Translation of Poem by A.A. Fet, Афанасий Фет, "Люди спят; мой друг, пойдем в тенистый сад," "They’re all asleep, my friend; let’s meet in the garden’s haze"

 

A.A. Fet

(1820-1892)

 

Люди спят; мой друг, пойдем в тенистый сад.
Люди спят; одни лишь звезды к нам глядят.
Да и те не видят нас среди ветвей
И не слышат — слышит только соловей…
Да и тот не слышит, — песнь его громка;
Разве слышат только сердце и рука:
Слышит сердце, сколько радостей земли,
Сколько счастия сюда мы принесли;
Да рука, услыша, сердцу говорит,
Что чужая в ней пылает и дрожит,
Что и ей от этой дрожи горячо,
Что к плечу невольно клонится плечо…

1853

 

 

d

Literal Translation

The people are sleeping; my friend, let’s go out into the shadowy garden.

The people are sleeping; only the stars are gazing at us.

And even they can’t see us amidst the branches

And can’t hear us—only the nightingale hears . . .

And even he cannot hear—for his song is loud;

In fact, only heart and hand can hear:

The heart hears how much joy [there is] on the earth,

How much happiness we have brought here;

And the hand, in listening, says to the heart

That some other hand is burning and trembling in it,

That because of that other [hand]’s tremble it feels hot,

And that one shoulder to another is unwittingly reclining . . .

 

d

 

Literary Translation/Adaptation by U.R. Bowie

 

They’re all asleep, my friend; let’s meet in the garden’s haze.

They’re all asleep, and only the stars upon us gaze.

And amidst all the foliage the stars cannot see,

Nor can they hear us, but high in his tree

The nightingale hears . . . no, his song is too loud . . .

Only the heart and the hand are endowed

With ears that can hear all the joys of this earth,

And the bliss you and I feel, the rapture and mirth.

The hand tells the heart that within her handclasp

Another hand smolders and quails in that grasp,

That tremble builds ardor that grows in her, burns,

As shoulder to shoulder inclines, softly yearns.