Two years ago I started to translate English poems into the Ukrainian language under the pen-name Nataliya Bessonova
(it's my mum's surname).
a talented writer, poet, musician and artist, who made pictures for his books.
It was my pleasure to know that my translations of the poems "Rain" and "Sleeping sardines"
were included in the first Ukrainian book of Shel Silversten's poems in Ukrainian.
"Де закінчується тротуар" ("Where the sidewalk ends") .
I hope the site readers will enjoy reading it.
The book was published in Ternopil by Bohdan Publishing House
and is now on sale in bookshops.
Here I offer you my translation of the poem "Rain",
which was translated in 2010.
Rain
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.
Дощ
На дощ я поглянув,
З неба він, як струмок,
Прямо в голову "хлюп" -
Так, що й мозок промок.
І все, що я чую у ліжку вночі, -
В мізках булькає дощ і біжить по плечі.
Ступаю я м'яко
У пору нічну,
На руки не стану,
Бо повінь почну.
Пробачте за все, що я тут Вам кажу,
Я іншим зробивсь, як з дощем я ходжу.
************
Shel Silverstein's poems for this book were translated
into the Ukrainian language by
Taras V'ients
Halyna Mykhailovska
Zoriana Lisevych
Halyna Ilnytska
Volodymyr Chernyshenko
Nataliya Bessonova
Click on the link and read more about Shel Silverstein and the book.
"Troyeshchyna" Gymnasium Land
