about mongoose-про мангуста

слова и музыка В. Высоцкого
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ah3gsKVig

"snakes, snakes all'round, be they damned!" -
the hu-man was shouting enraged.
and he called the mongoose to help,
so that, meaning, the mongoose would save.

and the mongooses got on to the work,
sparing neither self nor the kins.
they were stepping out for hunting,
with no days off and holyday eves.

there in deserts, steppes, and in pampas,
orders were sent to th' patrols:
ignore all the snakes that aren't biting
and reduce those poisonous to null.

get at ready, now it will be mournful:
the hu-man appeared up by stealth,
and arranged the snares for the mongoose,
by declaring him a harmfuler beast.

in the morning, he came, a dog with him,
and thrust the mongoose into a sack,
while the mongoose fought back and cried bitter,
and exclaimed: "I am a useful beast!"

but, all-covered by fractures and wounds,
they were thrown in sacks like some vegs -
insane of their pain in the nooses,
well, and from a turn of a fate.

and they puzzled: what is the matter,
why are we carried off to be killed?
and the old mongoose, his hart heavy,
his leg broken, told them with grim/grin,

there, in Belgium, goats ate all the cabbage,
sparrows gobbled up th' rice in China away,
and in Australia, evil mongooses
destroyed the very beneficial snakes.

this is not at all a fairy miracle:
used to be useful - and all a sudden
it turned out, it was too much zealous,
the mongooses destructed the vipers.

this is what they were got a reward for
from the prudent and sensible men,
it's revealed, people can't live without poison,
so this means, they can't be without snakes.

"snakes, snakes all'round, be they damned!" et cet.

#a_ex   #В_С_В