Bulat Okudzhava
The music of the soul is flat...

The music of the soul is flat,
the music of attack is loud;
but make no haste about that,
you may be wrong in making out
that music of attack is loud,
and music of the soul is flat.

The louder is the attack,
the sweeter are the lights around;
and that’s the way it was, in fact,
when I was wandering about:
the sweeter are the lights around,
the louder is the attack.

It’s been believed for ages long,
and up to now it’s true as ever:
the louder’s the winner’s song
the bitterer’s the loss and favor
for up to now it’s true as ever
what’s been believed for ages long.

We think it runs in our blood
it’s not what we have learned or borrowed
the purer’s the tune of love
the louder’s the tune of sorrow;
the louder’s the tune of sorrow
the higher is the tune of love.

Translated by Alec Vagapov