Brothers, Let Us Glorify Freedoms Twilight
Osip Mandelstam
Brothers, let us glorify freedoms twilight
the great, darkening year.
Into the seething waters of the night
heavy forests of nets disappear.
O Sun, judge, people, your light
is rising over sombre years
Let us glorify the deadly weight
the peoples leader lifts with tears.
Let us glorify the dark burden of fate,
powers unbearable yoke of fears.
How your ship is sinking, straight,
he who has a heart, Time, hears.
We have bound swallows
into battle legions - and we,
we cannot see the sun: natures boughs
are living, twittering, moving, totally:
through the nets the thick twilight - now
we cannot see the sun, and Earth floats free.
Lets try: a huge, clumsy, turn then
of the creaking helm, and, see -
Earth floats free. Take heart, O men.
Slicing like a plough through the sea,
Earth, to us, we know, even in Lethes icy fen,
has been worth a dozen heavens eternity.
