Translating the poem "Teach me"

This is a poem written by adult Max but it mimics the poem written by very young Max (the happy little cultist).

The original Russian text:

Научи меня

Научи же меня
Самым разным вещам,
Научи же тому,
Что не знаю я сам...» -

Я когда-то мечтал,
Я когда-то просил –
И жестокий урок
От судьбы получил.

Я не знал, что дождусь
окончания дня,
Когда злоба и тьма
снизойдут до меня.
Но упорный и в мраке
научится жить,
Там другого меня
будет мастер учить.



My rough translation

Teach me

“Teach me
A lot of very different things.
Teach me
Something I don’t know,”

I used to dream,
I used to ask -
And I got my lesson
From the fate itself.

I didn’t know I’ll
see the end of the day
When malice and darkness
will dawn upon me.
But a stubborn one
will learn to live in darkness too.
There, a new master
Will teach the new me.


Alan Jackson's translation:

Teach me

“Teach me
Lots of all sorts!
Teach me
New facts, new thoughts!”

I dreamt,
I questioned,
But I was taught by Fate’s contempt -
Taught my lesson.

I didn’t know I’d see
the day’s end
When malice and night on me
descend.
But the thrawn mind
learns night-lore too;
A new teacher I’ll find
When I’m new.

Jump to another poem:

About the project:
My scifi and fantasy novels have a lot of poems in them that can not be removed without destroying the plot. Alas, my English in not good enough for translating poetry. Alan Jackson helps me translate the poems. It makes the translation of my novels possible.