Ïðåäèñëîâèå.
Äëÿ ýòîãî ñòèõîòâîðåíèÿ Êèïëèíãà ìàëî ïåðåâîäîâ.
Ôàêòè÷åñêè, èçâåñòíû òîëüêî äâà: êëàññè÷åñêèé - "Ïûëü" (Îíîøêîâè÷-ßöûíà) è "Ïåõîòà â Àôðèêå" (Ìàðøàê).
Äëÿ ïåõîòû åñòü ðàáîòà – äîëãèé ìàðø ïî Àôðèêå;
Êàæäûé øàã âûõîäèò ïîòîì – òðóäåí ïóòü ïî Àôðèêå.
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Âîñåìü, äåñÿòü è äâåíàäöàòü – îòìàõàëè òðèäöàòü ìèëü;
×óòü ïîõóæå, ÷åì â÷åðà – òðèäöàòü äâå ïðîéòè ñìîãëè.
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Ìåíüøå, ìåíüøå, ìåíüøå, ìåíüøå äóìàé, ÷òî òàì âïåðåäè.
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Øàã çà øàãîì, øàãîì, øàãîì – îò òåìíà è äî òåìíà.
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Äàé, äàé, äàé, äàé ñèëû äóìàòü î äðóãîì.
Ãîñïîäè, ñïàñè ìåíÿ, íå ñâèõíóòüñÿ áû óìîì.
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Ïóëÿ, ïóëÿ, ïóëÿ, ïóëÿ – ïàòðîíòàø ïåðåñ÷èòàé.
Íå ñîìêíóòü ãëàçà íà ìèã – òîë÷å¸é ïîðóøèøü ñòðîé.
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Ãîëîä, æàæäó – ñòåðïèì âñ¸, ìîæåøü ñäîõíóòü, íî äîéäè!
Íî òàê, òàê, òàê, òàê îáðûäëî âèäåòü èõ –
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Íà ìèðó è ñìåðòü êðàñíà – ãîíèò ñâåò äóøè òîñêó,
À óïàëà òåìíîòà, ñíîâà òîëüêî ñëûøèøü çâóê –
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Øåñòü íåäåëü â àäó ïðîø¸ë è íóòðîì ñâîèì ïîñòèã:
Ìóêè – íå ïàëüáà âðàãà èëè êðîâü äðóçåé òâîèõ –
Ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî, ãëóõî ïûëü âáèâàþò ñàïîãè…
Òåíüþ ÷¸ðíîþ âöåïèëàñü, íå óéòè, âîéíà.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Boots
We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin' over Africa —
Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin' over Africa —
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!
Seven—six—eleven—five—nine-an'-twenty mile to-day —
Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before —
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!
Don't—don't—don't—don't—look at what's in front of you.
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again);
Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin' em,
An' there's no discharge in the war!
Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different —
Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!
Count—count—count—count—the bullets in the bandoliers.
If—your—eyes—drop—they will get atop o' you!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again) —
There's no discharge in the war!
We—can—stick—out—'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But—not—not—not—not the chronic sight of 'em —
Boot—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!
'Taint—so—bad—by—day because o' company,
But night—brings—long—strings—o' forty thousand million
Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again.
There's no discharge in the war!
I—'ave—marched—six—weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It—is—not—fire—devils, dark, or anything,
But boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!