"No Matter What" by Debi Gliori
reading in English
Выкладываю два варианта текста для сравнения:
Small was feeling grim and dark.
Playing toss and fling and squash,
Yell and scream and bang and crash.
Break and snap and bash and batter…
“Good grief,” said Large.
“What is the matter?”
Small said “I’m a grim and grumpy little Small
and nobody loves me at all.”
“Oh Small,” said Large. “Grumpy or not,
I’ll always love you no matter what.”
Small said, “If I was a grizzly bear,
would you still love me, would you care?”
“Of course,” said Large, “bear or not,
I’ll always love you no matter what.”
Small said, “But if I turned into a bug,
would you still love me and give me a hug?”
“Of course,” said Large, “bug or not,
I’ll always love you no matter what.”
“No matter what?” said Small, and smiled,
“What if I was a crocodile?”
Large said “I’d hug you close and tight
and tuck you up in bed each night”.
“Does love wear out” said Small, “does it break or bend?
Can you fix it, stick it, does it mend?”
“Oh help,” said Large “I’m not that clever
I just know I’ll love you for ever”.
Small said “but what about when we're dead and gone,
would you love me then, does love go on?”
Large held Small snug as they looked out at the night,
at the moon in the dark, and the stars shining bright.
“Small look at the stars – how they shine and glow,
but some of those stars died a long time ago.”
Still they shine in the evening skies.
Love,
like starlight, never dies”.
US version:
Small was feeling grim and grumpy.
“Good grief,” said Large.
“What is the matter?”
“I’m grim and grumpy,” said little Small,
“and I don’t think you love me at all”.
“Oh, Small,” said Large, “grumpy or not,
I’ll always love you no matter what.”
“If I were a grumpy grizzly bear,
would you still love me? Would you still care?”
“Of course,” said Large. “Bear or not,
I’ll always love you no matter what.”
“But if I turned into a squishy bug,
would you still love me and give me a hug?”
“Of course,” said Large, “Bug or not,
I’d always love you no matter what.”
“No matter what?” said Small with a smile.
“What if I were a crocodile?”
“I’d still hold you close and snug and tight,
and tuck you up in bed each night.”
“But does love wear out? Does it break or bend?
Can you fix it or patch it, does it mend?”
“With time together, a smile, and a kiss –
love can be mended with things like this.”
“But what about when you’re far away?
Does your love go too, or does it stay?”
“Look up at the stars. They’re far, far away.
But their light reaches us at the end of each day.”
“It’s like that with love – we may be close, we may be far,
But our love still surrounds us… wherever we are.”
