Джордж Каннинг (George Canning)
Песенка про четыре несчастья
Однажды у речки дремал старичок. Колпак на макушке, под ним – паричок. Дремал бы и дальше, но ветер шальной Смахнул с него в речку убор головной. Старик было тростью колпак свой поддел, Но в воду с макушки парик полетел. Старик был не в силах сдержать свою злость И в речку забросил любимую трость. Забросив, подумал: имущество жаль; Из речки имущество вынуть нельзя ль? Подумал – и в речку слетел кувырком, Где плавали трость и колпак с париком. © Перевод Евг. Фельдмана Все переводы Евгения Фельдмана
Оригинал или первоисточник на английском языке
The Elderly Gentleman
By the side of a murmuring stream
an elderly gentleman sat.
On the top of his head was a wig,
and a-top of his wig was his hat.
The wind it blew high and blew strong,
as the elderly gentleman sat;
And bore from his head in a trice,
and plunged in the river his hat.
The gentleman then took his cane
which lay by his side as he sat;
And he dropped in the river his wig,
in attempting to get out his hat.
His breast it grew cold with despair,
and full in his eye madness sat;
So he flung in the river
his cane to swim with his wig and his hat.
Cool reflexion at last came across
while this elderly gentleman sat;
So he thought he would follow the stream
and look for his cane, wig and hat.
His head being thicker than common,
o’er-balanced the rest of his fat;
And in plumped this son of a woman
to follow his wig, cane and hat.
2092
