Матушка Гусыня и ее веселые стишки

У английской детской поэзии очень долгая и богатая история. В разные эпохи появлялись стихотворения, как сочиненные взрослыми для детей, так и придуманные самими детьми для того, чтобы игры, в которые они играли, были веселее и увлекательнее.

К тому моменту, когда в печати вышло первое большое собрание детских английских стихов (XVIII век), таких произведений бытовало огромное множество. Супруги Оупи отобрали из этого гигантского количества наиболее интересные произведения и составили книгу, которую назвали «Рифмы матушки Гусыни» – по имени одного из популярных персонажей детских стихов. Разнообразие произведений, составивших этот сборник, поистине удивительно. Здесь есть и стихи, и песенки, и считалки, и дразнилки, и сказки, и колыбельные, и многое другое.

С тех пор сборник дополнялся, расширялся, корректировался и разошелся по всему миру в огромном количестве изданий. Пожалуй, нет ни одного ребенка в англоязычных странах, который бы не знал этой книги. Ее персонажи стали не только неотъемлемой частью культуры, но и вошли как действующие лица в произведения многих авторов. Самый яркий пример – знаменитые книги об Алисе Льюиса Кэролла, которые буквально «напичканы» цитатами из «Рифм матушки Гусыни». Это и Шалтай-Болтай, и неразлучные Твидлдум и Твидлди, и Дама Крестей, и многие другие.

Встречаются персонажи из «Рифм матушки Гусыни» и в хорошо известных нашему читателю книгах Памелы Трэверс о чудесной няне Мэри Поппинс, и в «Винни-Пухе» Александра Милна. Под ее влиянием оформилось творчество одного из величайших английских поэтов, родоначальника «поэзии абсурда» (или «нонсенса») Эдварда Лира, чьим, к слову сказать, последователем и почитателем был Льюис Кэрролл.

Переводить «Рифмы» на русский язык начали еще в XIX веке, но настоящее знакомство русского читателя с этими произведениями состоялось после появления переводов Корнея Чуковского и Самуила Маршака. Хотя они переводили лишь отдельные стихи из этой книги, переводы эти тут же завоевали большую популярность. О Шалтае-Болтае (Humpty-Dumpty) даже англичане писали, что Маршак своим переводом «сделал его русским». То же можно сказать о стихотворениях «Из чего только сделаны мальчики…», «Пудель» (пер. Маршака), «Жил на свете старичок скрюченные ножки…», «Барабек» (пер. Чуковского) и многих других.

Переводить стихотворения из сборника «Рифмы матушки Гусыни» довольно сложно: ведь при всей их внешней простоте нужно добиться такой же простоты по-русски. Да и чтобы смешно было, тоже не мешает. Все эти переводы делались мной на протяжении более чем 15 лет. Как это получилось – судить читателю. Кроме того, книга будет интересна не только тем, кто интересуется английской поэзией, но и тем, кто изучает английский язык.

И. Родин

1.
Old King Cole

 
Old King Cole
Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
 
 
Every fiddler, he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he.
Twee, tweedle, dee,
Tweedle, dee, dee,
Went the fiddlers.
Oh there’s none so rare
As can compare,
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.
 

2.
Hector Protector

 
Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him,
No more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
 

3.
Sing a Song of Sixpence

 
Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four-and-twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
 
 
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing.
Was not that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
 
 
The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.
 
 
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
‘Long came a blackbird
And snapt off her nose.
 

4.
«A carrion crow sat on an oak…»

 
A carrion crow sat on an oak,
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho,
Watching a tailor shape his coat.
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho.
 
 
Wife, bring me my old bent bow,
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho,
That I may shoot yon carrion crow.
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho.
 
 
The tailor he shot and missed his mark,
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho,
And shot his own sow right through the heart.
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding ho.
 

5.
London Bridge

 
London Bridge is broken down,
Broken down, broken down,
London Bridge is broken down,
My fair lady.
 
 
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.
 
 
Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.
 
 
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair lady.
 
 
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair lady.
 
 
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair lady.
 
 
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair lady.
 
 
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady.
 
 
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair lady.
 
 
Set a man to watch all night,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set a man to watch all night,
My fair lady.
 
 
Suppose the man should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose the man should fall asleep,
My fair lady.
 
 
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
Smoke all night, smoke all night,
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
My fair lady.
 

6.
A Farmer Went Trotting Upon His Gray Mare

 
A farmer went trotting upon his gray mare,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump,
With his daughter behind him, so rosy and fair,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump.
 
 
A raven cried “Croak,” and they all tumbled down,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump;
The mare broke her knees and the farmer his crown,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump.
 
 
The mischievous raven flew laughing away,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump,
And vowed he would serve them the same next day,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump.
 

7.
A Frog He Would A-wooing Go

 
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
So off he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me,
Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see…
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
They came to the door of Mousey’s hall,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Pray, Mrs. Mouse are you within?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I’m sitting to spin.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Pray, Mrs. Mouse will you give us some beer?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Pray, Mr. Frog will you give us a song?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Let it be something that’s not very long.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Indeed, Mrs. Mouse, replied Mr. Frog,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
Since you have a cold, Mr. Frog, Mousey said,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
I’ll sing you a song that I’ve just made.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
But while they were all a-merry-making
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
He took up his hat and he wished them goodnight.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
A lily white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 
 
So there was the end of one, two, three,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
The rat, the mouse, and the little froggy.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
 

8.
A Riddle, A Riddle, As I Suppose

 
A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose,
A hundred eyes and never a nose!
 

9.
Arthur O’Bower Has Broken His Band

 
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band,
He comes roaring up the land.
A King of Scots, with all his power,
Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower.
 

10.
As I Was Going to Derby

 
As I was going to Derby
Upon a market-day,
I met the finest ram, sir,
That ever was fed on hay.
 
 
This ram was fat behind, sir;
This ram was fat before;
This ram was ten yards high, sir;
Indeed, he was no more.
 
 
The wool upon his back, sir,
Reached up unto the sky,
The eagles build their nests there,
For I heard the young ones cry.
 
 
The space between the horns, sir,
Was as far as man could reach,
And there they built a pulpit,
But no-one in it preached.
 
 
This ram had four legs to walk upon,
This ram had four legs to stand,
And every leg he had, sir,
Stood on an acre of land.
 
 
Now the man that fed the ram, sir,
He fed him twice a day,
And each time that he fed him, sir,
He ate a rick of hay.
 
 
The wool upon this ram’s tail
Was very fine and thin.
It took all the girls in Derby town
Seven years to spin.
 
 
And if you don’t believe me
And think it is a lie,
Then you go down to Derby town
And see as well as I.
 

11.
As I Was Going to St. Ives

 
As I was going to St. Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
Every wife had seven sacks,
Every sack had seven cats,
Every cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?
 

12.
«As I was going up Pippen Hill…»

 
As I was going up Pippen Hill,
Pippen Hill was dirty.
There I met a pretty miss
And she dropt me a curtsey.
 
 
Little miss, pretty miss,
Blessings light upon you!
If I had half a crown a day,
I’d spend it gladly on you.
 

13.
«As round as an apple…»

 
As round as an apple,
As deep as a cup,
And all the king’s horses
Can’t fill it up.
 

14.
«If you are to be a gentleman…»

 
If you are to be a gentleman,
As I suppose you’ll be,
You’ll neither laugh nor smile,
For a tickling of the knee.
 

15.
«Barney Bodkin broke his nose…»

 
Barney Bodkin broke his nose,
Without feet we can’t have toes;
Crazy folks are always mad,
Want of money makes us sad.
 

16.
A Was an Archer

 
A was an archer, who shot at a frog,
B was a butcher, and had a great dog.
C was a captain, all covered with lace,
D was a drunkard, and had a red face.
E was an esquire, with pride on his brow,
F was a farmer, and followed the plow.
G was a gamester, who had but ill-luck,
H was a hunter, and hunted a buck.
I was an innkeeper, who loved to carouse,
J was a joiner, and built up a house.
K was King William, once governed this land,
L was a lady, who had a white hand.
M was a miser, and hoarded up gold,
N was a nobleman, gallant and bold.
O was an oyster girl, and went about town,
P was a parson, and wore a black gown.
Q was a queen, who wore a silk slip,
R was a robber, and wanted a whip.
S was a sailor, and spent all he got,
T was a tinker, and mended a pot.
U was an usurer, a miserable elf,
V was a vintner, who drank all himself.
W was a watchman, and guarded the door,
X was expensive, and so became poor.
Y was a youth, that did not love school,
Z was a zany, a poor harmless fool.
 

17.
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray

 
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They were two bonny lasses;
They built their house upon the lea,
And covered it with rashes.
 
 
Bessy kept the garden gate,
And Mary kept the pantry;
Bessy always had to wait,
While Mary lived in plenty.
 

18.
Billy Pringle Had a Little Pig

 
Billy Pringle had a little pig,
When it was young it was not very big,
When it was old it lived in clover,
Now it’s dead and that’s all over.
Billy Pringle he lay down and died,
Betty Pringle she lay down and cried,
So there was an end of one, two, and three,
Billy Pringle he, Betty Pringle she,
and the piggy wiggy wee.
 

19.
«Bonny lass, pretty lass…»

 
Bonny lass, pretty lass,
Wilt thou be mine?
Thou shall not wash dishes,
Nor yet serve the swine;
 
 
Thou shalt sit on a cushion,
And sew a fine seam,
And thou shalt eat strawberries,
Sugar, and cream!
 

20.
«Bye, baby bunting…»

 
Bye, baby bunting,
Daddy’s gone a-hunting,
To get a little rabbit skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.