The Bosphorus Within - S. Yesenin EN translation

English Translation of Sergey Yesenin's Lyric Poem
"Never Have I Sailed the Bosphorus"(1924)

Never have I sailed the Bosphorus -
So don’t ask of shimmering foam.
In your eyes, a vast ocean gleams,
Blue fire burning - bright, yet home.

Never journeyed to far-off Baghdad,
Never traded silk or myrrh.
Bow to me in graceful surrender —
Let my weary head find rest here.

Though I implore, you may not care -
Yet in Russia's northern grace,
Songs remember me, on every hill,
Softly whispering my name and place.

In my heart, the talyanka quivers,
Moonlit dogs bark through the night.
Tell me, Persian girl, do you yearn
For my far, blue-northern height?

I came not from boredom - but from you,
Guided by hands I couldn’t see.
Your swan-white arms enfold me gently,
Two soft wings - a cradle, and a key.

Long I sought for peace and quiet,
Never cursing life I knew.
Speak to me of your laughing country —
Warm me with its tales anew.

Silence now the talyanka’s lament, love,
Breathe enchantment, light, and sweet,
Till I lose all sighs and memories
Of my distant northern sweet.

Though I’ve never seen the Bosphorus,
I will dream its shores for you.
For your eyes, like waters in motion,
Glow with shifting, mystic blue.

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Here's a link to the song:

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/4RALyklukUfIAA

Instrumental version:

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/nG1t52HiubyEPQ

Russian original lyrics via the link:

http://stihi.ru/2025/11/01/204