or five.
Do you think I cannot make it,
In the sense of intimate life?
The shah has obviously got
Might and strength while you have not!
You're so small, you gnat, that one
Cannot see you under the crown!
At your age you're not so strong
As you were when you were young.
Think about your health, you're over
A hundred , if I'm not wrong.
I'm over a hundred, well, so what?
I feel young, my blood is hot!
After all, it is well known
That all ages are love-prone!
So whatever you might think,
I'm fit for such a thing,
I'm liable to love
Like any other human being!
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.
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!
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!
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?
If you tail on me, you rat,
I shall see about that!
You just wait a day or two,
I shall have high words with you!
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!
No sooner had Fedot
Taken the road
Than the ravens flew in
To his garden plot!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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?
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!
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'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!
London
Marusya!..
Why do the birches in Russia
rustle noisily so?
Why do these white-trunk trees
understand it all?
Leaning against the roads,..
To indulge the Tsar's caprice
I've been often overseas,
Frankly speaking, I have never
Seen a place as bad as this!
The Buyan Island
Though it wouldn't be so bad
If there were food to be had,
If I had at least goose-foot,
I would be content with that !
If somebody wants to eat,
Welcome here, take a seat:
I've got heaps of foodstuff here,
There's a whole lot of it!
Here's, for instance, a bread loaf,
Have a taste, it's straight from stove!
Here's