IVAN BUNIN, "The Waltz," ВАЛЬС Translation into English

Иван Бунин

(1870-1953)

Вальс

Похолодели лепестки

Раскрытых губ, по-детски влажных -

И зал плывет, плывет в протяжных

Напевах счастья и тоски.

Сиянье люстр и зыбь зеркал

Слились в один мираж хрустальный -

И веет, веет ветер бальный

Теплом душистых опахал.

(1906)

Ivan Bunin

The Waltz

Literal Translation

Petals of wide-parted lips,

Childlike-moist, now grown cold,

And the ballroom floats on, drifts on

In elongated notes of both yearning and joy.

The chandeliers’ gleam and the ripples in mirrors

Meld into one solid crystalline mirage,

And the breeze of the ball wafts on, wafts on,

Breathing the warmth of perfumed fans.

Literary Translation/Imitation by U.R. Bowie

Petals of wide-parted, childlike-moist lips,

Now gone to numbness and pursed full of chill,

While the ballroom floats on, and its sounds ever spill

Over long grievous longings that raptures eclipse.

The mirrors in undulance, chandeliers’ gleam

Meld to form crystalline ghostly mirage,

While fans' fragrance fashions a dim bricolage

Made of warm airy spectres from out of a dream.   

AFANASY FET, Translations into English of "Только в мире и есть..." Four Variants

                                               Nesterov, "Bouquet of Flowers," 1896

Afanasy Fet

(1820-1892)

Только в мире и есть, что тенистый
Дремлющих клёнов шатёр.
Только в мире и есть, что лучистый
Детски задумчивый взор.
Только в мире и есть, что душистый
Милой головки убор.
Только в мире и есть этот чистый
Влево бегущий пробор.

3 апреля 1883

(April 3, 1883)

Literal Translation

Existing alone in the world is the shady

Canopy of slumbering maples.

Existing alone in the world is the radiant

Childlike pensive gaze.

Existing alone in the world is the fragrant

Headgear [head-dress/hat] of a dear little head.

Existing alone in the world is the pure [clean]

Slanting-to-the-left parting [of the hair].

Literary Translations/Imitations

      

                                     1

Distinctive on earth of all things that exist

Is a slumbering maple, its canopied shade.

Distinctive on earth of all things that exist

Is the gleam in the eye of a child, pensive-grave.

Distinctive on earth of all things that exist

Is the fragrance of hat worn on head that’s most dear.

Distinctive on earth of all things that exist

Is a hair-parting, left-leaning, pure and austere.

            2

Unique amidst mirth of the things on this earth

Is the shade-dappled maple of canopied trees.

Unique amidst mirth of the things on this earth

Is the lost-in-thought gleam of a child’s gaze at ease.

Unique amidst mirth of the things on this earth

Is the hat on the fragrance of dear head distressed.

Unique amidst mirth of the things on this earth

Is the pure of a hair-part askew, leaning left.

                                    3

There’s only one thing in this world that is:

The dapple of slumbering maples in shade. 

There’s only one thing in this world that is:

A radiant spark in a child’s brooding gaze.

There’s only one thing in the world that is:

The fragrance of cap on a dear head at rest.  

There’s only one thing in the world that is:

A clean part in hair, just askew, leaning left.

4

The only thing in the world that is . . .

Is the maple of drowsing-in-canopy trees.

The only thing in the world that is . . .

Is the pensive of childlike eye-gleam in the breeze.

The only thing in the world that is . . .

Is the fragrant of scarf on dear head debonair.

The only thing in the world that is . . .

Is that pure slanting-left of the part in the hair.

All translations (with embellishments) from the Russian by U.R. Bowie