Стихи и поэмы - [6]

              So I told them in rhyme,

             For of rhymes I had store:

              And 'twas in my vocation

               For their recreation

               That so should I sing

               Because I was Laureate

               To them and the King.

             From its sources which well

              In the Tarn on the fell;

                 From its fountains

                 In the mountains,

              Its rills and its gills;

           Through moss and through brake,

               It runs and it creeps

             For awhile till it sleeps

              In its own little Lake.

              And thence at departing,

              Awakening and starting,

             It runs through the reeds

               And away it proceeds,

             Through meadow and glade,

               In sun and in shade,

           And through the wood-shelter,

             Among crags in its flurry,

                  Helter-skelter,

                   Hurry-scurry.

              Here it comes sparkling,

             And there it lies darkling;

              Now smoking and frothing

              Its tumult and wrath in,

              Till in this rapid race

                On which it is bent,

               It reaches the place

               Of its steep descent.

                The Cataract strong

                Then plunges along,

                Striking and raging

                As if a war waging

           Its caverns and rocks among:

                Rising and leaping,

               Sinking and creeping,

               Swelling and sweeping,

              Showering and springing,

                Flying and flinging,

                Writhing and ringing,

                Eddying and whisking,

                Spouting and frisking,

                Turning and twisting,

                 Around and around

                With endless rebound!

                Smiting and fighting,

                A sight to delight in;

               Confounding, astounding,

   Dizzying and deafening the ear with its sound.

               Collecting, projecting,

               Receding and speeding,

              And shocking and rocking,

              And darting and parting,

             And threading and spreading,

              And whizzing and hissing,

              And dripping and skipping,

              And hitting and splitting,

               And shining and twining,

              And rattling and battling,

               And shaking and quaking,

               And pouring and roaring,

               And waving and raving,

              And tossing and crossing,

               And flowing and going,

              And running and stunning,

              And foaming and roaming,

              And dinning and spinning,

              And dropping and hopping,

              And working and jerking,

            And guggling and struggling,

              And heaving and cleaving,

              And moaning and groaning;

           And glittering and frittering,

           And gathering and feathering,

           And whitening and brightening,

            And quivering and shivering,

            And hurrying and scurrying,

          And thundering and floundering,

         Dividing and gliding and sliding,

      And falling and brawling and sprawling,

        And diving and riving and striving,

    And sprinkling and twinkling and wrinkling,

      And sounding and bounding and rounding,

      And bubbling and troubling and doubling,

      And grumbling and rumbling and tumbling,

    And clattering and battering and shattering;

  Retreating and beating and meeting and sheeting,

  Delaying and straying and playing and spraying,

  Advancing and prancing and glancing and dancing,

   Recoiling, turmoiling and toiling and boiling,

And gleaming and streaming and steaming and beaming,

And rushing and flushing and brushing and gushing,

And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping,

And curling and whirling and purling and twirling,

And thumping and plumping and bumping and jumping,

And dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing;

    And so never ending, but always descending,

Sounds and motions for ever and ever are blending,

  All at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar,

    And this way the water comes down at Lodore

Предостережение хирурга [10]

Сиделке доктор что-то прошептал,

        Слова к хирургу долетели,

Он побледнел при докторских словах

        И задрожал в своей постели.

— Ах, братьев приведите мне моих,—

        Хирург заговорил, тоскуя,—

Священника ко мне с гробовщиком

        Скорей, пока еще живу я.

Пришел священник, гробовщик пришел,

        Чтобы стоять при смертном ложе:

Ученики хирурга им во след

        По лестнице поднялись тоже.

И в комнату вошли ученики

        Попарно, по трое, в молчаньи,

Вошел с лукавым зубоскальством Джо,

        Руководитель их компаньи.

Хирург ругаться начал, видя их,

        Страшны ругательства такие.

— Пошлите этих негодяев в ад,

        Молю вас, братья дорогие!

От злости пена бьет из губ его,

        Бровь черная его трясется.

— Я знаю, Джо привяжется ко мне,

        Но к черту, пусть он обойдется.