Vy'ry'ta zastupom yama glubokaya,
Zhizn` nevesyolaya, zhizn` odinokaya,
Zhizn` bespriyutnaya, zhizn` terpelivaya,
Zhizn`, kak osennyaya noch`, molchalivaya, —
Gor`ko ona, moya bednaya, shla
I, kak stepnoj ogonyok, zamerla.
Chto zhe? usni, moya dolya surovaya!
Krepko zakroetsya kry'shka sosnovaya,
Plotno sy'royu zemlyoyu pridavitsya,
Tol`ko odnim chelovekom ubavitsya…
Uby'l` ego nikomu ne bol`na,
Pamyat` o nyom nikomu ne nuzhna!..
Vot ona — sly'shitsya pesn` bezzabotnaya,
Gost`ya pogosta, pevun`ya zalyotnaya,
V vozduxe sinem na vole kupaetsya;
Zvonkaya pesn` serebrom rassy'paetsya…
Tishe!.. O zhizni pokonchen vopros.
Bol`she ne nuzhno ni pesen, ni slyoz!