Wandering Clouds - M. Lermontov - EN translation

English translation of Mikhail Lermontov's poem ‘Clouds’

Oh, ethereal wanderers of the sky,
Adorned in chains of silver and blue,
You traverse the azure plain like I,
From the North's embrace to the South's hue.

What force do you heed? Fate's stern decree?
Jealousy's whisper? Or open scorn?
A crime that burdens you? Or a friend's decree?
Yet, your journey seems unburdened, forlorn.

No, you've grown tired of the barren lands,
Unfamiliar with human pain or strife,
Eternally cold, eternally free,
No home to call your own, no chains to life.

Your skies are wide, your paths unbound,
No roots to tie you down or restrict,
In this endless dance, you're never found,
As you cradle the earth with gentle might.

In my heart, I find a kinship with you,
A longing for the open skies,
Away from the chains that bind me through,
Into the vast, unending rise.

So, here I stand, an outcast like you,
Finding solace in your silent flight,
In the boundless journey, we are two,
Seeking peace under the same night.

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This version captures the essence of  Lermontov's "Тучи".

Here's a link to the song:

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/j6-_QZlfafjcPg

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This poem in Russian via the link:

http://stihi.ru/2025/10/27/1123