Anchar - The Toxicant Tree Called The Upas  by A. Pushkin

In the desert, stunted and stingy hell

On the soil, scorched by the swelter

The upas tree, like a formidable sentinel,

Stands — alone in the whole universe.

Nature of the thirsty water steppes

Gave birth to it on the day of passion,

And the dead greenery of the branches

And the outspread roots soaked with poison.

The poison drips through its rind,

By midday melting from the fervour,

And freezes down in the evening

As thick transparent resin tar.

No bird flies moving to it’s shaft.

Nor the tiger  goes, only a black whirlwind

Some times Runs upon that tree of death —

And rushes instantly away already putrid.

And if a rain cloud sprinkles cautious,

Wandering, on its dense leaf incidentally

From its branches, already rain poisonous,

flows quietly into the burning sand heavily.

But potentate man sent retainer man

To the upas tree by a commanding glance,

And he obediently went on his way cap in hand

And returned by morning with poison..

He brought also the deadly resiwn

And a branch with withered leaves,

And ice sweat on his pale phiz

Run slowly ascold slimy stream.

He brought them - and weakened lay down

Under the vault of the hut on his matting,

And the poor slave died at the feet ferocious

Of the invincible ruler just for nothing.

And the king fed with that toxin

His obedient arrows and sharp swordsu

And with them he sent death massive

To his neighbors in foreign world.