Hundred rubles I could not save – so I never had,
Hundred mates I never found, it was just too bad,
What he wants, this funny bloke the funniest of lads!
Funny fellow! Wishes me a museum of mates!
Let us, though, investigate what w'ld happen if
Comes to me - to be my mate - every crook and thief.
A hundred brains, or ev'n more, I w'ld have, to compile
A hundred volumes, just as wise as th' Holy Bible!
We could say a hundred worlds the poets to amaze!
Now please each say a word, but please make it wise,
You 'll immediately see this : everything 's been done!
A hundred volumes for the world are already spun!
Now we have a hundred words wisely, timely said,
We w'ld have a hundred woods where we all could hide.
We w'ld build a hundred buildings, all of them high rise,
We w'ld cross a hundred seas, all spread mighty wide.
My invaluable friends, oh my dearest mates,
All 're as wise as th' Reserve Bank of the United States!
You are wiser, and your wisdom their strength overweighs,
Let them all remember this till th' end of their Days!
All you have to keep in mind: I w'ld not be trapped,
And my back a hundred times 's never to be slapped,
A hundred comforts, a hundred hopes, are never will be scrapped,
Though the only thing we need 's a hundred of armed guards,
That we have to put on guard, in our own back yards
Guarding our multitudes of houses of cards...
And a hoard of golden coins -- or pan BasAvryuk’s* shards?
*Pan B. - a personage from N. Gogol’s novelette The St. John’s Night, who was
said to be involved in turning the treasure hunters’ hoards into shards.