To my friend and brother Mikhail Shemyakin
                         
 
I can read “Dorian Gray” or “Faustus”, however, To sell my soul, there can’t be any way. Why listened I to the Gypsies? Won’t repeat it ever! They prophesied my death up to a day... Don’t count it, O Lord, put it away, Don’t mark it in Thy calendar. On no account! Or, when it comes to that, just change the day, Lest I should wait for it, lest crows should fly about, Lest people should sneer and lest lambs should bleat, From all of them, please keep me safe, I bid, Don’t Thou linger even a little bit, Because they can fill up my soul with fear and doubt!            
© Akbar Muhammad. Translation, 2013
(akbarmuhammad.awardspace.co.uk)
[Adapted from Alec Vagapov’s “I honor Dorian Gray and Faustus...”.]