Do not envy a rich man,
A rich man shall not know
neither sympathy nor love -
These are rented to him.
Do not envy a powerful one,
All he has is gotten by force.
Do not envy a man in glory,
A glorious one knows all too well
that he is loved not for himself,
but for that hard glory of his
that he poured forth
with his tears
for everyone's amusement.
Look at the young ones,
in love and at peace,
as in Eden, - look closely:
Evil stirs not far behind.
Look around yourself,
There is no paradise here,
And in heaven there is none.

 

1846

Translation: Roman Turovsky-Savchuk 3/10/2008

I

II

IV


Home