The bronze Horseman / Медный всадник. Книга для чтения на английском языке

He yearns

For soothing sleep, he twists and turns

And flings about – but no, ’tis plain

That sleep won’t come. He heaves a sigh

And says: “Nay, Father, sick am I

Of soul and cannot sleep for dreary

And troubled thought. Talk to me, do;

With godly speech, I beg of you,

Relieve my heart: it aches, it’s weary…

I make too bold to ask you this;

You, who befriend me, I importune —

Speak! Tell me, confidant of fortune:

Why came you to this wilderness?”

And with a wistful smile replying

To him, the old man says: “Alas,

I have forgot my land!” Then, sighing:

“A Finn am I by birth.

My lot to tend the flocks of neighbours,

And I would take them off to graze

In vales on which no stranger’s gaze

E’er rested. Carefree midst my labours

Did I remain, and only knew,

Besides the woods and streams, what few

Joys poverty could offer to me…

Alas! Ahead dark days were looming.

“Near where I lived, a lovely flower,

One named Nahina, bloomed; of our

Young maids none lovelier than she

Was there. One morn, a bagpipe blowing,

My flocks I grazed where grass was growing

In lush profusion. I could see

A brook wind ’fore me; by it, weaving

A garland, sat a dear young lass…

Her beauty – ah, ’twas past believing! —

Drew and enchanted me, and as

I gazed at her I knew I’d seen her

Before… Yes, knight, it was Nahina,

’Twas fate had brought me there.

Of love was my reward for eyeing

The maid thus brazenly; I came

To know a passion self-denying:

All of its bliss, all of its pain.

“Six months sped by… I thought to win her

And opened up my heart. I said:

�I love thee dearly, sweet Nahina!’

But my shy sadness only bred

Scorn in her who was vain and prideful;

She was indifferent to my lot,

And said, of all my pain unmindful:

�Well, shepherd mine, I love thee not!’

“I was estranged from all, and gloomy

Life seemed.

The games of shepherds – nothing could

My hurt soothe and bring comfort to me

I languished… But the far seas drew me;

To leave my homeland sought I then

And with a band of fighting men

To brave the ocean’s winds capricious…

I hoped to win renown and fame

And for my own Nahina claim.