Забава [Zabava] [English translation]

Holy Good Lord,

God Almighty,

Holy Eternal,

Have mercy on me...

One amusement's left for this clown:

Thumbs in mouth and a joyful whish.

Bad repute's rolled around the town,

That I'm foul-mouthed and hell-raising bish.

Such a ludicrous loss, such an odd wraith!

Many odd losses I avow.

Shame on me that in God I had no faith.

Yet I'm sad, I don't trust in Him now.

Poet's gift is to stroke and to pen words,

Fatal seal has been laid on him.

Precious white rose with ugly black toad

I attempted to wed on a whim.

Although these wishes did not come true,

These desires of past rosy days.

But if devils made nest in soul flue,

That means angels lived in its maze.

Golden dreams and remote future's sleigh bells:

Earthly vanity burns every thing.

I bad-mouthed a lot and I raised hell

Just to burn brighter on angel's wing.

For all this crazy joy I got mud slings,

When I leave for [the] next world with glee,

I just want before my final death sting

To ask those who will be there with me,

That for all grave sins I have committed, [and]

For the lack of faith in God's grace

They would lay me in a Russian shirt fitted

Under icons to pass away.

One amusement's left for this clown:

Thumbs in mouth and a joyful whish.

Bad repute's rolled around the town,

That I'm foul-mouthed and hell-raising bish.

Such a ludicrous loss, such an odd wraith!

Many odd losses I avow.

Shame on me that in God I had no faith.

Yet I'm sad, I don't trust in Him now.

• Artist:Alexander Malinin