To Marina
the boughs of the fir trees all tremble in mid air, The birds here are tweeting uneasily You live in a spellbound forest, so dense, From where no escape would be feasible Let the cherry trees dry their linen in the winds Let the lilacs drop their buds down, leaning All the same I will take you away far from here To a palace, where reed pipes are thrilling Dark wizards have sealed your world so long ago From me and from sunlight forever And you are convinced, it’s the best place of all This mystery forest - to live there... Let the leaves have no dew in the mornings to spare Let the moon and the cloudy sky quarrel All the same I will take you to a mansion so airy With a balcony facing the ocean Which day of the week, at what hour you’ll come so gentle and quiet from your hiding Tell me when I will bear you away in my arms To the place where no one can find you I’ll kidnap you if only you let me, at last Haven’t I squandered so much in failed efforts? Would ever accept a Paradise under stars If the mansion and palace were all taken
© Alexei Tikhomirov. Translation, 2012
© Alexei Tikhomirov. Performance, 2012