Я считал слонов

Ай да Маркизушко!
Перевод местами гораздо ярче оригинала- хотя оригинал - ооо...


I was trying to sleep and effectively failed
when the known smell spilled in the air:
there was visitor coming in, his usual way.
So he settled himself on the chair
saying 'Hiya, old fellah, still haven't applied ?
So what's your way to be seen-
let's jump on our horses and go for a ride
in search for a piece of sin.

You're allowed to lie and to fornicate
and, for God's sake, feel free to betray-
though you don't have to pay for the cake you ate-
just till the Closing Day.

There you'll learn how a sin can be sweetly explored
when the best of your years have gone,
so abandon to be 'one for all' anymore,
the right choice is 'all alike one'.
There you'll see no judgement upon you at all,
no damn of the years that passed
when you just give your 'Yes' with the rest of you called
up and 'No' with the rest, when you're asked.

You'll perform to extend the ranks of the wolves
and you'll teach them the game to play-
but you don't have to pay for breaking the rules-
just till the Closing Day.

Then, what's our soul - just a snow that thaws
In our crazy nuclear time.
A soul at our mad stone age, as it goes,
can hardly cost over a dime.
At the end of a day, who will need it, old man,
if we're doomed and there won't be a tear ?
So you just cut this bullshit and take a pen,
underwrite the Treaty - here.

He scratched his brow, still thinking hard
and he moved the ink flask, me to sign,
and I just asked him: 'What's that - blood ?'
'Red ink' - he muttered and sighed.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah -
'Red ink' - he muttered and sighed.

(с) Печкинд, колхозный поэт , Сайт: http://yuk-fu.narod.ru