An Attempt at Jealousy
Marina Tsvetaeva
Marina Tsvetaeva
How is your life with that other one?
Simpler, is it? A stroke of the oars
and a long coastline—
and the memory of me
is soon a drifting island
(not in—the ocean—in the air!)
Souls—you will be sisters—
sisters, not lovers.
How is your life with an ordinary
woman? Without the god inside her?
The queen supplanted—
How do you breathe now?
Flinch, waking up?
What do you do, poor man?
"Hysterics and interruptions—
enough! I'll rent my own house!"
How is your
life with that other,
you, my own.
Is the breakfast egg boiled?
(If you get sick, don't blame me!)
How is it living with a postcard?
You who stood on Sinai.
How's your life with a tourist
on Earth? Her rib (do you
love her?)
—to your liking?
Is it life? Do you cough?
Do you hum to drown out the mice in your mind?
How do you live with cheap goods: is the market rising?
How's kissing plaster-dust?
Are you bored with her new body?
How's it going, with an earthly woman,
with no sixth sense?
Are
you happy?
No? In a shallow pit—how is your life,
my beloved. Hard as mine
with another man.
1924
Translated by Ilya Kaminsky and Jean Valentine
________________________________________________
An Attempt at Jealousy
Marina Tsvetaeva
How is your life with another, —
Simpler, huh? — The stroke of an oar! —
Like the receding shoreline
The memory of me
Has gone quickly, me, a floating island
(In the sky — not on the water!)
Souls, souls! You should be sisters,
Not mistresses!
How is your life with a common
Woman? Without deities?
Since you overthrew Her Majesty
(Having yourself stepped down from the throne),
How is your life — busy —
Hemming and hawing? Getting up — how?
How do you cope, pauper,
With the customs duty of immortal triviality?
"Enough of convulsions and trembling —
Enough! I'll rent myself a house!"
How is your life with just anyone —
My chosen one!
Is the food more suitable, tastier to eat?
When you are fed up — you have yourself to blame...
How is your life with an imitation —
You, who trampled over Mt. Sinai!
How's your life with another woman,
From this world? Loved — for being made from a rib?
Doesn't shame lash your brow
Like the rein of mighty Zeus?
How's your life — how's your health —
Still able? How's your singing — eh?
How do you cope, pauper, with the wound
of immortal conscience?
How's your life with market
goods? Is the rent too steep?
After the marble of Carrara
How is your life with plaster
Dust? (God was sculpted
From rubble — and smashed into bits!)
How is your life with the one-thousandth one —
You, who knew Lillith!
Are you sated with the market's novelty?
Having grown cold to magic,
How is your life with an earthly
Woman, without a sixth
Sense? Well, say there: are you mindlessly happy?
No? In an abyss without depth —
How is your life, my dear? Is it any harder,
Or is it the same as for me with another?
19 November 1924
Translated by Michael M. Naydan and Slava I. Yastremski
________________________________________________
An Attempt at Jealousy
Marina Tsvetaeva
How is your life with the other one,
simpler, isn't it? One
stroke of the oar
then a long coastline, and soon
even the memory of me
will be a floating island
(in the sky, not on the waters):
spirits, spirits, you will be
sisters, and never lovers.
How is your life with an ordinary
woman? without
godhead?
Now that your sovereign has
been deposed (and you have stepped down).
How is your life? Are you fussing?
flinching?, How do
you get up?
The tax of deathless vulgarity
can you cope with it, poor man?
'Scenes and hysterics I've had
enough! I'll rent my own house!'
How is your life with the other one
now, you that I chose for my own?
More to your taste, more delicious
is it, your food? Don't moan if you sicken.
How is your life with an image
you who walked on Sinai?
How is your life with a stranger
from this world? Can you (be frank)
love her? Or do you feel shame
like Zeus' reins on your forehead?
How is your life? Are you
healthy? How do your
sing?
How do you deal with the pain
of an undying conscience, poor man?
How is your life with a piece of market
stuff, at a steep price.
After Carrara marble,
how is your life with the dust of
plaster now? (God was hewn from
stone, but he is smashed to bits.)
How do you live with one of a
thousand women after
Lillith?
Sated with newness, are you?
Now you are grown cold to magic,
how is your life with an
earthly woman, without a sixth
sense? Tell me: are you happy?
Not? In a shallow pit How is
your life, my love. Is it as
hard as mine with another man?
1924
Translated by Elaine Feinstein
An Attempt at Jealousy
Marina Tsvetaeva
How is it living with another?
Simpler, no? A beat of the oar!
Has the memory grown farther,
Fading like a distant shore?
Think of me: a floating island,
Not in the sea — in the sky above.
Souls, our souls will be united
In sisterhood only, not in love.
How is it living with a common
Woman? Void of lofty things?
After razing your queen's throne
By refusing to be king.
How is life, in all its vanity?
Getting up? Fussing about?
In the market for profanity,
Pauper, are you all tapped out?
"Sick of churning and of frothing!
I will rent myself a home."
How is living with a nothing
You, who used to be my own?
Is her cookery delightful?
Worry not, you will get by.
How is living with an idol
You, who trampled on Sinai!
How is living with a stranger?
With a local? Do you love her rib?
Doesn't shame, Zeus's avenger,
Lash your forehead, like a whip?
How is living? And your health?
How do you feel? How do you sing?
Does the sore of ageless impudence
Ever bother you, poor thing?
How is the market for your marvel?
Are the taxes hard to take?
Having trashed Carrara marbles,
How is living with a fake
Made from plaster? (When a monolith
Of the god is smashed to bits!)
How is living with a millionth,
You, who have bedded Lillith?
Are you sated with her novelty?
Spurning the divine distichs,
How is living with an earthly
Woman? Without a sixth
Sense?
Think on it! Well, are you happy?
No? In a gully without depth,
How is life, my dear? As heavy
As for me with someone else?
Simpler, no? A beat of the oar!
Has the memory grown farther,
Fading like a distant shore?
Think of me: a floating island,
Not in the sea — in the sky above.
Souls, our souls will be united
In sisterhood only, not in love.
How is it living with a common
Woman? Void of lofty things?
After razing your queen's throne
By refusing to be king.
How is life, in all its vanity?
Getting up? Fussing about?
In the market for profanity,
Pauper, are you all tapped out?
"Sick of churning and of frothing!
I will rent myself a home."
How is living with a nothing
You, who used to be my own?
Is her cookery delightful?
Worry not, you will get by.
How is living with an idol
You, who trampled on Sinai!
How is living with a stranger?
With a local? Do you love her rib?
Doesn't shame, Zeus's avenger,
Lash your forehead, like a whip?
How is living? And your health?
How do you feel? How do you sing?
Does the sore of ageless impudence
Ever bother you, poor thing?
How is the market for your marvel?
Are the taxes hard to take?
Having trashed Carrara marbles,
How is living with a fake
Made from plaster? (When a monolith
Of the god is smashed to bits!)
How is living with a millionth,
You, who have bedded Lillith?
Are you sated with her novelty?
Spurning the divine distichs,
How is living with an earthly
Woman? Without a sixth
Sense?
Think on it! Well, are you happy?
No? In a gully without depth,
How is life, my dear? As heavy
As for me with someone else?
19 November 1924
Translated by Leah Goldberger and Eugene Serebryany
