Генри Лоусон (Henry Lawson)

Я тоже бунтовщик

Могучий конунг Хетцберг
Собрал большую рать:
Восставших феодалов
Спешил он покарать.
Преследовал их всюду,
От гнева сам не свой,
И вешал беспощадно
За бунт и за разбой.

Но скрылся смелый Эрик
С дружиною своей
(А был он всех опасней,
Хотя и всех честней).
"Повешен будет Эрик", –
Так Хетцберг произнес.
Вдруг Эрика сынишку
Приводят на допрос.

"Где твой отец, скажи-ка?"
"Я не видал его".
И мальчика спросили:
"А сам ты – за кого?"
И конунгу мальчишка
Ответил напрямик:
"Отец мой вне закона,
Я тоже бунтовщик".

Седло оставил Хетцберг
И наземь соскочил.
"А почему, мой мальчик?"
Он ласково спросил.
И не моргнул мальчишка,
Лишь побледнев слегка,
Ответил: "Потому что
Я сын бунтовщика".

Перед мальчишкой конунг
Колено преклонил.
"Иметь такого сына
И я бы счастлив был.
Найди отца, мой мальчик
Скажи, что он прощен,
А если чем обижен –
Пусть мне расскажет он.

Пускай придет открыто,
С открытою душой,
И навсегда оставит
Набеги и разбой.
Он может мне поверить:
Хитрить я не привык.
Где власть несправедлива
Я тоже бунтовщик!" 

Перевод Г. Усовой

Because My Father's One

It was the King of Virland –
0 he was angry then –
That rode to crush rebellion
With twenty thousand men.
His enemies he scattered
And hanged on every side,
Because their creed was rapine,
Their cause was greed and pride.

They searched for Outlaw Eric,
They hunted everywhere –
(Most honest of the rebels
If aught was honest there).
King Hertzberg swore to hang him,
But, when the day was done,
They had not found the Outlaw,
But found his little son.

He had not seen his father,
Nor knew where he had gone;
And someone asked him, thoughtless,
Which side himself was on,
And straightway he made answer –
They found he answered true –
"My father is a rebel,
And I'm a rebel too."

King Hertzberg, he dismounted,
And kindly bent his head:
"Now, why are you a rebel,
My little man?" he said.
The boy nor paused nor faltered,
But stood like Eric's son,
And answered Hertzberg simply –
"Because my father's one."

And then they promised all things,
Dear to his heart, I ween –
They promised they would make him
The first page to the queen,
With princesses for playmates –
But, nay, it would not do –
"My father is a rebel,
And I'm a rebel too!"

King Hertzberg sank beside him
And rested on one knee.
"I would my royal children
As loyal were!" said he.
"Go, seek and tell your father
That he and his go free,
And if his wrongs be real
Then let him come to me.

"And let him come with plain words,
With plain words in daylight,
And ride not with armed rebels
And outlaws in the night.
And let him not misjudge me –
For to all that is untrue,
And wherever Wrong's the ruler,
I am a rebel too.