Ðîáåðò Óèëüÿì Ñåðâèñ (Robert William Service)

Òùåñëàâèå

Åé íðàâèëîñü, êàê ÿ òàíöóþ;
À ÿ -  ïîëþáèë åå âìèã.
"Ïèñàòåëü? Ïîâåäàòü ïðîøó ÿ -
Íàïèñàíî ìíîãî ëè êíèã?"

"Íåìàëî. Áåñòñåëëåðîâ êó÷à"
"Êàêèå?.." - Ñðåäü áåëîãî äíÿ 
Êàê áóäòî íàäâèíóëàñü òó÷à -
Îíà íå ÷èòàëà ìåíÿ.

Áûëà îíà òàê ñèìïàòè÷íà!
Ìîÿ æå èçâåñòíîñòü, óâû,
Áûëà åé ñîâñåì áåçðàçëè÷íà:
"Ðîìàíîâ íå ïèøåòå âû:"

Î, çëûå êàïðèçû Àìóðà!
Î, ñëàâà - ïóñòàÿ òùåòà!
Íå çíàåò êîêåòêà è äóðà
Î êíèãàõ ìîèõ íè ÷åðòà!

×òî ñ íåé ÷åðåç ãîäû ñëó÷èòñÿ?
Ïðåäñòàâèë: ñèäèò ó îêíà;
Ñëåçà íàä ðîìàíîì ñòðóèòñÿ.
Î Áîæå! Óæàñíî æèðíà... 

Òàêóþ ëþáîâü - íà ïîìîéêó!
Áåæàòü - è áåæàòü ïîñêîðåé!
Íî óæàñ: ïðî÷ëà îíà áîéêî
Âäðóã ñòðîêè ïîýìû ìîåé.

Ïåðåâîä Ñåðãåÿ Øîðãèíà

Vanity

My tangoing seemed to delight her;
With me it was love at first sight.
I mentioned That I was a writer:
She asked me: "What is it you write?"
"Oh, only best-sellers," I told her.
Their titles?... She shook her blonde head;
The atmosphere seemed to grow colder:
Not one of my books had she read.

Oh, she was a beauty ensnaring,
And I was an author of note;
But little I saw she'd be caring
If never a novel I wrote.
Alas for the caprice of Cupid!
Alack for the phantom of Fame!
I thought her just homely and stupid:
She didn't know even my name.

I saw her a score of years after;
She gushed as I took off my hat;
But inwardly loud was my laughter,
For she was enormously fat.
Thank heaven I'd not made that error;
I saw Love drive off in a hearse;
But I too retreated in terror...
She started to quote me my verse.

1. Pullman Porter
2. The Prospector
3. The Three Voices
4. Grin
5. Include Me Out

Ðàñïå÷àòàòü ñòèõîòâîðåíèå

Êîëè÷åñòâî îáðàùåíèé ê ñòèõîòâîðåíèþ: 659

Ïîñëåäíèå ñòèõîòâîðåíèÿ

Ïîääåðæàòü ñàéò

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