Thread: Please translate this - I think its a romantic poem - and any meaning behind the word

Так судьбой уготовано, видишь ли,
Знать, что ты – и запрет, и любовь,
Знать, что я - и родная, и лишняя;
Знать, что ты – то ли грех, то ли дар,
Знать, что я – то ль реальность, то ль вымысел…
И за скобки небесных литавр
Наш роман недочитанный вынесен…
Как могу я тебя не жалеть?
Разве ты – не печаль моя главная?
Оттого и закатная медь
В душу льётся тревогой расплавленной;
Как могу я не верить, не ждать?
Ждёт ведь ливня трава придорожная…
Я надеюсь – опять и опять,
Ты же – радость моя невозможная;
Между нами – тончайшая нить,
Ты – во мне – маетой внутривенною…
Как могу я тебя не любить?
Ты же – мир мой…
И жизнь…

I just wanted to say that while I was Googling for the author of the poem/song, I somehow found this picture instead:


chick_egg.jpg

(Literally, "Ted/Theodore! Holy f*ck, is that really you?!")

Anyway, here's my attempt at a translation -- I had to look up several words that I'd never heard before! By the way, the blue words in square-brackets are simply my attempt to make the English a bit more clear; the red words are questions about expressions that I didn't quite understand.

Так судьбой уготовано, видишь ли,
Знать, что ты – и запрет, и любовь,
Знать, что я - и родная, и лишняя;
Знать, что ты – то ли грех, то ли дар,
Знать, что я – то ль реальность, то ль вымысел…

It was arranged thus by fate, can you see,
To know that you are both a Prohibition [or perhaps, "a prohibited thing"??] , and Love,
To know that I am both Beloved and Unnecessary;
To know that you are either a Sin, or a Gift,
To know that I am either Reality, or a Fantasy...

И за скобки небесных литавр
Наш роман недочитанный вынесен…

And the romance-novel of our lives that we haven't finished reading
Is no longer celebrated with a heavenly drum-roll. [I'm REALLY not sure I understood the idiom/metaphor here -- literally it seems to be more like "the novel has been removed from the parentheses of the heavenly timpani-drums," or something like that! I also thought of the English "fanfare," but that's more often used of trumpets, not drums.]

Как могу я тебя не жалеть?
Разве ты – не печаль моя главная?

How can I not regret [the fact that I know] you?
Aren't you my main [source of] sadness?

Оттого и закатная медь
В душу льётся тревогой расплавленной;

From this [above-mentioned sense of sadness], the sunset-colored copper
Pours with molten alarm into my soul; [Again, I think I understand the literal meaning but not the idiom!!!]

Как могу я не верить, не ждать?
Ждёт ведь ливня трава придорожная…

How can I not believe, not wait?
After all, even the grass by the roadside awaits the rainstorm...

Я надеюсь – опять и опять,
Ты же – радость моя невозможная;

I'm hoping, again and again,
That you're my impossible [source of] joy;

Между нами – тончайшая нить,
Ты – во мне – маетой внутривенною…

An extremely thin thread is between us [Not sure if this means "Connecting us" or "Separating us"!!!]
You're the internal suffering inside me.

Как могу я тебя не любить?
Ты же – мир мой…
И жизнь…

How can I not love you?
You're my world... [or, possibly, "My source of peace"?]
And my life...

* * *

Hopefully, some native speakers can assist with the idiomatic language...

Prohibition [or perhaps, "a prohibited thing"??]

Both. Idea is "relations with him are prohibited".

And the romance-novel of our lives that we haven't finished reading
Is no longer celebrated with a heavenly drum-roll.

"Небесные литавры" ("timpani-drums of heaven" literally) can be for "thunder": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb_W3zRDan0 because of specific sound. I think it is initial metaphor for it.
Also it can be met in context of "music of heaven", which is associated with spiritual uplift and so on. You can remember international idiom "marriages are made in heaven" here.
"removed from the parentheses" is simply "removed from area of application of...".

How can I not regret [the fact that I know] you?

Blue text is wrong. Just "regret you". Feeling are directed to him, not facts about him.

From this [above-mentioned sense of sadness], the sunset-colored copper
Pours with molten alarm into my soul; [Again, I think I understand the literal meaning but not the idiom!!!]

"sunset copper" is about color of sunset, yes. Just "looking at sunset she feels worry.

I'm hoping, again and again,
That you're my impossible [source of] joy;

There is no joint here. These are different sentenses. Just "You are my...".

[Not sure if this means "Connecting us" or "Separating us"!!!]

Connecting.

[or, possibly, "My source of peace"?]

No. "World" is correct.

So if I put this all together....would this be fairly accurate? and it sounds like this is a poem from a woman in love with a man who loves another, yes?

Так судьбой уготовано, видишь ли,
It was arranged thus by fate, can you see,

Знать, что ты – и запрет, и любовь,
To know that you are both a forbidden, and love,

Знать, что я - и родная, и лишняя;
To know that I am both Beloved and Unnecessary;

Знать, что ты – то ли грех, то ли дар,
To know that you are either a Sin, or a Gift,

Знать, что я – то ль реальность, то ль вымысел…
To know that I am either Reality, or a Fantasy...

И за скобки небесных литавр
Наш роман недочитанный вынесен…
And the romance-novel of our lives that we haven't finished reading
Is no longer celebrated with a heaven's music.

Как могу я тебя не жалеть?
How can I not regret you?

Разве ты – не печаль моя главная?
Aren't you my main sadness?

Оттого и закатная медь
В душу льётся тревогой расплавленной;
From this, the sunset-colored copper
Pours with molten worry into my soul;

Как могу я не верить, не ждать?
How can I not believe, not wait?

Ждёт ведь ливня трава придорожная…
After all, even the grass by the roadside awaits the rainstorm...

Я надеюсь – опять и опять,
Ты же – радость моя невозможная;
I'm hoping, again and again,
That you're my impossible joy;

Между нами – тончайшая нить,
An extremely thin thread is connecting us

Ты – во мне – маетой внутривенною…
You're the internal suffering inside me.

Как могу я тебя не любить?
Ты же – мир мой…
И жизнь…
How can I not love you?
You're my world...
And my life..

THANKS!!!

it sounds like this is a poem from a woman in love with a man who loves another, yes?

I think, yes.

Originally Posted by Alex80

"sunset copper" is about color of sunset, yes. Just "looking at sunset she feels worry.

Aha, so the meaning is something like "I miss you so much, even chocolate cake tastes like filthy mud"?

Originally Posted by Alex80

it sounds like this is a poem from a woman in love with a man who loves another, yes?

I think, yes.

Well, grammatically speaking, it could be from the point-of-view of a woman in love with a man who became a Catholic priest and took a vow of celibacy.

Or it could be from the POV of a lesbian whose girlfriend left her!

In other words, the "я" can ONLY be feminine based on the context of the poem -- but it's impossible to be certain whether the "ты" is male or female. We can only be sure that "ты", for some reason, is no longer in love with "я".

P.S. Now I'm reminded of "When All Is Said And Done," one of the best-ever ABBA songs, which is essentially about two people trying to remain friends after a divorce.

At the literal level, it's ex-wife Frida Lyngstad singing to ex-husband Benny Andersson -- but the written lyrics are "gender neutral" and "orientation neutral," and could be sung by any lover to any ex-lover.