Лежит камень в степи [Lezhit kamen' v stepi] [English translation]

A stone lies in the steppe,

And beneath it flows water,

And on the stone are written the words:

"Who goes to the right -

Finds nothing,

And who goes ahead,

Comes nowhere,

Who goes to the left -

Will understand nothing

And even a half-kopek piece will be lost".

In front of the stone stand

Without horses and without swords

And decide: Go or one need not.

One of them was bad -

He went to the right,

And was on his own, -

Found nothing, -

No villages, no settlements, -

And came back.

Straight ahead there is no way -

Nowhere to arrive,

But one examined the incantation

And, approaching stealthily,

Went straight ahead, -

How much he however roamed

He reached nowhere, -

He returned and drank,

And came back.

Now and thirdly - there was a fool,

He knew nothing and so,

He went without caution to the left,

If he strode for a long time or shortly

He suffered not at all,

Drank, walked and rested,

Understood nothing, -

Understood nothing,

So he strode through his whole life -

And did not disappear and has not gone missing.

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky