Перевод С.С. Алпеев. г. Лондон
A Tale for Adults and Children"
Tatiana Shcserbacheva
Once upon a timhe, side by side,
Rooster and Miss Hen did reside.
It happened long, long ago,
Rooster lost a grain, you know.
He heard that within the grain,
Wisdom lay, a treasure to gain.
Who finds this hidden delight,
Shall be happy, rich in light.
Land was turned again and again,
But the treasure, they couldn't attain.
All day in search, Rooster strode,
Suddenly, an egg he bestowed!
Was it chance or meant to be,
How it came, the mystery?
Perhaps, it's that lost grain,
Just grown up in a different terrain?
Thought our Rooster in his prime,
"A sign from above, it's time!"
He decided to nurture and tend,
So it wouldn't be in vain, life to spend.
To be a father is no small feat,
He acknowledged the egg he'd meet.
With wings, a rainbow's gentle bow,
Sheltered it from rain's fierce blow.
Warmth and care he bestowed,
For the little one inside to grow.
Curiosity then took its toll,
Pecked and found, "Oh, behold!
What is this, water or more!?"
"Oh, dear Peter, what a chore!
How shall we unveil this mystery?
Impatience, alas, is misery."
His enthusiasm then did fade,
Rooster pondered, in thought he stayed.
Long he considered the egg's plight,
Not easy to become wise overnight.
II
But sorrow eventually did cease,
Our hen laid an egg with ease,
More beautiful than the last,
Rooster now a dad, unsurpassed!
In the morning, Pete did see,
Sunrise in all its majesty.
Blood rushed to his head so high,
The yolk was rising to the sky!
It was a shock for our dear Pete,
Rooster understood, quite neat.
He crowed throughout the day,
"Hello, Sun! We're kin, hooray!"
And there was no doubt in his mind,
He kept your portrait, Sun, enshrined.
Look, on the egg, you'll see,
The yolk, your face, agree?
You shine so bright and high,
How to hug my little guy?
I'll be close each morning near,
Waking him up with cheer.
I'll sing: "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
Chase away sorrow and rue!
Smiling, the hen nestles near,
Saying, "Peter, well done, my dear!
Morning is wiser than the eve,
Doubts and shadows it'll relieve."
Night. I see nothing at all.
Oh! Chicken brains, after all!
If only we could crack the egg,
Not tie the ends, I beg.
In whole, life is invincible!
Because everything is indivisible:
Dandelions, the Earth's expanse,
Sun, my friend, and I, perchance!
The egg taught us, don't you see,
Everyone has their own face!
"But what about That grain?"
"It sprouted in the soil, not in vain."
On a fragile stem, behold,
Many grains in the spikelet unfold!
Like a voice of happiness,
Light fills the spikelet with brightness.
How wonderful the day can be,
As the wheat in the field ripens, you see!
Peter and Miss Hen were amazed,
The efforts they made truly praised.
So, patience, joy, and toil,
Side by side, they did coalesce.
Then a chick broke the shell,
A thin layer, all was well.
The sun shines as a reward,
All around, everyone is joyous and spurred!
Perhaps the grain of wisdom,
Rooster found long ago, Kingdom?
With joy, he wakes the dawn,
So happiness to all may be drawn!