Famine Song

Death and Famine on every side

And never a sign of rain,

The bones of those who have starved and died

Unburied upon the plain.

What care have I that the bones bleach white?

To-morrow they may be mine,

But I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And drink your lips like wine!

Cholera, Riot, and Sudden Death,

And the brave red blood set free,

The glazing eye and the failing breath,–

But what are these things to me?

Your breath is quick and your eyes are bright

And your blood is red like wine,

And I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And hold your lips with mine!

I hear the sound of a thousand tears,

Like softly pattering rain,

I see the fever, folly, and fears

Fulfilling man’s tale of pain.

But for the moment your star is bright,

I revel beneath its shine,

For I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And feel your lips on mine!

And you need not deem me over cold,

That I do not stop to think

For all the pleasure this Life may hold

Is on the Precipice brink.

Thought could but lessen my soul’s delight,

And to-day she may not pine.

For I shall lie in your arms to-night

And close your lips with mine!

I trust what sorrow the Fates may send

I may carry quietly through,

And pray for grace when I reach the end,

To die as a man should do.

To-day, at least, must be clear and bright,

Without a sorrowful sign,

Because I sleep in your arms to-night

And feel your lips on mine!

So on I work, in the blazing sun,

To bury what dead we may,

But glad, oh, glad, when the day is done

And the night falls round us grey.

Would those we covered away from sight

Had a rest as sweet as mine!

For I shall sleep in your arms to-night

And drink your lips like wine!

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External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

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Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Владимир Высоцкий – Расскажи, дорогой by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Это вовсе не френч-канкан by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Величальная отцу by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Студенческая песня by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Вани перед студентами by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Грустная песня о Ванечке by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Свадебная by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Солдат и привидение by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Серенада Соловья-разбойника by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня солдата на часах by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Марии by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Куплеты нечистой силы by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Иван да Марья by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Заключительная песня Кэрролла by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Странные скачки by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Шляпник by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Про королевское шествие by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Попугая by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня о планах by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Лягушонка by Владимир Высоцкий

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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