Oh! In these elegies there are many strange beetles

by Victor Sosnora
 translated by Genya Turovskaya

Oh!  In these elegies there are many strange beetles,
held up by the wings I have them singing
alien names, personnel, numbers, planets,
for so long they’ve asked to be included in my herbarium.
I could cross them out, I’ve no time for them,
the imperial scepter isn’t so friendly to beetles
but is merciful to the voices of the lowly too,
so let them, pinned on a needle, abide here.