Фанданго не сложился:
Плясали тяжело,
Меня чуть-чуть мутило,
Но народ вопил: «Ещё!»
Вся комната гудела,
Кружился потолок...
Попросили по одной с тобой -
Бармен принес лоток.
Но все случилось позже -
Из за мельника ль речей-
Ее мертвенная кожа
Стала белого бледней.
Сказала: «И не думай!
Читаю я тебя»
Я прикинул свои шансы:
Ломается она.
Не надо корчить целку-
Весталку предо мной,
Любой тебя прочёл бы враз,
Будь даже он слепой.
Но все случилось позже -
Из за мельника ль речей-
Ее мертвенная кожа
Стала белого бледней.
«Давай, плыви», - сказала.
Но моря нету здесь!
Я подчеркнул деталь эту
И сбил с нее всю спесь:
«Да ты поди русалка -
Взнуздала Нептуна»
В ответ так улыбнулась мне,
Что злость прошла сама.
Но все случилось позже -
Из за мельника ль речей -
Ее мертвенная кожа
Стала белого бледней.
Коль Нота - пища Страсти,
То Смех - ее Король.
Будь даже гадкой Правда -
Ее не меньше роль.
Мой рот - кусок картона,
Довольно глупых слов!
И мы быстрей нырнули
В глубин морских альков.
Но все случилось позже -
Из за мельника ль речей -
Ее мертвенная кожа
Стала белого бледней.
We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
But the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She said, there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see.
But I wandered through my playing cards
And would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might have just as well've been closed
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She said, I'm here on a shore leave,
Though we were mile at sea
I pointed out this detail
And forced her to agree
Saying, you must be the mermaid
Who took neptune for a ride.
But she smiled at me so sweetly
That my anger straightway died
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
If music be the food of love
Then laughter is it's queen
And likewise if behind is in front
Then dirt in truth is clean
My mouth by then like cardboard
Seemed to slip straight through my head
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
And attacked the ocean bed
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
(c) Keith Reid
https://youtu.be/oHcU7gF-mVY