Баллады. Роберт Стивенсон, Роберт Бернс, Джон Китс, Иоган Гёте, Фридрих Шиллер,Александр Пушкин, Николай Самойлов

The king sat high on his charger,

He looked on the little men;

And the dwarfish and swarthy couple

Looked at the king again.

Down by the shore he had them;

And there on the giddy brink —

«I will give you life, ye vermin,

For the secret of the drink.»

There stood the son and father,

And they looked high and low;

The heather was red around them,

The sea rumbled below.

And up and spoke the father,

Shrill was his voice to hear:

«I have a word in private,

A word for the royal ear.

«Life is dear to the aged,

And honour a little thing;

I would gladly sell the secret,»

Quoth the Pict to the king.

His voice was small as a sparrow’s,

And shrill and wonderful clear:

«I would gladly sell my secret,

Only my son I fear.

«For life is a little matter,

And death is nought to the young;

And I dare not sell my honour

Under the eye of my son.

Take him, O king, and bind him,

And cast him far in the deep;

And it’s I will tell the secret

That I have sworn to keep.»

They took the son and bound him,

Neck and heels in a thong,

And a lad took him and swung him,

And flung him far and strong,

And the sea swallowed his body,

Like that of a child of ten; —

And there on the cliff stood the father,

Last of the dwarfish men.

«True was the word I told you:

Only my son I feared;

For I doubt the sapling courage

That goes without the beard.

But now in vain is the torture,

Fire shall never avail:

Here dies in my bosom

The secret of Heather Ale.»

Подстрочник:

RG From the bonny bells of heather They brewed a drink long-syne,