Nikolay Rubtsov
EVENING VERSES
When the autumn wind blows through the window
And brings to life confusion and longing, -
Do not sit in my own home,
Where at an hour no one is looking for me, -
I will sail for the Vologda River!
A board boat will transport me
With such a light on the mast!
Will transport me to the blonde Katya
With which I, perhaps, is inappropriately,
So many years - no more than familiar.
She serves calmly in a restaurant,
In which business is so instituted
With geranium flowers on the window
And rarely is there a voice of abuse
And they serve Kaduy wine.
The restaurant is hazy and cozy,
He sways a little on the waves
Let the neighbor look dimly
And asks questions every minute, -
What of that? Here you can relax!
I'm sitting, staring at my back
Someone leaving in a raincoat
I want to sing about thin mountain ash
Or about someone’s bitter foreign land,
Or about something Russian in general.
I delve into the wisdom of ancient sayings
About the complex meaning of life on earth.
I'm not afraid of autumn obscurity!
I love the rainy evening noise
Lights in the river and Vologda in the darkness.
I look out the window and listen to the sounds
But now, having appeared in a bright streak,
Go to the table, hold out their hands
God knows where the friends come from,
- Are you bored?
- Not! Have a seat all.
Along the footbridge rushing leaves heap, -
Look out the window - and you hear a groan of wind,
And the sound of waves is a sad noise and rustle,
And, as living, in our conversations
Yesenin, Pushkin, Lermontov, Villon.
When again in the wet wild wind
We leave, lifting the collars,
Some kind of sad mystery in the world
At the dark waves, in the dim light
Our farewell by the river will pass.
And again, I'll think about Kate,
The fact that I’ll be closer to her,
That it will be very handy
And again, the boat takes me home
With such a light on the mast ...
