Two Cities

By Stefan Bogdanov

A free translation of a poem by the famous Russian poet, E.Evtushenko,1965, rhymed with the experiences of a stutterer by S.Bogdanov who says, "I hope the author of the orginal poem Evtushenko is not cross that people "improvise" on his poem, but I feel that I as a stutterer, had to translate and rhyme it in the light of my experiences.The lyrics can also be sung as a sort of a rap: the NO part is in minor chord, e.g. e, with a tough beat and the YES part is accompanied in the parallel major chord, here in D, with a more relaxing beat. With best wishes to my fellows stutterers, travellers between the cities of YES and NO, with wishes, that their visits to the city YES help them to face the dreads of the city NO with more and more fluent and expressive speech." SB

I'm like a fast train driving without regress
from the dark city NO to the bright city YES
my nerves are conducting the electric flow
from the bright city YES to the dark city NO.

Everything is dead in the city NO
with streets full of sadness, unbearable woe
everyone hates me and my fears they grow
that I have to speak up and stutter h-h-hello,
if I wish to relax and let my self go
by singing a song, Ill stumble N-N-No,
if I need an advice, the answer is No,
everybody around like my pestilent foe
hammers in my head with ponderous blow:
N-N- N- N-, N-N-N-NO,
N-N- N- N-, N-N-N-NO.

In the evening when darkness hides my halo
ghost shadows are dancing at a sober tango.
Go to hell! - I need a flying jumbo
to take me away from this place of woe.

Saved from this terror, Im in the city YES
and happily dwell as a bird in a nest,
the stars invite me come and be our guest
and I joyfully answer: yes, Im coming, yes,
here I feel free and there is never a stress
and my speech it is flowing without a regress,
everybody in space I can quickly access
by talking and singing my love song of Yes
and the wind buzzes gently through my hairtress
YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES,YES, YES
YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES,YES, YES

But soon I get bored and I have to confess
that I dont really want to always say YES,
that my speech sounds dull, is not a real success,
and so I wish to leave the bright city of YES.

Thus I prefer driving without regress
to and fro between the NO and the YES
my nerves are conducting the electric flow
from the bright city YES to the dark city NO.