Oh Masters

Oh, Masters, you who rule the world,

Will you not wait with me awhile,

When swords are sheathed and sails are furled,

And all the fields with harvest smile?

I would not waste your time for long,

I ask you but, when you are tired,

To read how by the weak, the strong

Are weighed and worshipped and desired.

When weary of the Mart, the Loom,

The Withering-house, the Riffle-blocks,

The Barrack-square, the Engine-room,

The pick-axe, ringing on the rocks,–

When tents are pitched and work is done,

While restful twilight broods above,

By fresh-lit lamp, or dying sun,

See in my songs how women love.

We shared your lonely watch by night,

We knew you faithful at the helm,

Our thoughts went with you through the fight,

That saved a soul,–or wrecked a realm

Ah, how our hearts leapt forth to you,

In pride and joy, when you prevailed,

And when you died, serene and true:

–We wept in silence when you failed!

Oh, brain that did not gain the gold!

Oh, arm, that could not wield the sword,

Here is the love, that is not sold,

Here are the hearts to hail you Lord!

You played and lost the game? What then?

The rules are harsh and hard we know,

You, still, Oh, brothers, are the men

Whom we in secret reverence so.

Your work was waste? Maybe your share

Lay in the hour you laughed and kissed;

Who knows but what your son shall wear

The laurels that his father missed?

Ay, you who win, and you who lose,

Whether you triumph,–or despair,–

When your returning footsteps choose

The homeward track, our love is there.

For, since the world is ordered thus,

To you the fame, the stress, the sword,

We can but wait, until to us

You give yourselves, for our reward.

To Whaler’s deck and Coral beach,

To lonely Ranch and Frontier-Fort,

Beyond the narrow bounds of speech

I lay the cable of my thought.

I fain would send my thanks to you,

(Though who am I, to give you praise?)

Since what you are, and work you do,

Are lessons for our easier ways.

‘Neath alien stars your camp-fires glow,

I know you not,–your tents are far.

My hope is but in song to show,

How honoured and dear you are.

Poetry Monster – Home

A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Иван Бунин – Не видно птиц by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – За рекой луга зазеленели by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Надпись на могильной плите by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Богиня by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Безнадежность by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Беру твою руку и долго смотрю by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Балагула by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Апрель by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Алёнушка by Иван Бунин
• Иван Бунин – Пустыня, грусть в степных просторах by Иван Бунин
• Иван Барков – Выбор by Иван Барков
• Иван Барков – Вопрос без ответу by Иван Барков
• Иван Барков – Венерино оружие by Иван Барков
• Иван Барков – Улика подьячего by Иван Барков
• Иван Барков – Торжественным воротам by Иван Барков
• Иван Барков – Стихи с матом без цензуры: читать матерные нецензурные стихотворения Баркова – Poetry Monster by Иван Барков
• Исикава Такубоку – Дом by Takuboku (Такубоку) Ishikawa (Исикава) 石川 啄木
• Ирина Токмакова – Каша by Поэзия На Русском
• Иосиф Бродский – Бюст Тиберия by Иосиф Бродский
• Иосиф Бродский – Буров тракторист by Иосиф Бродский

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

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.

 

Parallel Translations of Poetry

Poems by Author and Category

The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works