My Virtual Reading Room

Lyrics and translation:

Готов три дня не жравший пёс
Взамен колбас жевать овёс,
Ему подсунь любой отброс –
Он съест и не заметит.
И если много-много дней
Кормить помоями свиней,
Они решат, что нет вкусней
Еды на белом свете.
Всё очень просто – кто к чему привык,
Кто любит щи, кто – рыбу, кто – шашлык.
А дальше всё зависит от того,
Что ты готов глотать взамен чего.

A dog who's not eaten for three days
Is ready to chow down on oats instead of sausages,
And if you give him any sort of offal,
He'll eat it up and not even notice.
And if for many, many days
You feed slops to the pigs,
They will decide that there is no tastier
Food in the entire world.
It's all very simple--it depends on what you're used to.
Some people like cabbage soup, some like fish, some like shish kebab.
And after that, it all depends on
What you're willing to swallow instead.( Read more... )

This song does use a bad word (not my favorite kind of thing usually)--but this is the kind of song where it can't be left out--

Translation of lyrics:

Yesterday, I was in the grocery store,
I don't remember what I was looking for, in there,
But I happened to spot pineapple jam, made in Russia!
As I was standing there, wiping away a happy tear,

I read the fine print on the bottom of the label, on the jam jar:
"During the manufacturing of this product,
Fresh s--- was used.
Although it's not as nutritious as the fruit,
It smears so very well!"( Read more... )

( Translation of lyrics: )

in Brodsky's Russian translation; performed by Ivasi, autumn 2022