Famine Song

Death and Famine on every side

And never a sign of rain,

The bones of those who have starved and died

Unburied upon the plain.

What care have I that the bones bleach white?

To-morrow they may be mine,

But I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And drink your lips like wine!

Cholera, Riot, and Sudden Death,

And the brave red blood set free,

The glazing eye and the failing breath,–

But what are these things to me?

Your breath is quick and your eyes are bright

And your blood is red like wine,

And I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And hold your lips with mine!

I hear the sound of a thousand tears,

Like softly pattering rain,

I see the fever, folly, and fears

Fulfilling man’s tale of pain.

But for the moment your star is bright,

I revel beneath its shine,

For I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And feel your lips on mine!

And you need not deem me over cold,

That I do not stop to think

For all the pleasure this Life may hold

Is on the Precipice brink.

Thought could but lessen my soul’s delight,

And to-day she may not pine.

For I shall lie in your arms to-night

And close your lips with mine!

I trust what sorrow the Fates may send

I may carry quietly through,

And pray for grace when I reach the end,

To die as a man should do.

To-day, at least, must be clear and bright,

Without a sorrowful sign,

Because I sleep in your arms to-night

And feel your lips on mine!

So on I work, in the blazing sun,

To bury what dead we may,

But glad, oh, glad, when the day is done

And the night falls round us grey.

Would those we covered away from sight

Had a rest as sweet as mine!

For I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And drink your lips like wine!

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External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

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Poems in English 

• Наум Коржавин – Неужели птицы пели by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Нет! Так я просто не уйду во мглу by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Нелепые ваши затеи by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Не верь, что ты поэта шире by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Наверно, я не так на свете жил by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – На побывке by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – На друга-поэта by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Мой ритм заглох by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Мне без тебя так трудно жить by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Меня, как видно, Бог не звал by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Люди пашут каждый раз опять by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Ленинград by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Легкость by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Комиссары by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Кое-кому by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Как ты мне изменяла by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – К моему двадцатипятилетию by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Иван Калита by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Иль впрямь я разлюбил свою страну? by Поэзия На Русском
• Наум Коржавин – Грустная самопародия by Поэзия На Русском

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Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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