To the wood...Translated by Akbar Muhammad.

To the wood —

On the sledges and on the sleighs,
In the coats and in the sables —
As the rich as the unlucky men

Run out — to

The mysterious wood’s brake,
Every now and again —
To the wolfs and to the bears’ dens.

There abide,

Looking like the tired braves,
Venerable giant mates
In two girths and even in several ones.

And there I

Chew and swallow the air —
Yes, I’m only at this place —
Though behind the bars of trees — at large!

1970.