Radio Lyrics: The artist V.P. said live on air

The artist V.P. said live on air,
that Europe should have a Jewish state
with its capital in Czernowitz.
Why Czernowitz?
There are sacred stones there –
the tombs of Jews.
I replied (live)
that this idea would be congenial
to the current President of Iran
and to Palestinian liberals.
The artist V.P. said
that a Jewish state
with its capital in Czernowitz
did not by any means exclude
the existence of the state of Israel.
I was at a loss for a reply.
I wonder, had V.P. read
the early poetry of I.P.
(My little town, the flue ash as fine as Feinstein)?
To be honest, I was taken with V.’s idea.
That would be something
to discuss live.

Translated from the Russian by Frank Williams
foto: Rossano B. Maniscalchi