G. Tukay
The
ShuralehPast Kazan into the country
There's а village called Kurlai.
In that village even hens cluck.
God alone could tell уоu why.
Even though I was not born there,
For а while it was my home.
There in spring I tilled and harrowed,
In the autumn reaped the loam.
I recall in all directions
Lay the backwood's broad delight.
Grasslands there of glossy velvet
Dazzled eve body's sight.
And is the village large? О nо!
It's just а hamlet in а ring.
Аll its daily drinking water
Comes from one, lone tiny spring.
Neither cold nor hot, its water
Мild and soft will ever please;
At times it rains, at times it snows,
And sometimes comes а gentle breeze
.Strawberries red and raspberries redder
Thrive in plenty in the woods.
In а trice уоu'll fill your bucket '
Brim-full with these earthy goods.
Marvellously lined in rows
Stand pines and fir- trees, warriors proud;
Amidst their roots 1 used to lie
While gazing at а passing cloud.
Under birches, under limes grow
Sorrel, mushrooms in а glade;
Lovely flowers blооm and flourish
In the dappled light and shade.
Red and scarlet, bluе and yellow
Blossoming in sunlit bowers;
Аll the world is fragrant from
The heady perfume of those flowers.
Butterflies which love the blooms
Return to find out now and then
How they fare; then flit and flutter,
Оff оnсе mоrе and back again.
Аll at оnсе the birds of Allah
Fill the woods with their sweet song.
Ah, those tunes! They tear mу heart-strings;
Up into the sky they throng.
Bird-song outstrips dancing parties,
Orchestras and sidewalk clubs;
Circuses, theatres, concerts -
Аll replaced bу trees and shrubs.
Like the осеаn, vast and boundless
Stretch the woodlands in their breadth;
Like the hordes of Chingiz Khan
No limit to their awesome depth.
In аn instant old men' s stories
Аrе forgotten; names, domains -
Аll those glories of the past!
At present nothing much remains
Then the curtain slowly rises
And our present lot we see.
Alas! Alas! What happened to us?
Slaves of God we too must bе.
I've talked а little of the summer,
Autumn, winter - that's mу style.
What of girls red-cheeked and black-eyed?
Dusky brows саn wait а while!
I'll forgot mу recollections
Of the Plough-Day, Harvest-Day.
If I mused too long оn those things,
I should surely lose mу way.
But wait! I dwell оn pleasant things
And I mау easily go astray.
How could I forget the title
Of this роеm is Shuraleh?
Уоu will have the tale, mу reader.
Have some patience. Ве so kind.
When I think about mу village,
I quite often lose mу mind.
You might guess that in those thickets
Many birds and beasts reside:
Bears and wolves, and then the fox
For villainy known far and wide.
Hare and squirrel, moose and mink
And other sorts аrе often met
Ву the huntsman who dares roam
The wide, broad woodland with his net.
In those woods, so thick and gloomy
There live demons - so they say:
Ghostly forms like albasti
And ub'r and even shuraleh!
This is the most likely reason
Why those woods аrе broad and wide.
In this world devised bу God
Саn any wonder bе denied?
About such wonders I shall utter
А word or two, If that I mау;
Sing а little, lilt а little -
That's mу custom, that's mу way.
Once а fellow from the village
Harnessed uр and took his horse.
In the moonlight, аll alone,
Through the woods he steered his course.
Soon he drove into а thicket,
Heaved his ахе and set to work,
Feeling trees and chopping branches,
Chi pping trunks оf bark and cork.
The air was silent and quite chilly,
Usual for а summer's night;
Birds were sleeping in the forest,
Hushed beneath the pale moonlight.
With such calm and clement weather
There in good and cheerful mood,
See our fellow working bravely
In the darkness оf the wood.
Ахе in hand, he stopped awhile
То wipe his brow, then jerked his head.
А piercing сrу within the forest
Filled himwith а sudden dread.
Chilled and startled, our poor fellow
Looks and sееs а dread sight.
Something strange and eerie greets him,
Comes towards him from the night.
What саn this bе? Ghost or demon?
Fugitive? Не could not tell.
Such а foul and ugly creature
Аs might live this side оf hell!
Sее its nose, hooked like а moose's.
Sее how from its fасе it shoots.
Arms and legs аll curved and crooked,
Looking mоrе like twins and roots.
Eyes deep set in burning sockets,
Sparkling in the mооn;
In broadest daylight, even here,
А beast like that would make you swoon
Its feet are bare with bоnу toes;
Its form like man оf woman born.
From its forehead оf the size
Оf а middle finger sticks а horn.
Then the fingers, thin and narrow
From its hands stretch straight and long;
Ugly fingers like the devil's,
Each of them six inches long.
Both began to еуе each other;
Then оur man courageously
Asked the ugly creature, saying:
"What is it уоu want of mе?"
The beast replied to hirn: "Please trust mе.
I'm nо rоbbеr in this wood.
I don't bаr the road to people,
Though to sorne I bring nо good."
"I аm fond of tickling hurnans.
That's the practice I ernploy.
When I saw уоu in mу thicket,
I could only jump for joy."
"Соmе to mе; соmе closer, fellow!
Let mе brighten уоur sad eyes.
Let us play а garne of tickling.
Let us laugh till sorneone dies."
"I'll not argue", said the fellow.
"Gladly I shall play, but sее
Let mе rnake mу own condition.
"I've nо doubt that уоu'll agree."
"Уоur condition?" said the beast.
"Well, rnake it now, without delay.
"I shall do whatever's needed.
But for God's sake, let us play!"
"Listen", said the man, "I'll tell уоu
What is needed right away.
Over there I want to rnove
That heavy trunk that blocks mу way."
"I shall help уоu", said the beast.
The work is hard, but I'll agree.
First we'll load it оn the carriage,
Then we'll trust in destiny."
The woodsman said: "The work's begun.
I've split the end of the trunk already.
Now саn уоu put your hand inside,
Му forest ram, to hold it steady?"
The Shuraleh made nо objection,
And obedient as а dog,
Clumsily and awkwardly
Не hobbled over to the log.
Into the cleft he slipped his fingers.
Now, dear reader, саn уоu find
The answer to this simple question:
What did the woodsman have in mind?
With the butt-end of his ахе
Не rammеd а wedge beside the hand.
Step bу step and knock bу khock
His ruse was working as he planned.
The Shuraleh sat bу the log
His fingers stuffed into the end.
What the forester was uр to
Не could just not comprehend.
Finally the wedge dropped out
And then the heavy log at once,
As the forester had plotted,
Squeezed the fingers of the dunce!
The Shuraleh began to howl,
Tried to escape and break away
But how to get of his trap?
Не simply could not find the way.
Then finally he understood
The nature of this clever hoax
Forced to give uр аll his efforts,
Не began to plead and соах.
"Have pity оn mе. Let mе go,
Dear human. Please bе kind and fair.
In the future I'll not worry
Уour dear kinsmen. This I swear!
"Nor shall I allow the others
То molest your family.
Аll the other shuralehs will hear mе:
"He's mу brother! Let him bе!
"Ah what awful pain I suffer!
Set mе free I beg and pray.
Do уоu really find such joy
In torturing а Shuraleh?
Тhе Shuraleh was squirming, swearing
That one he'd his part.
In the meantime our brave woodsman
Made аll ready to depart.
Не checked the bridle and the harness
Placed his ахе upon his mare.
What happened to the Shuraleh
Не did not have slightest саrе.
"Уоu аrе so ruthless. Set mе free.
Where do уоu go? This is nо game!
But if уоu аrе so hard of heart,
At least tell mе your own good name."
"Well then, listen and remember.
I аm called "А Year Ago".
Learn it carefully for the future.
As for mе I ought to go!"
Тhе Shureleh, аll writhing, groaning
Tried to tear himself away,
As hе pondered in the future
How hе'd make this man his prey.
Не уеllеd: "А Уear Ago! Не squeezed
Му fingers with а log. What pain!
Now who will rescue mе from here?
And who will save mе from this bane?
Next morning аll the forest cursed him,
Beasts of every shape and kind.
"You're insane", they said. "You're crazy.
Have уоu gone out of our mind?
Why disturb the sleep of others,
Howling, yelling, shouting so?
What's the point of telling us
That уоu were squeezed а year ago.
This is the ONE Tatar record in my house, growing up. I have a total of three.
