Sergey Yesenin — Oh, what a night! I cannot sleep.

Oh, what a night! I cannot sleep.

The sky is moonlit. Well, I never!

It  seems that  I in my heart I keep 

The youth that has been gone for ever.

My friend of  frosted bygone years,

Don"t call a game love and affection,

I"d rather have the moonlight rays

Flow down upon my habitation.

And looking down from above

Let it depict my features here, –

You cannot fall out of love

Just like you couldn"t love me, dear.

We only love just once, you know,

So you are alien to me, strangely,

Just like a lime tree, foot in snow,

Is trying to attract us, vainly.

I know it well, you know it, too,-

What we can see at this late hour

Is frost and snow appearing blue

And not the splendour of a flower.

We"we had our love, our time and day

Each having someone to admire,

And now we"re fated anyway

To play affection, love, desire.

Come now, caress me, hold me tight,

Kiss me with hot,  pretended  fervour,

And may I dream about the  light

Of spring and love that lasts forever.

November 30th, 1925