Бал-маскарад [Bal-maskarad] [English translation]

Today in our complex work brigade

A rumour passed about the masquerade,-

We were given the masks of rabbits,

Elephants and man with drinking habits,

All this to take place in zoo on Sunday.

"Why do we have to go dressed like on parade-

Tell me, my joy, please, for Christ sake?"

She said:" Put on the suite!"

Sort of, I'm ashamed of you,

If not, she said, you'll walk behind me, as always.

"I took the dress, she says, from *Nadya-

I will look now like *Marina Vlady

And I'll spend, even if I burst and die,

My hours of Sunday night

Though with your drunken mug, but dressed like lady!"

...So why did I iron myself and floss-

They caught me right here in the zoo kiosk,-

For our recreation guy *Tolik

Gave me the mask of alcoholic-

And I was invited to *split three ways with *blocks.

Again, I end up in zoo all of a sudden:

Lo and behold- two wife's, well, two Marina Vlady!

Dressed like animals,

Together with two hippos,-

I'm also became a beast, and stood in ambush in the garden.

In the morning I received an award in the brigade,

They told me, that during the masquerade

Not only I allegedly

Played the role of alcoholic,

But I was in hippo's enclosure all day.

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky