Вечернее размышление о божием величестве при случае великаго

Лице свое скрывает день;
Поля покрыла мрачна ночь;
Взошла на горы черна тень;
Лучи от нас склонились прочь;
Открылась бездна звезд полна;
Звездам числа нет, бездне дна.

Песчинка как в морских волнах,
Как мала искра в вечном льде,
Как в сильном вихре тонкий прах,
В свирепом как перо огне,
Так я, в сей бездне углублен,
Теряюсь, мысльми утомлен!

Уста премудрых нам гласят:
Там разных множество светов;
Несчетны солнца там горят,
Народы там и круг веков:
Для общей славы божества
Там равна сила естества.

Но где ж, натура, твой закон?
С полночных стран встает заря!
Не солнце ль ставит там свой трон?
Не льдисты ль мещут огнь моря?
Се хладный пламень нас покрыл!
Се в ночь на землю день вступил!

О вы, которых быстрый зрак
Пронзает в книгу вечных прав,
Которым малый вещи знак
Являет естества устав,
Вам путь известен всех планет,-
Скажите, что нас так мятет?

Что зыблет ясный ночью луч?
Что тонкий пламень в твердь разит?
Как молния без грозных туч
Стремится от земли в зенит?
Как может быть, чтоб мерзлый пар
Среди зимы рождал пожар?

Там спорит жирна мгла с водой;
Иль солнечны лучи блестят,
Склонясь сквозь воздух к нам густой;
Иль тучных гор верхи горят;
Иль в море дуть престал зефир,
И гладки волны бьют в эфир.

Сомнений полон ваш ответ
О том, что окрест ближних мест.
Скажите ж, коль пространен свет?
И что малейших дале звезд?
Несведом тварей вам конец?
Скажите ж, коль велик творец?


Mikhail Lomonosov

An Evening Reflection Upon God's Grandeur Prompted by the Great Northern Lights

The day conceals its brilliant face,
And dark night covers up the fields,
Black shadows creep upon the hills,
Light's rays recede from us.
Before us gapes a well of stars -
Stars infinite, well fathomless.

A grain of sand in ocean swells,
A tiny glint in endless ice,
Fine ash caught in a mighty gale,
A feather in a raging fire,
So I am lost in this abyss,
Oppressed by thoughts profound.

The mouths of wise men call to us:
"A multitude of worlds dwell there,
Among them burning suns untold,
And peoples, and the wheel of time:
There, all of nature's strength
Exists God's glory to proclaim"

But where, O nature, is your law?
Dawn breaks from out of northern lands!
Is this the home of our sun's throne?
Or are the icy oceans burning?
Behold, cold fire envelops us!
Behold, now day has entered night.

O thou, whose lively gaze can see
Into the book of law eternal,
For whom the smallest part of things
Reveals the code in all of nature,
Thou comprehendeth planets' course,
Now tell us what disturbs our souls?

Why do these bright rays sparkle in the night?
Why does fine flame assault the land?
Without a thundercloud can lightning
Rise from the earth up toward the heavens?
How can it be that frozen steam
Gives birth to fire from winter's depths?

There, oily darkness battles water,
Or rays of sunlight sparkle bright,
Bend toward us through the thickened air;
Or do the peaks of stout hills glow,
Or have the sea winds ceased their song,
And smooth waves struck the space.

Regarding what lies right before us
Thine answer's full of doubts
O, tell us, how enormous is the world?
What lies beyond the smallest stars?
Are thou aware of all creation's end?
Tell us, how great is our Creator?


Michael Lomonosov

A Green Lowland of Pianos

in the evening
as far as the eye can see
herds
of black pianos

up to their knees
in the mire
they listen to the frogs

they gurgle in water
with chords of rapture

they are entranced
by froggish, moonish spontaneity

after the vacation
they cause scandals
in conecrt halls
during the artistic milking
suddenly they lay down
like cows

looking with indifference
at the white flowers
of the audience

at the gesticulation
of the ushers


from the Polish of Jerzy Harasymowicz
Czeslaw Milosz

Now have I fed and eaten up the rose
Which then she laid within my stiff cold hand.
That I should ever feed upon a rose
I never had believed in liveman's land.

Only I wonder was it white or red
The flower that in the dark my food has been.
Give us, and if Thou give, thy daily bread,
Deliver us from evil, Lord, Amen.

from the German of Gottfried Keller
James Joyce

Monks and Raisins

I have observed pink monks eating blue raisins.
And I have observed blue monks eating pink raisins.
Studiously I have observed.
Now, this is the way a pink monk eats a blue raisin:
Pink is he and it is blue and the pink
Swallows the blue.
I swear this is true.
And the way a blue monk eats a pink raisin is this:
Blue is he and it is pink and the blue
Swallows the pink.
And this also is truth.
Indeed I have observed and myself partaken
Of blue and pink raisins.
But my joy was different.
My joy was to see the blue and pink counterpointing.

Jose Garcia Villa

I hear an army charging upon the land,
And the thunder of horses plunging,
foam about their knees:
Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand
Disdaining the reins with flurr'ring whips, the charioteers.
They cry unto the night their battle name:
I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter.
They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame,
Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil.
They come shaking in triumph their long, green hair:
They come out of the sea and run shouting by the shore
My heart have you no wisdom thus to dispair?
My love, my love, my love,
Why have you left me alone?


James Joyce

The Lord came to me
He said, "Daughter, is it your will or mine?"
I said, "Well, yours I guess."
He asked me if I would
Get up and rise and shine
And go face the wilderness.
I haven't gone yet but I've got my plans
My life is totally out of my hands
But it's not like I'm stoned or canned,
Not like I'm drafted or banned
Or marching for some kind of unknown freedom.

I went to visit my God
Prayed a rosary meditation
Went to mass and sang a hymn
Then I swallowed my salvation.
I believe he's a part of me.
And I believe the light's blinded me
But whenever was it that I could see
To begin with?

People ask if I'm crazy to give
But the wild card is the only way to live
How can anyone feed the flames
Buy new jeans and video games
Justified in their money bought with the hunger of others...