Two Sergei Esenin Poems, Translated from Russian – Stephan Crown-Weber

August 4, 2026

“The Lord Strode Forth, Testing the Nations’ Hearts”

The Lord strode forth, testing the nations’ hearts,
And walked out in a clearing as a poor man—
While an elder gummed some fry bread in those parts,
Sitting on a stump amidst an oak stand.

The old man watched this beggar leaning
On an iron cane, hobbling down the path,
And thought: “Hunger must have struck his footing.”
Noting, “Look! He’s quite a mendicant.”

The Lord approached, hiding sorrow and hurt,
Sensing he could not stir the people’s love.
The old man declared, his hand reaching out:
“Chew on this, your strength will slightly improve.”

****

“Beyond the Wood Lot, a Shady Strand”

Beyond the wood lot, a shady strand
In the relentless azure yonder,
The moon is a frizzy-wooled lamb
Ambling through a pale-blue lawn.

In the quieted sedge-lined lake,
Its curlicues continue to buck—
And it looks from a distant pathway
Like it’s rocking the waterfront.

While the steppe beneath the green shade
Is burning with bird-cherry smoke,
Above it is coiling a flame
Out past the valleys, ‘cross the slopes.

Despite there hiding inside of your thickets
A longing water-logged like a marsh,
O wild woodland overgrown with grass,
Your flatness is close to my heart.

Having forgotten who’s friend or foe
You, like I, in a sad, requested rite,
Are pining for dove-like cloud shadow
And the rosy tinting of the sky.

But, as you note of the azure span,
The darkness is timidly displayed
Like your fetters—Siberian—
And the hump of your Ural Range.