“We had thought we were beggars …” by Anna Akhmatova

“We had thought we were beggars …” by Anna Akhmatova 🇷🇺 (23 Jun 1889 – 5 Mar 1966)

Translated from the Russian by Robert Chandler

We had thought we were beggars,

with nothing at all,

but as loss followed loss

and each day

became a day of memorial,

we began to make songs

about the Lord’s generosity

and our bygone wealth.