Чистый nonsense (сборник)

voice was like peals of loud thunder.
It shivered the hills
Into Colocynth Pills,
And destroyed half the trees of Narkunda.

Был старик-громоглас из Наркунды,
Он молчком не сидел ни секунды.
Гласом горы дробил
И под корень срубил
Половину деревьев Наркунды.
* * *
There was a Small Child at Narkunda,
Who said, ‘Don’t you hear, that is Thunder!’
But they said, ‘It’s the Bonzes
A-making responses
In a temple eight miles from Narkunda.’

Говорил мальчуган из Наркунды:
«Гром гремит!» А ему: «В храме Будды
Это местные бонзы
Лупят в гонги из бронзы
Милях этак в восьми от Наркунды».

An unfinished limerick

There was an Old Man who said, ‘Now
I’ll sit on the horns of that cow.’ [4]

Неоконченный лимерик

Был старик, и сказал он сурово:
«Посижу на рогах у коровы». [5]

The Pobble Who Has No Toes (alternative version)[6]

I

The Pobble who has no toes
Had once as many as we;
When they said, ‘Some day you may lose them all;’
He replied, ‘Fish fiddle de-dee!’
And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink
Lavender water tinged with pink;
For she said, ‘The World in general knows
There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!’

II

The Pobble who has no toes,
Swam across the Bristol Channel;
But before he set out he wrapped his nose
In a piece of scarlet flannel.
For his Aunt Jobiska said, ‘No harm
Can come to his toes if his nose is warm;
And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe – provided he minds his nose.’

III

The Pobble swam fast and well,
And when boats or ships came near him,
He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell
So that all the world could hear him.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,
When they saw him nearing the further side, —
‘He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska's
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!’
* * *
The Pobble went gaily on,
To a rock by the edge of the water,
And there, a-eating of crumbs and cream,
Sat King Jampoodle’s daughter.
Her cap was a root of Beetroot red
With a hole cut out to insert her head;
Her gloves were yellow; her shoes were pink;
Her frock was green: and her name was Bink.

Said the Pobble – ‘O Princess Bink,
A-eating of crumbs and cream!
Your beautiful face has filled my heart
With the most profound esteem!
And my Aunt Jobiska says, Man’s life
Ain’t worth a penny without a wife,
Whereby it will give me the greatest pleasure
If you’ll marry me now, or when you’ve leisure!’

Said the Princess Bink – ‘O! Yes!
I will certainly cross the channel
And marry you then if you’ll give me now
That lovely scarlet fl annel!
And besides that fl annel about your nose
I trust you will give me all your toes,
To place in my Pa’s Museum collection,
As proofs of your deep genteel aff ection!’

The Pobble unwrapped his nose,
And gave her the fl annel so red,
Which, throwing her beetroot cap away,
He wreathed around her head.
And one by one he unscrewed his toes,
Which were made of the beautiful wood that grows
In his Aunt Jobiska’s roorial park,
When the days are short and the nights are dark.

Said the Princess – ‘O Pobble! My Pobble!
I’m yours for ever and ever!
I never will leave you my Pobble! My Pobble!
Never, and never, and never!’
Said the Pobble – ‘My Binky! O bless your heart! —
– But say – would you like at once to start
Without taking leave of your dumpetty Father
Jampoodle the King?’ – Said the Princess – ‘Rather!’

They crossed the Channel at once
And when boats and ships came near them,
They winkelty-binkelty-tinkled their bell
So that all the world could hear them.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried
When they saw them swim to the farther side —
‘There are no more fish for his Aunt Jobiska’s
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!’

They danced about all day,
All over the hills and dales;
They danced in every village and town
In the North and the South of Wales.
And their Aunt Jobiska made them a dish
Of Mice and Buttercups fried with fish,
For she said – ‘The World in general knows
Pobbles are happier without their toes!’

Поббл без пальцев ног (альтернативная версия)[7]

I

У Поббла без пальцев ног
Пальцы были в прежние дни;
Говорили ему: «Береги их, сынок»;
Он в ответ: «Ту-ру-ру ни-ни!»
И Тётка Джобиска поила его
Настойкой лавандовой – оттого
Что: «Мир ничего придумать не смог
Полезней для Поббловых пальцев и ног».

II

Тот Поббл без пальцев ног
Бристольский канал переплыл;
Но прежде добыл фланели кусок
И нос хорошо утеплил.
Твердила же Тётка: «Не свалится бед
На пальчики ножек, коль носик согрет.
Знает всяк, что не будет для пальцев угроз,
Коль Поббл бережёт и лелеет нос».

III

Поббл быстро и резво плыл,
И, видя идущее судно,
Он «дзынь- дрынь-ля-ля» в колокольчик звонил —
Не услышать его было трудно.
И каждый Матрос, Капитан, Адмирал,
Завидев его, восхищённо орал:
«Поплыл он за рыбкой для Киски,
Любимицы Тётки Джобиски!»
* * *
И весело Поббл подплыл
К скале, где сидит в одиночку,
Вкушая сливки и чёрствый хлеб,
Принцесса, Джампудлова дочка.
Свекольный чепец на главе у ней
Устроен ловко и мака красней.
Перчатки, туфли зари нежней,
Зелёное платье: Бинк имя ей.

Поббл воззвал: «О Принцесса Бинк,
Что сливки вкушает и хлеб!
Увидел прекрасное ваше лицо
И от уваженья ослеп!
А Тётя сказала