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“Either soldiers drove into the ground a stake …” by Marina Tsvetaeva 🇷🇺 (8 Oct 1892 – 31 Aug 1941)
Translated from the Russian by Ilya Shambat
Either soldiers drove into the ground a stake,
Either they covered a face with a red rag,
Either deaf and dumb from punches is the Divine,
Either on Easter they were banned from Kremlin—
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Old revelers should sit at the linen,
Birds should crawl, fish should sing, women—reason,
Horse on a horseman should ride out wild,
Wine should be given a newborn child,
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Corpses carried out the window, rivers—burn,
In the midnight must arise the red sun,
The groom should forget the betrothed’s name …
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Ladies should love peasant men.