Writings of Porphyry Ivanov. Poems.

Nature.

Literal Translation.

Where is, tell me, the power
That might conquer Nature herself,
So that Nature submitted to it,
And served exclusively it,

The power that might specify the path
For each one of the wind gusts,
The power that knows the time
For each beat of the heart to relax?

Look, there are gray clouds in the sky,
It rains today, it’ll rain tomorrow too.
Where is, tell me, the power
That might o’ercome Nature herself,

The power that might stop the elements,
And water fields, where they need,
The power that might dry with hot rays
The crops which began to rot?

I know well that this power exists.
It might, with a motion of its hand,
Water and also dry the earth,
And give an abundant crop.

Come ye near, and ask. Drive away
From your hearts rudeness and laughter.
One way or another, but that time will come,
And ye all will be conquered by Nature.

There’ll blow a hurricane wind,
It’ll sweep away all things before it,
And clear the way for a new life,
Which will be simple, fair and united.

It won’t look who’s dressed luxuriously,
Nor put its hand in a pocket that’s large,
And will scatter the riches about —
The power is in he who’s barefoot and naked ¹).

Come ye near, and ask. Drive away
From your hearts rudeness and laughter.
One way or another, but that time will come,
And ye all will be conquered by Nature.

1957.

¹)It is clear that these words mean “the power is in He Who’s in need of nothing”. (Let us remember that it was prohibited to spread religion in the Soviet Union.)

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