Эдгар По – Ворон (страница 44)
Radiant palace – reared its head.
In the monarch Thought’s dominion —
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow —
(This – all this – was in the olden
Time long ago);
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute’s well-tuned law,
Round about a throne where, sitting,
(Porphyrogene!)
In state his glory well befitting
The ruler of the realm was seen.
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of suprassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch’s high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn! – for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)
And round about his home the glory
That bushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old-time entombed.
And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh – but smile no more.
Дворец с привидениями
В самой зеленой из наших долин,
Где ангелов жили сонмы,
Возвышался когда-то дворец один,
Сияющий и огромный.
Царственной Мысли домом родным
Было чудо такое,
И любого дворца, где летал серафим,
Был он прекраснее вдвое.
И знамена плыли над крышей дворца,
Желтые и золотые.
(И было это по воле Творца
Во времена седые.)
И всякий ветер, который был
Свежим и благовонным,
Сладкие запахи разносил
Над крепостным бастионом.
И путники видели два окна
В той счастливой долине
И духов, которых вела струна, 
