Translation of Poem by Ivan Bunin, Иван Бунин, "Одиночество," LONELINESS

                                 Monument to Ivan Bunin in Voronezh, Sculptor A.I. Burganov

Ivan Bunin

(1870-1953)

 

Иван Бунин

Одиночество

И ветер, и дождик, и мгла
Над холодной пустыней воды.
Здесь жизнь до весны умерла,
До весны опустели сады.
Я на даче один. Мне темно
За мольбертом, и дует в окно.

 

Вчера ты была у меня,
Но тебе уж тоскливо со мной.
Под вечер ненастного дня
Ты мне стала казаться женой…
Что ж, прощай! Как-нибудь до весны
Проживу и один — без жены…

 

Сегодня идут без конца
Те же тучи — гряда за грядой.
Твой след под дождем у крыльца
Расплылся, налился водой.
И мне больно глядеть одному
В предвечернюю серую тьму.

 

Мне крикнуть хотелось вослед:
«Воротись, я сроднился с тобой!»
Но для женщины прошлого нет:
Разлюбила — и стал ей чужой.
Что ж! Камин затоплю, буду пить…
Хорошо бы собаку купить.

 [1903-1905]

 

d

Literary Translation/Adaptation by U.R. Bowie

 

Loneliness

 

The wind, and the rain, mist and dread,

Hanging low over wastelands of water.   

Here all life until spring has gone dead,

Scant gardens are winter’s best augur.

I’m alone at the dacha, in gloaming,  

At my easel; the wind soughing, droning.

You were here with me just yesterday,

But with me you were restless and sad.

In the rain, twilight murk, disarray,

You seemed like a wife, or comrade . . .

So be it, farewell! Till spring and new life

I’ll live by myself, with no wife . . .

 

The rainclouds glide on, on and on, 

One cloudbank, one more, then the same.

Your footprint by the porch almost gone,

Diffuse, formless now, filled with rain.

And it pains me to be alone, gazing

At the gray twilight haze all-embracing.

 

I wanted to cry after you:

“Come back, you’re a part of me now!”

But for woman what’s loved hitherto

Counts for naught—not a touch, not a vow.  

So be it! I’ll light a fire in the hearth

And I’ll drink till besotted;

Might just get me a dog,

One that’s black and white spotted.

 

                       Monument to the dog Bim in Voronezh ("White Bim with the Black Ear")

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Translator’s Addendum

Alternate Endings (Jocular) With Creative Rhymes

(The Many Words Drinkers Use, Courtesy of Roget’s Thesaurus)

 

Silly

I’ll light a fire in the hearth, and I’ll drink myself silly;

Might just get me a dog, feed him buckwheat with chili.

 

Sloshed

I’ll light a fire in the hearth and I’ll get myself sloshed;

Might just buy me a dog, take him out for long walks.

 

 

Blotto

I’ll light a fire in the hearth and I’ll drink till I’m blotto;

Might just buy me a dog, name him Buster, or Otto.

 

Dizzy

I’ll light a fire in the hearth, and I’ll drink myself dizzy;

Might just get me a dog, one all fluffy and frizzy.

 

Stinko

I’ll light a fire in the hearth, and I’ll drink myself stinko;

Might just get me a dog, or a nice pet flamingo.

 

Crocked

I’ll light a fire in the hearth and I’ll get myself crocked;

Might just buy me a dog, one with spots and tail lopped.

 

Ivan Bunin declaims his poem:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8JpNfXnjKI