A Little Night Serenade

Lev Rubinstein

1.
Nightingale, O my nightingale,
You perch beneath the branches' veil!

2.
Like a ghost beneath branches' veil
He appears, the nightingale!

3.
Nightingale, O my nightingale,
Where are you, in the branches' veil?

4.
Amid the spreading leafy veil
Starts a song, my nightingale!

5.
Behold again, the nightingale!
He hops amid the branches' veil!

6.
Can you see him, amid branches' veil—
The herald of joy, O nightingale!

7.
Tell us, O my nightingale
What you see in branches' veil!

8.
Hark! Here next to branches' veil
The heart skips for nightingale!

9.
Mischief-maker nightingale
Sings away in the shady veil!

10.
From the secret shade of leaf-veils
He watches us, the nightingale!

11.
The angel of night, nightingale,
Whistles for it amid branches' veil!

12.
In the moonlit shack of branches' veil
He has settled, O nightingale!

13.
The muses' captive, nightingale,
In the secret shade of leaf-veils!

14.
He sits amid the branches' veil—
The muses' darling, nightingale!

15.
A lonely man and nightingale—
Together in the leafy veil!

16.
(Applause.)

17.
—I wonder if premonitions come true or not.

18.
—What premonitions?

19.
—Well, there are certain premonitions . . .

20.
—About what?

21.
—It's not important. If they come true, you'll know . . .

22.
—Oh well.

23.
(Pause.)

24.
A man is not a nightingale
Even if he's in branches' veil!

25.
A man is not drum or song
Even if he gets lost in fog!

26.
A man can't stop the flying clouds
Even if he's lifted by crowds!

27.
A man's not made of rocky deeps
Even if he just wants to sleep!

28.
A man is not who knows what
Even if he wears a coat!

29.
A man is not plain as a suit
Even if he's just an old coot!

30.
A man is vital to our own
Even if he arrives alone!

31.
A man is never all alone
If he's needed by anyone!

32.
What I mean, a man will get
If he's not an idiot!

33.
A man is not an idiot
Even if he just can't get it!

34.
A man is not a real man
If he's really not a real man.

35.
No, a real man would not oppose
Saying no to exchanging blows!

36.
(Applause.)

37.
—Do you already know?

38.
—What are you talking about?

39.
—Exactly the same as you.

40.
—But I don't understand . . .

41.
—Yes, you do.

42.
—No, I don't . . .

43.
—Well, if you don't understand, forget it.

44.
—You forget it . . .

45.
(Pause.)

46.
A man will go in search of where
He finds some peace and quiet!

47.
A man will go in search of where
He finds that he must be!

48.
A man will go in search of where
They're waiting hard for him to come!

49.
A man will go in search of where
They do not wait for him at all!

50.
A man will go in search of where
You can never leave again!

51.
A man will go in search of where
He'll be at home forever more!

52.
A man will go in search of there!
A man will go in search of there!

53.
(Applause!)

54.
—A gulp of air.

55.
—What? Gulf?

56.
—Not gulf. Gulp.

57.
—But I heard "gulf." That's even better.

58.
—Perhaps it's better, but I said "gulp."

59.
—I already understood what you said, but "gulf" is still better.

60.
(Pause.)

61.
—Yes . . . levels of communication . . .

62.
—What about—"levels of communication"?

63.
—This is what I think: there is probably a way of attaining these levels of communication, which are unattainable by any other means . . .

64.
—Well, probably . . .

65.
—Here you go. Then what are you arguing about?

66.
—I'm arguing?

67.
(Pause.)

68.
A man must sing a song
If his heart demands it!

69.
A man must love
Or he's no man!

70.
A man must come to suffer—
That's how he cleanses himself!

71.
A man must sleep—
His head is aching!

72.
A man needs all
He cannot do without!

73.
A man must live
If he's a man!

74.
A man must live!
A man must live!

75.
(Applause.)

76.
—Even amid noise, you should find rhythm and order.

77.
—But are they there?

78.
—Yes. You just have to listen closely.

79.
—Then that really isn't noise . . .

80.
—Then that really isn't noise.

81.
—Then, of course . . .

82.
(Pause.)

83.
A man can't live
Without a way to sing!

84.
A man can't live
Without a way to love!

85.
A man can't live
Without a way to suffer!

86.
A man can't live
Without a way!

87.
A man can't live
Without a way to die!

88.
A man can't live!
A man can't live!

89.
(Applause.)

90.
—I don't get it . . .

91.
—What don't you get?

92.
—I don't get anything!

93.
—What do you mean by "anything"?

94.
—Just that. I just don't get it. End of story.

95.
—Strange . . .

96.
(Long pause.)

97.
(Applause.)


 

translated from the Russian by Philip Metres and Tatiana Tulchinsky