Стихи в переводах Л.В.Кириллиной

Better than music, for I who heard it,
I was used to the birds before;
This was different, 'twas translation
Of all the tunes I knew, and more;

'Twasn't contained like other stanza,
No one could play it the second time
But the composer, perfect Mozart,
Perish with him that keyless rhyme!

So children, assured that brooks in Eden
Bubbled a better melody,
Quaintly infer Eve's great surrender,
Urging the feet that would not fly.

Children matured are wiser, mostly,
Eden a legend dimly told,
Eve and the anguish graname's story –
But I was telling a tune I heard.

Not such a strain the church baptizes
When the last saint goes up the aisles,
Not such a stanza shakes the silence
When the redemption strikes her bells.

Let me not lose its smallest cadence,
Humming for promise when alone,
Humming until my faint rehearsal
Drop into tune around the throne!

Смерть – это краткий диалог…

**

Смерть – это краткий диалог
меж плотью и душою.
'Стань прахом!' – Смерть велит, а Дух:
'Я верую в иное'.

Смерть, усомнясь, продолжит спор,
но дух, устав от слов,
предъявит крайний аргумент
и сбросит свой покров.

– -

Death is a dialogue between
The spirit and the dust.
'Dissolve', says Death. The Spirit, 'Sir,
I have another trust.'

Death doubts it, argues from the ground.
The spirit turns away,
Just laying off, for evidence,
An overcoat of clay.

О Смерть, открой врата…

**

О Смерть, открой врата!
Усталые стада,
свершив свой путь земной,
явились на постой.

В тебе – ночная тишь,
в тебе – надежный кров.
Ты так близка – не убежишь,
нежна – не хватит слов.

– -