From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   1   
      
   In St. Petersburg again we come together,   
   As though Sun inside there we interred   
   As though for the first time and forever   
   We pronounced the blessed, thoughtless word.   
   In black velvet of a Soviet even,   
   In black velvet global emptiness,   
   Sing the darling eyes of blissful women,   
   Deathless flowers blossom and caress.   
      
   2   
      
   Like a wildcat the city her back arches   
   Over the bridge the patrol stands in line   
   An angry motor through the darkness marches   
   And like a cookoo-bird begins to whine.   
   I need no nightly pass across the bridge   
   I do not fear the nightly watchmen;   
   And this one time for blessed, thoughtless speech   
   I will make prayer on a Soviet even.   
      
   3   
      
   The light theatrical whispering sounds   
   A women's sighing and their gentle charm   
   And deathless roses in a giant mound   
   Lying upon white Kypris's gentle arm.   
   From boredom we are warming at a campfire,   
   Centuries will pass without harm,   
   And light ashes gather and inspire   
   The blessed, blissful women's darling arms.   
      
   4   
      
   Red garden rows of gallery somewhere,   
   In sumptuous chiffon draped, boxes stand tall,   
   The windup doll of army officer -   
   Not for vile hypocrites and for black souls.   
   Well then, put out our candles with your finger,   
   Black velvet of world emptiness, sail free,   
   The blissful women's shoulders are singing   
   And the nocturnal sun you will not see.   
      
   By Osip Mandelshtam   
   Translated from Russian by Ilya Shambat   
   https://sites.google.com/site/ibshambat   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)