Раскритиковали киплинговеды мой перевод "Вампирши" Редьярда, понимаешь, нашего Киплинга.
Говорят, что перевод Симонова лучше (https://www.askbooka.ru/stihi/redyard-kipling/durak.html).
При всём моём безграничном уважении к Константину Михайловичу, мой перевод мне нравится больше (: Особенно на дореформенном русском, что, между прочим, соответствует эпохе автора.
А въ качествѣ иллюстраціи я традиціонно вставляю портретъ "Неизвѣстной" Ивана Крамского.
Редьярдъ Киплингъ
Кровопійца
1897
Одинъ дуракъ до небесъ вознесъ
(Впрочемъ, какъ ты и я!)
Тряпки, да кости, да клокъ волосъ
(А съ ними надменно задранный носъ).
Но дуракъ называлъ ее Дамой Грезъ
(Впрочемъ, какъ ты и я).
О, сколько же было труда и слезъ!
Безъ толку жизнь прошла.
Все Дамѣ своей на алтарь онъ принесъ.
Но она его не принимала всерьезъ
И, конечно, не поняла.
Онъ все потерялъ, какъ послѣдній дуракъ
(Впрочемъ, какъ ты и я):
Вѣру, и честь, и порядочно благъ
(Дуракъ вѣдь иначе не можетъ никакъ),
Но къ ней не приблизился онъ ни на шагъ
(Впрочемъ, какъ ты и я).
Утратилъ мечту и увялъ совсѣмъ,
Сдѣлался онъ безкрылъ.
Ну а безкрылый онъ ей зачѣмъ?
Она и раньше не знала зачѣмъ.
Онъ ей непонятенъ былъ.
Раздѣнь дурака до его естества
(Впрочемъ, какъ насъ съ тобой) –
Дурость спадетъ, какъ съ деревьевъ листва
(Впрочемъ, та Дама замѣтитъ едва).
Тѣломъ онъ живъ, но душа-то мертва
(Какъ и у насъ съ тобой).
Чтобы свой стыдъ и боль утолить,
Долженъ ты мысль принять:
Прекрасная Дама не можетъ любить
(Просто она не способна любить,
Какъ не способна понять).
--------------------------------------------—
Rudyard Kipling
The Vampire
1897
A fool there was and he made his prayer
(Even as you and I!)
To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair
(We called her the woman who did not care),
But the fool he called her his lady fair
(Even as you and I!)
Oh the years we waste and the tears we waste
And the work of our head and hand,
Belong to the woman who did not know
(And now we know that she never could know)
And did not understand.
A fool there was and his goods he spent
(Even as you and I!)
Honor and faith and a sure intent
But a fool must follow his natural bent
(And it wasn't the least what the lady meant),
(Even as you and I!)
Oh the toil we lost and the spoil we lost
And the excellent things we planned,
Belong to the woman who didn't know why
(And now we know she never knew why)
And did not understand.
The fool we stripped to his foolish hide
(Even as you and I!)
Which she might have seen when she threw him aside -
(But it isn't on record the lady tried)
So some of him lived but the most of him died -
(Even as you and I!)
And it isn't the shame and it isn't the blame
That stings like a white hot brand.
It's coming to know that she never knew why
(Seeing at last she could never know why)
And never could understand.
