Poems and Songs of Vladimir Vysotsky. Our Life Has Lots of Edges.

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Commentary to the poem “Now without grinning...”

This poem calls to mind Quintus Horatius Flaccus’ words: “Non, si male nunc, et olim sic erit.” (“The wretch of today may be happy tomorrow.”)

Here also comes to mind Gabdulla Tukay’s poem “A Mouse That Fell into a Bowl of Milk” (1907) (from an American newspaper) (this text is adapted from Anon­y­mous’ translation):

I know not how or why, but I was told
That once a mouse fell down into a bowl
Of milk, swam here and there, and couldn’t escape,
And it seemed that unhappy was her fate.
He who’s gotten into trouble should be in motion!
She, keeping that, was paddling with no pause.
Her efforts weren’t in vain, I’m pleased to say,
She swam so long, that butter there was made,
And, after breathing, she was standing on.
Then she leapt off and ran into her hole.
O my dear friend! if drown’st thou one bad day,
Give not up hope, be valorous and patient.

Another close in spirit poem by Gabdulla Tukay is “Yesterday and Today” (1910).

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