Russisk vuggevise på engelsk til danskerne på jordkloden i aften

Eugene Ostashevsky

Funny, I was asked twice in the space of two days about my translation of a lullaby by Vvedensky, which I never got around publishing, and then pretty much forgot about. Here it is:

Lullaby

I will now begin to count:
One, two, three, and four, and five.
When I reach the number five,
Everybody fall asleep!

Sleep, it walks around the roads,
One, two, three, and four, and piat’.
Orders everyone around:
Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Spat’.

Sleep, it walks along the street.
There it sees a Pussycat
Walking on almost five feet.
Sleep says, Pussy, fall asleep!
One, two, three, chetyre, piat’.
Sleep. Sleep. Spat’. Spat’.

Who is still awake? The Dolls.
As Sleep walks in their room
The Dolls let their eyelids close,
Teddy Bear falls asleep.
One, two, tri, chetyre, piat’.
Sleep. Spat’. Spat’. Spat’.

Sleep, it walks up to your bed,
And it yawns and whispers still:
Trees and Bushes have retired,
Fall asleep, my tired Child.
One, dva, tri, chetyre, piat’.
Spat’. Spat’. Spat’. Spat’.

I will count once again:
Raz, dva, tri, chetyre, piat’.
Spat’.



 - Alexander Vvedensky (1904-1941)