Leaving no marks or scars, Their tires wheels are crushing... Unrestricted, scads of cars Out of stuffy towns are rushing. Agile, awkward, light and heavy, Filling lanes with roaring motors, Lincolns, common Fords and Chevies, Buicks, Audis, Toyotas... They’ll take vengeance on towns, metal bugs, “This fast game’s worth the candle” - they thought, Though, speeding, they burn up the plugs, And the valves - or what else they have got... Limousines are on the run, On the interstate aligning, And two pretty cars among Them are beautifully shining. To each other they are bound In a growing sensation, They forget the world around In a sweet acceleration! Out of town they’ll frolic like birds, This love game’s worth the candle a lot... He may tell her three wonderful words With a horn - or what else they have got... Jealous cars will gladly hurt Any blissful, happy peer, Yellow limo, be alert, Don’t you let her disappear! Look, a junction lies ahead - Hurry up! Don’t be a dreamer! But she’s gone! You should have sped! You have lost her, yellow limo! He may signal to billboards, instead... Was the game worth the candle or not? Yet, he might put her out of his head, Or his hood - or what else they have got... Junctions always bring us grief, Roads split - and you’re alone... Why to call them junctions if For disjunction they are known? This one puts your life at stake, Where should you drive and steer? And the limo didn’t brake Flying in the seventh gear... Meeting her once again? - Silly dreams... That is not the revenge which he sought! And astray rolled the axles and rims And the hearts - or what else they have got...
© George Tokarev. Translation, 2001
Edited by Robert Titterton