Баллада о коротком счастье [Баллада о погибших лебедях] [Ballada o korotkom schastʹye] [English translation]

The horns are blowing: move and fast! -

And teeming retinue of fools.

The hunter’s soul without a fuss,

It's woven from the veins of bulls.

Well, folks what fun is going on?

To kill two beautiful white swans!

And arrows rushed up and away...

Archers have a sharp trained eye, -

And these two swans have just arrived

The first time they met today.

She lived there, where the sun and sky,

Where the blue stars are countless,

Where the swans had the strength to fly

And high-flying ones, no less.

Spread your white wings, soar in the sky,

Into the thick quivering blue light.

Glide on the slopes of God at dawn, -

Where and henceforth to such a height

It will only be possible to fly

Only to the angels and moans.

But for her he even left the earth-

And happy one single second, -

But maybe this bright moment was

Their long-awaited swan song ...

Two white angels are so alike,

They headed towards the ground in flight

A dangerous habit!

From behind the bushes in silence,

The hunters are watching them,

So, the happiness will be short lived.

They wipe the sweat from their forehead

The culprits of the fall are evil men:

The last prayer was answered-

"Let's stop the fateful moment!"

That's how this eternal verse was sang

At the peak of their last swan song-

Lucky in togetherness:

They both fell they are in heaven,

And so, staying on the seventh,

The highest heaven of happiness.

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky