gone and lost for ever,
Sure as fate, he's had his day!
MARUSYA
You may beat me with a rod!
You may smash me with a sword!
Yet I'll never be your wife!
Not even to save my life!
TSAR
Now, Marusya, don't make me cross!
Don't let's quarrel just for once!
I should say, the other day
I got a guillotine from France!
Thus I think you will agree:
You had better marry me,
After all, I'm only human,
Not an iron man, you see?
MARUSYA
Leave the house, you wicked man,
And give up your crazy plan!
If you don't get out now,
I shall help you, with a pan!
TSAR
Hey you, there in the doorway!
Come and chain her right away!
Throwing pans at Tsars! What's that?
Is it a new trend today?
You will spend some time in prison
Which will bring you, lass, to reason,
There's no use in holding out,
We'll get married by next season!
MARUSYA
You'll have to sweat like a bull
To catch hold of me, you fool,
Farewell, old man, you may,
See me around again some day!
Marusya turns into a pigeon
and flies away.
For nearly a year Fedot had travelled
God knows where.
He was getting anxious:
time pressed urging him for actions.
Without being hysterical
he decided to go to America.
Now Fedot sails
across the boundless waves,
with the sunset ahead
and the sunrise behind.
When he was halfway through,
bad weather came out of the blue.
There had been no trouble so far,
and suddenly - there you are!
The ship - Holy Jesus! –
in no time broke into pieces!
When the sea calmed down
Fedot

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