Today is Joseph Brodsky's birthday! 🥳

Are you celebrating? I am. He is one of my favorite poets. And below is one of my favorite poems -- and my translation!

The translation is one of my proudest achievements because... to say that translating poetry is hard would be an understament. With invaluable support of Timur Khamzin. ❤️

Сначала в бездну свалился стул,
потом - упала кровать,
потом - мой стол. Я его столкнул
сам. Не хочу скрывать.
Потом - учебник "Родная речь",
фото, где вся моя семья.
Потом четыре стены и печь.
Остались пальто и я.
Прощай, дорогая. Сними кольцо,
выпиши вестник мод.
И можешь плюнуть тому в лицо,
кто место мое займет.

***
Иосиф Бродский

The chair was the first to fall in the abyss.
Then tumbled the bed.
The table didn't fall on its own. I won't hide this -
I pushed it myself instead.
Then my favorite alphabet book,
The family photo and the shelf
Then the four walls and the hook
Leaving my coat and myself.
Farewell, my princess. Take off that ring.
Put on a stylish gown.
And you can spit in the face of the king
Who will come to wear my crown.

***
Irina Lutsenko, 2021

I love this poem because it says so much in words that are so simple...

What is your favorite poem by Brodsky?