Prisoner Poem by Vic Postnikov

Open wide my dungeon dwell,
Bring the daylight to my cell,
Black-eyed maiden of my fancy,
Black-maned steed to jump the fence!
First, I'll kiss my beauty sweet,
Then I'll mount my jolly steed,
Off to steppe, I'll fly as wind.

But the window's far too high,
Heavy lock I can't untie,
Black-eyed maiden is away,
In her fancy palace stays.
Jolly steed plays in the field
Without harness, without yield,
Jumping blithely in the wind.

Lonesome and deserted me,
Naked walls around me,
Dimly burns my icon-lamp
in the twilight of my damp;
All I hear throughout the days -
Silent sentry's boring pace.
(1837)

- Michail Lermontov

Trans. by V. Postnikov,16 Apr,2006