Похороны шута [Pokhorony shuta] [English translation]

Look: fir branches are gnawing at my hands

The candle stains my shirt with hot tar

In the midst of the noisy ball fools die of boredom

To the laugh of court valets and the sigh of the hangman

The horse drags itself idly along the edge

Today the bells of my cap are silent

It's too tight in the cosy box of a separate coffin

I want to smoke but there's no one to give me some tobacco

The sullen deacon with a contused cheek

Sings for the peace of my soul

Carpenter Demian, who knocked the cross together,

Is drunk as always. Wait, no, he's sober

The wandering actor has taken off his mask

The archers' major has taken off his helmet

The veiled lady is swollen from crying

The shabby dog is howling of sadness

Hey deacon, pray for salvation of the Lord's temple!

Hey lady, what's that streaming out of you?

This old, boring drama

Is turning into a new, fun anecdote before your eyes!

I'll just get up and rise from the dead! Wouldn't it be fun?

That's it, I don't wanna die, and that's all!

Bring here a barrel of selected strong laughter!

Let's drink some with crisp salty words

Foamed drink in the deacon's icon-lamp

The hurt cheek was healed in a moment

Demian is dancing with the cross

"Hey carpenter, come have some!"

"I'm already drunk"

The actor is mixing spirit with his grease-paint

The brave major is drinking too

The veiled lady and the sad dog

Have kissed with the tongue

The fir branches are ready to lick my hands

But I throw them in the fire growing out of the candle

Who told you fools die of boredom?

Ring, my bell! Ring, don't stop!

I wrote an application with red wine and sent it to the Death

The reason of truancy? I've started drinking. I can't come there like this!

The devils on duty came for me for two times

On the third time they gave up and chipped in a couple of roubles

And in the night the blind hag came herself

Flashed her sickle and said dryly: It's time to go!

But I came closer and whispered something in her ear

That she was thundering her bones in laughter til morning

The deacon is sleeping and singing in his sleep:

"The top is spinning and whirling!"

The carpenter is discgracing Christ

Sleeping on the boards of the cross, stained in puke

The major and the actor are snoring

The lady and the dog went away to the forest

The hag shivered long by the fire

But I got up and said to her dryly:

"It's time to go"

• Artist:Alexander Bashlachev