Lived a woman wonderful,
  (May the Lord amend her!)
Neither simple, kind, nor true,
But her Pagan beauty drew
Christian gentlemen a few
  Hotly to attend her.

Что за женщина жила
   (Бог ее помилуй!) –
Не добра и не верна,
Жуткой прелести полна,
Но мужчин влекла она
   Сатанинской силой.

Christian gentlemen a few
  From Berwick unto Dover;
For she was South Africa,
Ana she was South Africa,
She was Our South Africa,
  Africa all over!

Да, мужчин влекла она
   Даже от Сент-Джаста,
Ибо Африкой была,
Южной Африкой была,
Нашей Африкой была,
   Африкой – и баста!

Half her land was dead with drouth,
  Half was red with battle;
She was fenced with fire and sword
Plague on pestilence outpoured,
Locusts on the greening sward
  And murrain on the cattle!

В реках девственных вода
   Напрочь пересохла,
От огня и от меча
Стала почва горяча,
И жирела саранча,
   И скотина дохла.

True, ah true, and overtrue.
  That is why we love her!
For she is South Africa,
And she is South Africa,
She is Our South Africa,
  Africa all over!

Много страсти сберегла
   Для энтузиаста,
Ибо Африкой была,
Южной Африкой была,
Нашей Африкой была,
   Африкой – и баста!

Bitter hard her lovers toild,
  Scandalous their paymen, –
Food forgot on trains derailed;
Cattle – dung where fuel failed;
Water where the mules had staled;
  And sackcloth for their raiment!

Хоть любовники ее
   Не бывали робки,
Уделяла за труды
Крохи краденой еды,
Да мочу взамен воды,
   Да кизяк для топки.

So she filled their mouths with dust
  And their bones with fever;
Greeted them with cruel lies;
Treated them despiteful-wise;
Meted them calamities
  Till they vowed to leave her!

Забивала в глотки пыль,
   Чтоб смирнее стали,
Пронимала до кости
Лихорадками в пути,
И клялись они уйти
   Прочь, куда подале.

They took ship and they took sail,
  Raging, from her borders –
In a little, none the less,
They forgat their sore duresse;
They forgave her waywardness
  And returned for orders!

Отплывали, но опять,
   Как ослы, упрямы,
Под собой рубили сук,
Вновь держали путь на юг,
Возвращались под каблук
   Этой дикой дамы.

They esteemed her favour more
  Than a Throne's foundation.
For the glory of her face
Bade farewell to breed and race –
Yea, and made their burial-place
  Altar of a Nation!

Все безумней лик ее
   Чтили год от года –
В упоенье, в забытьи
Отрекались от семьи,
Звали кладбища свои
   Алтарем народа.

Wherefore, being bought by blood,
  And by blood restored
To the arms that nearly lost,
She, because of all she cost,
Stands, a very woman, most
  Perfect and adored!

Кровью куплена твоей,
   Слаще сна и крова,
Стала больше чем судьбой
И нежней жены любой –
Женщина перед тобой
   В полном смысле слова!

On your feet, and let them know
  This is why we love her!
For she is South Africa,
She is Our South Africa,
Is Our Own South Africa,
  Africa all over!

Встань! Подобная жена
   Встретится нечасто –
Южной Африке салют,
Нашей Африке салют,
Нашей собственной салют
   Африке – и баста!