The Heart

English: The Heart At a wicker fence a Cossack was asking a girl “When will you Oksana in love with me fall? The sword I bear shall bring the sweetheart of mine Aloud jingling Sequins and Rubles that shine.” Her hair in braids weaving the girl answered him “A witch in the forest told me of her dream: Predicts she my falling in love will be swift With him who his mother’s heart brings as a gift. For Sequins or Rubles I do not aspire, Your old mother’s heart is the thing I desire. Its ashes with leaves of a hop bush I’ll brew, The broth I shall drink and in love fall with you.” From that day the Cossack fell quiet, looked grim, He wouldn’t eat borscht, left his cups all a-brim. He sharpened the sword and cut his mother’s breast, With this sacred burden he went for his quest. The heart on a towel, laced with a golden band, He brings to his Love in a coarse, shaggy hand. But midway the Cossack felt his powers sapped, And stumbled when up on the front porch he stepped. His mother’s heart down fell into the dirt, And asked him “My dear little one, does it hurt!?“ ©Maxim Sidorov Russian: Сердце, Дмитрий Кедрин, 1935 Дивчину пытает казак у плетня: «Когда ж ты, Оксана, полюбишь меня? Я саблей добуду для крали своей И светлых цехинов, и звонких рублей!» Дивчина в ответ, заплетая косу: «Про то мне ворожка гадала в лесу. Пророчит она: мне полюбится тот, Кто матери сердце мне в дар принесет. Не надо цехинов, не надо рублей, Дай сердце мне матери старой твоей. Я пепел его настою на хмелю, Настоя напьюсь — и тебя полюблю!» Казак с того дня замолчал, захмурел, Борща не хлебал, саламаты не ел. Клинком разрубил он у матери грудь И с ношей заветной отправился в путь: Он сердце ее на цветном рушнике Коханой приносит в косматой руке. В пути у него помутилось в глазах, Всходя на крылечко, споткнулся казак. И матери сердце, упав на порог, Спросило его: «Не ушибся, сынок?» Acknowledgments: Alexander Borodin: Symphony No. 2 in B minor - Allegro · Valery Gergiev and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra - Oleg Kharchenko, Orange Studio Moscow for the sound recording and video editing - (temporary website). My very special, heartfelt and affectionate ones to: Eleonora Belyaeva (1935-2015), my mom and dad’s friend and the 30 year long host of The Music Kiosk, the Soviet TV program, who set me on my life long English language journey. Elijah Raytsin, Igor Sidorov, my elder brothers and all my extended bonny family over the ocean. My grateful and respectful ones to: Bruce and Kathy Hamiltons, who shared with me the sorcery of the Russian into English metamorphosis. Thomas Moore, Oscar Wilde, Tony Hancock Half Hours, The Brand New Monty Python Bok and two Terries – Wogan and Pratchett. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike #RussiaUkraine #Zelenski @KedrinDmitri #RussianPoetry #RussianPoetryInEnglish #Ukraine