До свидания, мальчики [Do svidaniya, malchiki] [English translation]

Oh wretched war, what did you do?

Our courtyards became silent,

our kids raised their heads

and grew up far too fast.

They hardly showed at our doorsteps

and were gone, soldier after soldier...

Farewell, boys! And boys,

do what you can to come back.

Don't hide away, be great,

spare neither bullets nor grenades,

don't spare even yourselves, but still

do what you can to come back.

Oh what did you do, wretched war?

Disunion and smoke instead of weddings.

Our girls passed their white dresses

on to their younger sisters.

Sure, who doesn't wear boots nowadays?

And thinner than their shoulder pads!1

Don't pay attention to gossips, girls,

we'll settle these scores later.

Let them say you've got nothing to believe in,

claim you don't know where you're headed2...

Farewell, girls. And girls,

do what you can to come back.

1. lit. "and a shoulder pad (is like a pair of) green wings". The girl's shoulders being too thin, the pads brim over and look like wings (green because of the uniform's color)2. lit. "that you're going to war at random"

• Artist:Bulat Okudzhava