A.Blok, To Valery Bryusov – Translation (Rus.)

To Valery Bryusov
(On receiving ‘The mirror of shadows’)

Again, again your spirit secret
In dark of night, in empty night,
Causes your lonely dream to nestle
And drink your juice with great delight.

Let’s make an eucharist to soul,
The poison, pain and sweetness – drink,
And silently let’s look a book through,
To a mirror of the shadows let’s stick…

Let’s in that case, tormenting heavily,
The passion – beats you, and the grief – by snakes.
The thunderstorm of fate occasionaly
Predicts the end, the murder – let’s…

All, that was tortured, burned, distorted,
Here comes to be a light dream fury,
The field of a mourning mirror – would turn
To be fixed with a transparent beauty…

And with that beauty one law’s ordered:
‘Let’s burn and burn. And live a life.
While wing of love is shooted over –
The love altar is red with blood.’

20 march 1912