On the very edge of the earth, where the clear sky As if coming down behind our bothers end, A horrible building stood on the mountain high, From afar reminding UN. Everything sparkle like lightning - What a beauty - but only, hold on In this building poor queen Lives like in a prison. And Koscshey the Deathless put ferocious beast To guard this place from foes, - But in it’s own way - hapless and meek, Might have been that beast - who knows! From missing it’s mum, the beast was sad The monster always cries, - Because it has all seven heads, And fifteen teary eyes. Koscshey himself (before could’ve fight - hand to hand combat) From loving queen - became all withered and thin - In his own way, he became an old fart, - Well, and the beast - wouldn’t let him near the queen. "What’s the big deal, let me through, I’m all shivering from last!..." "You can take this job, and shove it too - I’ll never let you pass!" And decided to get there, a good fellow Ivan: He said, so what, we’ve seen the likes of Koscshey! He is always: what and where - and at once he sneaked in there, - He was hapless and a fool - in his own way! Whether stuttered eagle-owl, Whether bittern laughed, - So sad became the soul Of Ivan the Fool. That’s how started his useless heroic deeds, His worthless fight with Baba-Yaga’s, - She is also hapless in her own needs - Just the same forest rubble. How many witches he forever put to sleep! - Pair of young ones, in their prime and glory, - When he saw them in the morning - he sniffed: What a fool, he felt so sorry! But, nonetheless, he came near, and his Sleepy state overcome Ivan, - In the corner was lying poor beast, All it’s heads leaning into the fountain. Right here, Ivan runs towards it, - Quickly chopping off it’s heads, - And towards Koscshey he approach swift, Swinging his sword right and left. And he threatened two thousand years old man: "Now, - he said, - I’ll cut off your beard in one moment! So die, be gone, Koscshey!" But Koscshey in reply: "I would be glad, but I’m deathless - I can’t die!" But Ivan, he doesn’t listen, mad like hell: "Oh, you’re retched capitalist! There, you build so many rooms for yourself, - You’ve hidden a maiden, old beast! "While I took a commitment - I’ll finish my cause!" - And from those speeches, unheard in a way Without any interference, on his own died Koscshey, - He was uneducated, backwards that Koscshey. And Ivan, with anger red his face, - Spit on the floor, and kicked Koscshey, - And to the hapless in her own way Walked to the poor, imprisoned maiden!...
© Anatoli Trojanowski. Translation, 2017