The lads told me about a coup! On the periphery, where there are no laterns yet, If successful - I am well provided for long, - Provided for myself and the best friends. But at twelve o’clock people want to sleep The next day they get up to work, - I don’t want to disturb them - I don’t go stealing, - I don’t desire interrupting their sleeps! The lads told me, that an artist is living there, That she has diamonds, golden things, dough, - And that everything will be quiet, without the least of risks, - Now afterwards, of course, we shall scram at running space. But at twelve o’clock people want to sleep, But the artist gets up to work, - I don’t want to disturb her - I don’t go stealing, I don’t desire interrupting her sleep! Friend Mishka told me, that she has a savings account, - That cannot be possible, not possible - our artist is not rich! "But with her is a lieutenant colonel, he is indeed her lover!" With this argument Mishka, the rascal, convinced me. And at twelve o’clock people want to sleep - The next morning they get up to work... It doen’t matter, not to sleep! - I go - myself, I am not happy: I don’t desire interrupting their sleeps! I told the lads that she is not rich: The diamonds are imitations, the lieutenant colonel ran away. Now this artist - of almost threehundred years, - I shall not forgive myself my whole life that I disturbed her sleep! Yet at twelve o’clock people want to sleep - They get up the next day to work, I don’t want to disturb them - I don’t go stealing, I don’t desire interrupting their sleeps!
© Elisabeth Jelinek. Translation, 2018