Cloud, masters of the sky

Proudly in Heaven fly

Chased the shining sun away

Bringing gloom to sunny day.

Caution: those who shine today

May tomorrow go away.

Rain is weeping, feeling: soon

Wind will start its howling tune.

Ripping yellow leaves from trees,

Giving them its deadly kiss.

Next to chilly marble wall

Lonely man amidst the Fall

Mourns his youth that passed away

On a sim’lar Autumn day.

Pensive look upon his face

He beholds leaves’ dying grace.

Talks to them without words,

Contemplating the unheard.

Yellow leaves that yesterday

On the living branches swayed,

Looking down upon the World,

Bearing weight of singing birds.

Leaves, adored by blazing sun

Through the season had much fun,

Seeing no end to bliss,

Fluttering in gentle breeze.

Rain is crying, wind is raging

War on leaves the wind is waging.

Yellow leaves, the gilded skin,

No mercy would they win.

Life has passed baton to death

Death has come to rule the fest.

By his house’s marble wall

Sits a man - not old at all,

Not a youngster anymore,

What has life for him in store?

Knows the man: his life has passed,

Yellowed like the Autumn grass.

Wind of fate will blow a gust

And commit him to the past.

Rain is pounding the ground,

Pretty red bird comes around.

Drinks from puddles left by rain,

Her black eyes dart to the man.

Red bird, silend bird, say, why

Are you acting so shy?

What conceals your darting gaze,

Sparkling like ceramic glaze?

On the World I did look down

Like the leaves upon the ground.

Birds from all around the World

Upon me their love conferred.

All of them, in time, flew back

Leaving in my heart no trace.

Only one, with soul of crimson,

Like your wings, at me would gaze.

Tiny diamond tears

Dropped from her eyes,

Wind has claimed his share –

This is time to cry.

Trees through years grew taller,

Autumn leaves went down,

Birds of every color

Came and then were gone.

All, except that one

With her soul afire,

Like your wings, aglow

With the crimson pyre.

Beside me she lingered,

Looking sad and tired,

Poor little singer

For my call aspired.

Songs of joy forsaken,

Soul torn apart.

Sun that Spring awakened

Failed to warm her heart.

The rain she befriended,

Bitter tears poured

Just because she couldn’t

See me no more.

Red bird, she did love me,

Sorrow filled her eyes.

As a bright reminder

Over me she flied.

I ignored her presence

Of her common kind

It was one of many,

For the heart that’s blind.

T’was the only one

Who would stick around,

Who my heart rejected

Upon whom it frowned.

Why I think about her

I have no clue

Why her gaze of sorrow

To my soul is glued

At a time when Autumn

Of my life has come,

When like yellow foliage

I will soon be gone?

With her soul as pretty

As your bright red wings,

She is gone forever,

No more strength to sing.

No more strength to linger

Through the endless nights,

Waiting to be noticed,

No more will to fight.

If it was in my power,

To those days I’d go back

I’d reach out to the red bird

And stopped it in its tracks.

When she was so close,

With sadness in her eyes

That filled with bitter tears

It struggled to disguise.

When sadly did it utter

As tears rolled and rolled

That wind was sole culprit

For tears anguished fall.

I wish my heart accepted

Her affection once,

A welcome smile it granted,

Allowed one more chance,

It wouldn’t spend eternity

In solitude and gloom

Beholding life’s fall season

And dying flowers doom.

When fresh green leaves of Summer

Love blesses with sunlight,

The birds of every color

To them direct their flight.

To them they sing their ballads,

The wind gives tender care,

The rain comes down in torrents

Their blooming youth to spare.

Leaves care not that Autumn

Will give them yellow coats,

That sun no longer bless them,

Commending them to rot.

That birds of every color

Will leave in search of Spring,

That their silver voices

Will no longer ring.

I need someone to talk to,

So, please, red bird, don’t leave.

See, all my birds have left me

In solitude to grieve.

Tell me where I can find her,

The one with dismal gaze,

Who’s eyes would often cloud

Unnoticed tears’ glaze?

By Liana Margiva

Translated from Russian by Anatol Kardiukov