Hey, chauffeur, drive to the Butyrski detached farm-stead, Where the prison is, but drive faster! - You, comrade, came too late, you have the two years muddled up - They have the prison already pulled down to bricks. - A great pity and today I from early morning Home decided to pay a visit to places... Now all right, whatsoever chauffeur, drive me to the Taganka, - Just to look, I used to be there. - The old Taganka has been pulled down - All completely, to the devil! - Whatsoever, chauffeur, let’s go back, turn around your steering wheel, - Thus we go home with nothing. Or not, chauffeur, let’s smoke, Or still better - we drink quickly! Drink that there remains in Russia not one big prison, That there’ll be no more camps in Russia!
© Elisabeth Jelinek. Translation, 2018