Генрих Сапгир

Genrikh Sapgir

(Adapted by Alexander Andreyev)

ICARUS

The sculptor
made a statue of Icarus
His model stalked out
grumbling: "Lousy hack!
I have muscles
not parts of a motor. "
His buddies came
and said: "It's trite."
Only women saw,
a work of genius.
Whad power ! A real masterpiece
In the tradition
of ancient Greece.
Sexual emotions:
I'd like my children to be sired
by a gearbox!
She conceived - and speedily
in overdrive
gnawing at the bit
gave birth to a chopper
He's flying and crying
calling for his mammy -
disappears in the clouds... The public weeps:
SUCH IS THE EDUCATIONAL MEANING OF ART!
The artist bows. In the square
a bust
is erected:
self-portrait,
truck,
telephone booth.
SUCH IS THE EDUCATIONAL MEANING OF ART!

IVAN AND THE DIVAN

Miracle!

A new Furniture & Crockery

store opened in town

Ivan
Load the divan
on his back,
Off goes Ivan
Sporting - a divan.
It's hot.
Up the hill.
Past the shack.
The river.
His village is right there
On the other side.
But to the bridge -
It's a mile!
Near the water
In the sand - the divan
resting on it is Ivan.
A goldfinch
Chirped -
And sat on the divan.

Shoo -

Go away, says Ivan.
Brushed a feather from the upholstery.
From up the hill the girls
saw suddenly
How Ivan and the divan
Started. to ford, the river

The divan's afloat!

People running to get a look! Ivan is safe.
The divan sank.
Life is death without a divan!
Wails the better half of Ivan.
Poor Ivan!
He got drunk on moonshine booze

And started making up blues:
Convertible divan -

bad news!

THE TRIAL I talk to God
like a friend
but I only believe
in my legs.

They carry me
to the square
to the Last Judgement
"What happened
Who are they hanging?
Answer I"
"They are executing
Jews."
"Not all the doctors,
surely?"
(Laughter)

"Rabinovich?"
"Rabinovich!"
"Abramovich?"
"Abramovich!"
"And Gurevich?"
. "Yes, Gurevich!."
"And Petrov Ivan Petrovich?"
Odd.
The fellow stares
ominously. I break out
in cold sweat.
"you wouldn't by chance
belong to a sect?
Comrades,
An intellectual!"
The war ended. Then
- the carnage began.
It got so bad. that
God my best friend
couldn't help anyone. God, does have one great defect:
he is embarrassed by intellect.

Оригинал: http://www.penrussia.org/index.htm