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Janka Kupała

Reaping

The full-ripened figure of fortunate sowings

Past the village, and out to the sleepy woods eaves,

Already grown grey, a grain-ear nods, grieves

Whispers: "Where are you, my reapers? Time's going!"

 

The reapers came hot-foot - and to-ing and fro-ing,

They gather the guardian ears into sheaves,

Their sickles are clashing like knives, and there weaves

Over them, age-old, the harvest songs flowing.

 

Plaintively, sadly the song floats away,

Loses its trills where the forest spreads deeply,

In whispers of white ears the tillage is keeping,

 

And the song floats to me too, comes to say

(In the heart chiming like scythe in the hay):

"You, too, have sowed, brother... Where is your reaping?"

 

1910

 



Пераклад: Вера Рыч
Крыніца: Janka Kupała. Sonnets. Mastackaja litaratura, 2002.