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Она была поэтесса, поэтесса Бальзаковских лет. А он был просто повеса, курчавый и пылкий брюнет. Повеса пришёл к поэтесе; в полумраке дышали духи, на софе, как в торжественой мессе, поэтесса гнусила стихи: ,,О, сумей огнедышащей лаской, всколыхнуть мою сонную страсть, к пене бедер за алой подвыазкой ты не бойся устами припасть. Я свежа, как дыханье левкоя... о сплетем ж истомноститель!`` Продолжене было такое, что чурчави брюнет покраснел. Покраснел, но оправился быстро и подумал: была не была! Здесь не думские речи министра, не слова здесь нужны, а дела. С несдержанною силой Кентавра Поэтесу повеса привлёк, но визгливо вулгарное: ,,Мавра, Мавра, Мавра, Мавра!`` Охладило кипучий поток. ,,Простите!`` вскочил он. ,,Вы сами...`` Но в глазах её холод и честь. ,,Вы смели к порядочной даме, как дворник, с объятьями лезть! Вот чинная Мавра!`` И задом уходит испуганный гость, в передней растерянным взглядом он долго искал свою трость. С лицом белее магнезии шёл с лестницы пылкий брюнет. Не понял он новой поэзии и поэтесси Бальзаковских лет.
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Note on TransliterationsAuthorship:
- by Aleksandr Mikhailovich Glikberg (1880 - 1932), as Sasha Chyorny [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Недоразумение", op. 109 no. 4 (1960), from Пять сатир = Pjat' satir, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Leonard Lehrman) , "A misunderstanding", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Malentendu", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Nesusipratimas", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 161
She was a famous writer, And a poet of a certain age, While he was only a playboy With hair that was all the rage. Inhaling the perfume of twilight, The rake to the poetess goes. Like the solemnest mass, on the sofa, She sits, and declaims through her nose: "Let your fi'ry caresses embrace me And awaken my passions from sleep. Do not hold back your lips, but come kiss me. Loose my thighs from their garter so deep! I am fresh as a breath of white lilies. Let us criscross our bodies in bed!" In this manner her verses continue 'Til the playboy is blushing bright red. Yes, he blushes, but quickly recovers, And reflects: "Now or never, it seems. It's not time for officialese discourse But for action – fulfillment of dreams!" With unrestrain'd pow'r like a centaur's To the poet the playboy's unspool'd, But a shrill cry for help screeches: "Mavra! Mavra! Mavra! Mavra!" And the rake's boiling ardor is cool'd. "I'm sorry!" He jumps up. "But I thought..." In her eyes there is nothing but cold. "Sir, I'm a respectable lady. You boor! How could you be so bold!?" And now here comes Mavra. The guest is So scared, he won't be back again. Confused, he retreats to the lobby, A long while he looks for his cane. His face now white as magnesium, Descending the stairs in a rage, He just doesn't understand poetry, Or at least not of a certain age. He does not, he cannot, understand....
Authorship:
- Singable translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2017 by Leonard Lehrman, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Leonard Lehrman.  Contact: ljlehrman (AT) nassaulibrary (DOT) org
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Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Aleksandr Mikhailovich Glikberg (1880 - 1932), as Sasha Chyorny
This text was added to the website: 2017-10-15
Line count: 37
Word count: 254