Translated from the Russian by Masha Udensiva-Brenner.
听
Mirror
I am an eye stripped of its lid. I鈥檝e been abandoned on the ground,
So I鈥檒l dismantle and reflect this world鈥
The images, they slide. I feel, I heed,
But they are merely glimpses that I can鈥檛 hold down.
And often during dusk, when stacks are blowing smoke
Over the blue-lit city, and thunder鈥檚 in the air,
They鈥檒l gaze at me, those sleepless eyes
And lips, parched with the darkness of despair.
The room鈥檚 inside of me, the water drips.
And shadows shift, they distance from me鈥攇rowing.
The clock is ticking, the water drips,
One question always interrupted by one following.
And then a feeling, vague鈥
A stirring from below. A happy sorrow, sweet fear of
…………………………………………………………蝉别辫补谤补迟颈辞苍鈥
And I beg of it鈥 鈥渏ust stay, exist inside of me鈥
Don鈥檛 interrupt the birth of this excruciation鈥︹
And once again, the clamor of the day,
An ashen face鈥攊t鈥檚 sinking to the bottom鈥
But time will finally freeze over this eye
And stretch its dismal film across me.
July 1
Paris 1905
Untitled
Fine threads paint the sky
Wanting to overtake the day,
And night has tipped
Into my soul, into the lakes.
I want to scream something
Into its dark, open jaws,
To bring my ear to it,
Press up against it with my tremulous heart.
You walk holding your breath,
The fields are freezing.
No, listen鈥o you hear it?
It鈥檚 the earth breathing.
I cling to the grass.
To be yours forever鈥
鈥淚 know, I know鈥 understand,鈥
Whispers the water.
The night is dark and starless.
Someone cries in their sleep.
Bottomless, it spilled over the waters,
And into me.
July 6, 1905
Paris
In Pursuit
My thoughts chant: 鈥渨e鈥檙e tired鈥e鈥檙e freezing 鈥︹
I sleep. But asleep my spirit is restless.
Racing through snowy deserts
In a dreadful, distant land.
My spirit is with you through the rocking train.
My thoughts are chanting on and on,
My spirit鈥檚 in Russia, and Antigone leads
the blind man through scorching desert terrain.
My spirit is racing, brushing the plains
Along this land鈥檚 tormented paths.
And the fine threads of bloody dreams
Wreathe through the world and burrow into my heart.
My spirit whirls away with you鈥
Frost weaves across the windowpane
And we nestle against the glass,
Our gazes to the hyacinth-blue moon.
My thoughts are chanting on and on鈥
My spirit is with you through the rocking train.
Antigone leads the blind man away
Along the rocky paths of scorching desert terrain鈥
February 1906
Paris
Maximilian Voloshin (1877-1932)听was a Ukrainian-born Russian poet. He became famous as a poet and a critic of literature and the arts, being published in many contemporary magazines of the early 20th century, including听Vesy,听Zolotoye runo听(‘The Golden Fleece’), and听Apollon.
Masha Udensiva-Brenner听is a translator, writer, and editor living in听Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in Anderbo, Narrative, New Republic, and Tablet, among others.
Photo:听Maximilian Voloshin,
Photo:听Masha Udensiva-Brenner, Private
Published听on听January 5, 2017.
