To rule troika and guitar
Means: to rule each over
Woman, means: with old beer
To circle overhead!
O handsome one! Halfbreed!
Who baptized you? In what font?
All the gypsy snowstorms
Opened up your vest
O the brave guitarist!
Eh, I fear - your strings and hollows
Will discard me down to lie!
God be with you, driver Sergei!
Women are Russia and I!
Править тройкой и гитарой
Это значит: каждой бабой
Править, это значит: старой
Брагой по башкам кружить!
Раскрасавчик! Полукровка!
Кем крещен? В какой купели?
Все цыганские метели
Оттопырили поддёвку
Вашу, бравый гитарист!
Эх, боюсь — уложат влёжку
Ваши струны да ухабы!
Бог с тобой, ямщик Серёжка!
Мы с Россией — тоже бабы!
«I will not deceive myself, admitting / I have worries in my heart, so dreary. / Why am I reputed as a cheating / Crook and trouble-maker, really? / / I am not a villain nor a thief in hiding, / And I never shot imprisoned convicts. / I am just a thoughtless idler, smiling / Friendl...»
«They carouse, fight and sob again ‘ere / To harmonika’s yellowish rues. / They bad-mouth again their failures, / Reminiscing the Muscovy Russ. I myself, engrossed head over ears, / Am diluting my eyes with hard drinks / So as never to notice the lethal, / And to dream about differe...»
«Sing, old man, to the bloody guitar, and / Let your fingers show natural bent. / I would choke in this drunken enchantment / You"re my last and my only friend. / / Don"t you look at her wrist and the blooming / Silky shawl hanging down her head. / I was looking for joy in this woman ...»
«Your harnessed horse drank water from your palms. / Reflections of birches broke in the pond. I looked out the window at your blue headdress. / The wind ruffled your black snakelike curls. I wanted, in the shimmering foamy streams, / To tear a sharp kiss from your scarlet lips. But with a s...»