The boat is beating in my sleepy breast,
The willows hang low, kiss my shoulder,
My elbows, the oarlocks - oh, but wait,
After all, this could happen to anyone!

This is what everyone likes in a song.
What it means: lilac ashes,
The luxury of crumpled daisies in dew,
To exchange lips and lips for the stars!

What it means: to embrace the heavens,
To twine one's arms around Hercules,
What it means: throughout the ages,
To squander nights on blackbird trills.

source: From the Ends to the Beginning, eds. Tatiana Tulchinsky, Andrew Wachtel, and Gwenan Wilbur

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Note added at 15 mins (2006-01-08 23:17:29 GMT)
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Also: Crossed Oars

My boat throbbed in the drowsy depths,
willows bowed, kissing collarbones,
elbows and rowlocks – oh wait, yes,
all of this might happen to anyone!

Isn’t it all just trivial…a singing.
Isn’t its meaning – the lilac petals on
water, camomile’s sensuous sinking
lip on lip, into starry extinction!

Isn’t its meaning – clasping the sky,
arms embracing mighty Hercules,
isn’t its meaning – for endless lives,
squandering on nightingales your glory!

translated by A.S. Kline
http://www.tonykline.co.uk/PITBR/Russian/Pasternak.htm

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Note added at 33 mins (2006-01-08 23:36:13 GMT)
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Found a third variation:

With Oars at Rest

A boat is beating in the breast of the lake.
Willows hang over, tickling and kissing
Neckline and knuckles and rowlocks-O wait,
This could have happened to anyone, listen!

This could be used in a song, to beguile.
This then would mean-the ashes of lilac,
Richness of dew-drenched and crushed camomile,
Bartering lips for a start after twilight.

This is-embracing the firmament; strong
Hercules holding it, clasping still fonder.
This then would mean-whole centuries long
Fortunes for nightingales' singing to squander.

Translated by Lydia Pasternak Slater

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Note added at 36 mins (2006-01-08 23:38:29 GMT)
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Correction:

Lydia Slater's translation is here:
http://www.friends-partners.org/friends/culture/literature/2...

The link listed below her name actually belongs to the first variation; not sure how it got down here!