Избранная лирика - Уильям Вордсворт

БЕЗУМНАЯ МАТЬ[28]

      I

                       По бездорожью наугад, —                       Простоволоса, дикий взгляд, —                       Свирепым солнцем сожжена,                       В глухом краю бредет она.                       И на руках ее дитя,                       А рядом — ни души.                       Под стогом дух переведя,                       На камне средь лесной тиши                       Поет она, любви полна,                       И песнь английская слышна:

      II

                       "О, мой малютка, жизнь моя!                       Все говорят: безумна я.                       Но мне легко, когда мою                       Печаль я песней утолю.                       И я молю тебя, малыш,                       Не бойся, не страшись меня!                       Ты словно в колыбели спишь,                       И, от беды тебя храня,                       Младенец мой, я помню свой                       Великий долг перед тобой.

      III

                       Мой мозг был пламенем объят,                       И боль туманила мой взгляд,                       И грудь жестоко той порой                       Терзал зловещих духов рой.                       Но, пробудясь, в себя придя,                       Как счастлива я видеть вновь                       И чувствовать свое дитя,                       Его живую плоть и кровь!                       Мной побежден кошмарный сон,                       Со мной мой мальчик, только он.

      IV

                       К моей груди, сынок, прильни                       Губами нежными — они                       Как бы из сердца моего                       Вытягивают скорбь его.                       Покойся на груди моей,                       Ее ты пальчиками тронь:                       Дарует облегченье ей                       Твоя прохладная ладонь.                       Твоя рука свежа, легка,                       Как дуновенье ветерка.

      V

                       Люби, люби меня, малыш!                       Ты счастье матери даришь!                       Не бойся злобных волн внизу,                       Когда я на руках несу                       Тебя по острым гребням скал.                       Мне скалы не сулят беды,                       Не страшен мне ревущий вал —                       Ведь жизнь мою спасаешь ты.                       Блаженна я, дитя храня:                       Ему не выжить без меня.

      VI

                       Не бойся, маленький! Поверь,                       Отважная, как дикий зверь,                       Твоим вожатым буду я                       Через дремучие края.                       Устрою там тебе жилье,                       Из листьев — мягкую кровать.                       И если ты, дитя мое,                       До срока не покинешь мать, —                       Любимый мой, в глуши лесной                       Ты будешь петь, как дрозд весной.

      VII

                       Спи на груди моей, птенец!                       Ее не любит твой отец.                       Она поблекла, отцвела.                       Тебе ж, мой свет, она мила.                       Она твоя. И не беда,                       Что красота моя ушла:                       Ты будешь верен мне всегда,                       А в том, что стала я смугла,                       Есть малый прок: ведь бледных щек                       Моих не видишь ты, сынок.

      VIII

                       Не слушай лжи, любовь моя!                       С твоим отцом венчалась я.                       Наполним мы в лесной тени                       Невинной жизнью наши дни.                       А он не станет жить со мной,                       Когда тобою пренебрег.                       Но ты не бойся: он не злой,                       Он сам несчастен, видит Бог!                       И каждым днем с тобой вдвоем                       Молиться будем мы о нем.

      IX

                       Я обучу во тьме лесов                       Тебя ночному пенью сов.                       Недвижны губы малыша.                       Ты, верно, сыт, моя душа?                       Как странно помутились вмиг                       Твои небесные черты!                       Мой милый мальчик, взор твой дик!                       Уж не безумен ли и ты?                       Ужасный знак! Коль это так —                       Во мне навек печаль и мрак.

      X

                       О, улыбнись, ягненок мой!                       И мать родную успокой!                       Я все сумела превозмочь:                       Отца искала день и ночь,                       Мне угрожали духи тьмы,                       Сырой землянкой был мой дом.                       Но ты не бойся, милый, мы                       С тобой в лесу отца найдем.                       Всю жизнь свою в лесном краю,                       Сынок, мы будем как в раю".

THE IDIOT BOY

                     Tis eight o'clock, — a clear March night,                     The moon is up, — the sky is blue,                     The owlet, in the moonlight air,                     Shouts from nobody knows where;                     He lengthens out his lonely shout,                     Halloo! halloo! a long halloo!

                     — Why bustle thus about your door,                     What means this bustle, Betty Foy?                     Why are you in this mighty fret?                     And why on horseback have you set                     Him whom you love, your Idiot Boy?

                     Scarcely a soul is out of bed;                     Good Betty, put him down again;                     His lips with joy they burr at you;                     But, Betty! what has he to do                     With stirrup, saddle, or with rein?

                     But Betty's bent on her intent;                     For her good neighbour, Susan Gale,                     Old Susan, she who dwells alone,                     Is sick, and makes a piteous moan                     As if her very life would fail.

                     There's not a house within a mile,                     No hand to help them in distress;                     Old Susan lies a-bed in pain,                     And sorely puzzled are the twain,                     For what she ails they cannot guess.

                     And Betty's husband's at the wood,                     Where by the week he doth abide,                     A woodman in the distant vale;                     There's none to help poor Susan Gale;                     What must be done? what will betide?

                     And Betty from the lane has fetched                     Her Pony, that is mild and good;                     Whether he be in joy or pain,                     Feeding at will along the lane,                     Or bringing faggots from the wood.

                     And he is all in travelling trim, —                     And, by the moonlight, Betty Foy                     Has on the well-girt saddle set                     (The like was never heard of yet)                     Him whom she loves, her Idiot Boy.

                     And he must post without delay                     Across the bridge and through the dale,                     And by the church, and o'er the down,                     To bring a Doctor from the town,                     Or she will die, old Susan Gale.

                     There is no need of boot or spur,                     There is no need of whip or wand;                     For Johnny has his holly-bough,                     And with a _hurly-burly_ now                     He shakes the green bough in his hand.

                     And Betty o'er and o'er has told                     The Boy, who is her best delight,                     Both what to follow, what to shun,                     What do, and what to leave undone,                     How turn to left, and how to right.

                     And Betty's most especial charge,                     Was, "Johnny! Johnny! mind that you                     Come home again, nor stop at all, —                     Come home again, whate'er befall,                     My Johnny, do, I pray you do."

                     To this did Johnny answer make,                     Both with his head and with his hand,                     And proudly shook the bridle too;                     And then! his words were not a few,                     Which Betty well could understand.

                     And now that Johnny is just going,                     Though Betty's in a mighty flurry,                     She gently pats the Pony's side,                     On which her Idiot Boy must ride,                     And seems no longer in a hurry.

                     But when the Pony moved his legs,                     Oh! then for the poor Idiot Boy!                     For joy he cannot hold the bridle,                     For joy his head and heels are idle,                     He's idle all for very joy.

                     And while the Pony moves his legs,                     In Johnny's left hand you may see                     The green bough motionless and dead:                     The Moon that shines above his head                     Is not more still and mute than he.

                     His heart it was so full of glee,                     That till full fifty yards were gone,                     He quite forgot his holly whip,                     And all his skill in horsemanship:                     Oh! happy, happy, happy John.

                     And while the Mother, at the door,                     Stands fixed, her face with joy o'erflows,                     Proud of herself, and proud of him,                     She sees him in his travelling trim,                     How quietly her Johnny goes.

                     The silence of her Idiot Boy,                     What hopes it sends to Betty's heart!                     He's at the guide-post-he turns right;                     She watches till he's out of sight,                     And Betty will not then depart.

                     Burr, burr — now Johnny's lips they burr,                     As loud as any mill, or near it;                     Meek as a lamb the Pony moves,                     And Johnny makes the noise he loves,                     And Betty listens, glad to hear it.

                     Away she hies to Susan Gale:                     Her Messenger's in merry tune;                     The owlets hoot, the owlets curr,                     And Johnny's lips they burr, burr, burr,                     As on he goes beneath the moon.

                     His steed and he right well agree;                     For of this Pony there's a rumour,                     That, should he lose his eyes and ears,                     And should he live a thousand years,                     He never will be out of humour.

                     But then he is a horse that thinks!                     And when he thinks, his pace is slack;                     Now, though he knows poor Johnny well,                     Yet, for his life, he cannot tell                     What he has got upon his back.

                     So through the moonlight lanes they go,                     And far into the moonlight dale,                     And by the church, and o'er the down,                     To bring a Doctor from the town,                     To comfort poor old Susan Gale.

                     And Betty, now at Susan's side,                     Is in the middle of her story,                     What speedy help her Boy will bring,                     With many a most diverting thing,                     Of Johnny's wit, and Johnny's glory.

                     And Betty, still at Susan's side,                     By this time is not quite so flurried:                     Demure with porringer and plate                     She sits, as if in Susan's fate                     Her life and soul were buried.

                     But Betty, poor good woman! she,                     You plainly in her face may read it,                     Could lend out of that moment's store                     Five years of happiness or more                     To any that might need it.

                     But yet I guess that now and then                     With Betty all was not so well;                     And to the road she turns her ears,                     And thence full many a sound she hears,                     Which she to Susan will not tell.

                     Poor Susan moans, poor Susan groans;                     "As sure as there's a moon in heaven,"                     Cries Betty, "he'll be back again;                     They'll both be here-'tis almost ten —                     Both will be here before eleven."

                     Poor Susan moans, poor Susan groans;                     The clock gives warning for eleven;                     'Tis on the stroke-"He must be near,"                     Quoth Betty, "and will soon be here,                     As sure as there's a moon in heaven."

                     The clock is on the stroke of twelve,                     And Johnny is not yet in sight:                     — The Moon's in heaven, as Betty sees,                     But Betty is not quite at ease;                     And Susan has a dreadful night.

                     And Betty, half an hour ago,                     On Johnny vile reflections cast:                     "A little idle sauntering Thing!"                     With other names, an endless string;                     But now that time is gone and past.

                     And Betty's drooping at the heart,                     That happy time all past and gone,                     "How can it be he is so late?                     The Doctor, he has made him wait;                     Susan! they'll both be here anon."

                     And Susan's growing worse and worse,                     And Betty's in a sad _quandary_;                     And then there's nobody to say                     If she must go, or she must stay!                     — She's in a sad _quandary_.

                     The clock is on the stroke of one;                     But neither Doctor nor his Guide                     Appears along the moonlight road;                     There's neither horse nor man abroad,                     And Betty's still at Susan's side.

                     And Susan now begins to fear                     Of sad mischances not a few,                     That Johnny may perhaps be drowned;                     Or lost, perhaps, and never found;                     Which they must both for ever rue.

                     She prefaced half a hint of this                     With, "God forbid it should be true!"                     At the first word that Susan said                     Cried Betty, rising from the bed,                     "Susan, I'd gladly stay with you.

                     "I must be gone, I must away:                     Consider, Johnny's but half-wise;                     Susan, we must take care of him,                     If he is hurt in life or limb" —                     "Oh God forbid!" poor Susan cries.

                     "What can I do?" says Betty, going,                     "What can I do to ease your pain?                     Good Susan tell me, and I'll stay;                     I fear you're in a dreadful way,                     But I shall soon be back again."

                     "Nay, Betty, go! good Betty, go!                     There's nothing that can ease my pain."                     Then off she hies; but with a prayer                     That God poor Susan's life would spare,                     Till she comes back again.

                     So, through the moonlight lane she goes,                     And far into the moonlight dale;                     And how she ran, and how she walked,                     And all that to herself she talked,                     Would surely be a tedious tale.

                     In high and low, above, below,                     In great and small, in round and square,                     In tree and tower was Johnny seen,                     In bush and brake, in black and green;                     Twas Johnny, Johnny, every where.

                     And while she crossed the bridge, there came                     A thought with which her heart is sore —                     Johnny perhaps his horse forsook,                     To hunt the moon within the brook,                     And never will be heard of more.

                     Now is she high upon the down,                     Alone amid a prospect wide;                     There's neither Johnny nor his Horse                     Among the fern or in the gorse;                     There's neither Doctor nor his Guide.

                     "O saints! what is become of him?                     Perhaps he's climbed into an oak,                     Where he will stay till he is dead;                     Or, sadly he has been misled,                     And joined the wandering gipsy-folk.

                     "Or him that wicked Pony's carried                     To the dark cave, the goblin's hall;                     Or in the castle he's pursuing                     Among the ghosts his own undoing;                     Or playing with the waterfall."

                     At poor old Susan then she railed,                     While to the town she posts away;                     "If Susan had not been so ill,                     Alas! I should have had him still,                     My Johnny, till my dying day."

                     Poor Betty, in this sad distemper,                     The Doctor's self could hardly spare:                     Unworthy things she talked, and wild;                     Even he, of cattle the most mild,                     The Pony had his share.

                     But now she's fairly in the town,                     And to the Doctor's door she hies;                     Tis silence all on every side;                     The town so long, the town so wide,                     Is silent as the skies.

                     And now she's at the Doctor's door,                     She lifts the knocker, rap, rap, rap;                     The Doctor at the casement shows                     His glimmering eyes that peep and doze!                     And one hand rubs his old night-cap.

                     "O Doctor! Doctor! where's my Johnny?"                     "I'm here, what is't you want with me?"                     "O Sir! you know I'm Betty Foy,                     And I have lost my poor dear Boy,                     You know him-him you often see;

                     "He's not so wise as some folks be:"                     "The devil take his wisdom!" said                     The Doctor, looking somewhat grim,                     "What, Woman! should I know of him?"                     And, grumbling, he went back to bed!

                     "O woe is me! О woe is me!                     Here will I die; here will I die;                     I thought to find my lost one here,                     But he is neither far nor near,                     Oh! what a wretched Mother I!"

                     She stops, she stands, she looks about;                     Which way to turn she cannot tell.                     Poor Betty! it would ease her pain                     If she had heart to knock again;                     — The clock strikes three — a dismal knell!

                     Then up along the town she hies,                     No wonder if her senses fail;                     This piteous news so much it shocked her,                     She quite forgot to send the Doctor,                     To comfort poor old Susan Gale.

                     And now she's high upon the down,                     And she can see a mile of road:                     "O cruel! I'm almost threescore;               &