Ред’ярд Кіплінґ
ДІТИ
Глянь, то все наші діти, за край цей полеглі: кохані та милі,
Лиш в родинних альбомах зостались скарби їхніх юних усмішок.
Богом ціну призначено нам, тільки нам, і нікому пізніше,
Бо нікому крім нас Він не дав на те права ні сили.
Хто нам зможе дітей повернути?
Коли лютий напасник відкрився страшної хвилини,
І постав проти людства - вони встали тіл своїх валом
Під ту крицю, яку вороги проти нас готували.
Діти стали стіною для нас, доки зводились стіни.
Відкупили нас кров’ю вони, не сказавши на докір ні слова,
За той час, доки ми ще вагались, мовляв – це не станеться знову.
Вони вірили нам і загибли тому. Наша мудрість хвалена
Їх звела до могили, живими у пастку вогненну,
Таких спраглих, веселих, що мріяли славу здобути…
Від початку часів ця планета не знала такої покути.
Ця агонія довга жорстоко крутила в собі та пекла їх,
Діти – зранені, зболені, змучені боєм – валилися долі,+
Та вставали, підводились, линули вгору, боролись за волю,
Не свою. Дивом Смерть дивувалась і врешті взяла їх.
Від колиски плекали тіла їхні справні та сильні,
Понівечені залпом тепер – зпозахмарним, підступним, прицільним…
На дротах коливаються шротом на клапті подерті …
Обгорілі чи газом побілені кольором смерті…
Та із вирви до вирви розкидані вибухів хвилями…
То усе є ціна – та, яку за спасіння сплатили ми.
Хто нам зможе дітей повернути?
Переклав Володимир Чернишенко
На ці слова Кирило Булкін написав пісню:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWY--NmLV_A&feature=share
Знимка - це кадр з цього фільму.
Rudyard Kipling
The Children
The Children
THESE were our children who died for our lands: they were dear in our sight.
We have only the memory left of their hometreasured sayings and laughter.
The price of our loss shall be paid to our hands, not another's hereafter.
Neither the Alien nor Priest shall decide on it. That is our right.
But who shall return us the children ?
We have only the memory left of their hometreasured sayings and laughter.
The price of our loss shall be paid to our hands, not another's hereafter.
Neither the Alien nor Priest shall decide on it. That is our right.
But who shall return us the children ?
At the hour the Barbarian chose to disclose his pretences,
And raged against Man, they engaged, on the breasts that they bared for us,
The first felon-stroke of the sword he had longtime prepared for us -
Their bodies were all our defence while we wrought our defences.
And raged against Man, they engaged, on the breasts that they bared for us,
The first felon-stroke of the sword he had longtime prepared for us -
Their bodies were all our defence while we wrought our defences.
They bought us anew with their blood, forbearing to blame us,
Those hours which we had not made good when the Judgment o'ercame us.
They believed us and perished for it. Our statecraft, our learning
Delivered them bound to the Pit and alive to the burning
Whither they mirthfully hastened as jostling for honour.
Not since her birth has our Earth seen such worth loosed upon her!
Those hours which we had not made good when the Judgment o'ercame us.
They believed us and perished for it. Our statecraft, our learning
Delivered them bound to the Pit and alive to the burning
Whither they mirthfully hastened as jostling for honour.
Not since her birth has our Earth seen such worth loosed upon her!
Nor was their agony brief, or once only imposed on them.
The wounded, the war-spent, the sick received no exemption:
Being cured they returned and endured and achieved our redemption,
Hopeless themselves of relief, till Death, marvelling, closed on them.
The wounded, the war-spent, the sick received no exemption:
Being cured they returned and endured and achieved our redemption,
Hopeless themselves of relief, till Death, marvelling, closed on them.
That flesh we had nursed from the first in all cleanness was given
To corruption unveiled and assailed by the malice of Heaven -
By the heart-shaking jests of Decay where it lolled on the wires
To be blanched or gay-painted by fumes - to be cindered by fires -
To be senselessly tossed and retossed in stale mutilation
From crater to crater. For this we shall take expiation.
But who shall return us our children ?
To corruption unveiled and assailed by the malice of Heaven -
By the heart-shaking jests of Decay where it lolled on the wires
To be blanched or gay-painted by fumes - to be cindered by fires -
To be senselessly tossed and retossed in stale mutilation
From crater to crater. For this we shall take expiation.
But who shall return us our children ?
