Listy [English translation]

Dear President of France

I am writing to you about my husband, a poet.

He's been fully isolated for 13 years,

He's been locked in a fortress for 20 years.

He's sitting in his wheelchair in front of the wall

(something happened to his spine after he'd been tortured).

He was accused of counter-revolution

And you are believed to know Fidel Castro.

My husband wrote to me that he felt free

And this is the truth - it is and will be with me,

And I wander around the monstrous world

And I am looking for somebody, who would care.

Dear President of United States!

I am writing to you about my husband, a poet.

He's been isolated for 23 years,

He has a single prison cell in a fortress.

The President of France wasn't able to help us,

And my husband is suffering for truth.

I think he knew that truth will betray him,

But he didn't know that everyone will do!

You don't have to care about coalitions!

Please, help me, use your pervasion or strength!

My husband is an invalid, he has no dreams

Despite of us living together.

Dear First Chancellor [of Russia]!

I am writing to you about my husband, a poet.

He's been punished for over 20 years

With something too horrible for a human being.

He won't do anything, he won't write anything,

we'll be living like we won't exist.

After all, he's only sitting in his wheelchair and thinking

about his friends that are already dead.

I don't ask for mercy - I ask for contempt,

For one contemptuous movement of your omnipotent hand.

Write: Go to hell!

And we'll go. And our suffering will be over.

The only God, thank you for our strength,

which You gave to us long years ago.

Because although we are separated, we're stronger

than our executioner

and his friends.