✕
Harlequin
Across the needles of the fire’s light,
I run, I run — no end to roads I see.
The world has closed its gates and lost its sight,
A ring of masks and faces but none of me.
A fool, a clown, Harlequin’s my name,
No fate to guide me, nameless from the start.
But tell me, truly, is it not a shame,
To laugh at those who hide a broken heart?
Oh, Harlequin, Harlequin!
You must amuse them all today!
Harlequin, Harlequin,
Your only prize is their hooray!
The strongmen step into the bright arena,
Their faces know no grief, no heavy tears.
They bend the iron like it’s light and simple,
And snap the chains as though they’d ruled for years.
The crowd erupts with cheers that shake the air,
The flowers fall to meet their mighty hands.
The trumpets blare, their gaze is burning there,
While I’m the one to fill their quiet spans.
Oh, Harlequin, Harlequin!
You must amuse them all today!
Harlequin, Harlequin,
Your only prize is their hooray!
To make you laugh has grown so hard with time,
For I’m no jester by the king’s decree.
A Hamlet trapped inside the grief and mind,
Performing still, but only just for me.
It feels as if the mask will drop someday,
And with it, all the world will change its tone.
Yet tears I cry are hidden far away,
It seems I’m quite the Harlequin, though!
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha…
Oh, Harlequin, Harlequin!
You must amuse them all today!
Harlequin, Harlequin,
Your only prize is their hooray!
Submitted by 
TranslatorKing on 2025-01-19
TranslatorKing on 2025-01-19Subtitles created by 
Daniel Andersson on Fri, 28/02/2025 - 14:07
Daniel Andersson on Fri, 28/02/2025 - 14:07✕
Translations of "Арлекино (Arlekino)"
Comments
Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
About translator
As the translator, I aimed to preserve the original rhyme scheme and rhythm to ensure the poem remains easy to sing. However, some deviations from the original text were necessary to maintain flow and musicality in the translation.