Песня летчика [Pesnja letchika] [English translation]

There's eight of them and two of us

We've been dealt a bad hand, but still we'll play!

Hold on, Serguei! Our future does not shine,

time to lay down our hand.

I won't give up this piece of sky.

I don't care about figures right now.

Today my friend is watching my back

and that's enough to even the odds.

A one-o-nine got on my six, but soon he poured smoke.

The propellers were screaming madly

No need for crosses on their graves,

the ones they bear on their wings will do!

"Leader calling, bandits below!"

I tried to turn inside him.

"Blow the flame!1 Run for the clouds! I'll cover you!"

There is no miracle in combat!

"Serguei, you're on fire! Hit the silk,

and pray the chute holds fast!"

No! Too late! And now a 109 is coming head-on.

So long! I'll take him with me!

I know others will settle the score,

as our souls soar

like planes through the clouds.

Where a friend goes, a friend follows.2

An archangel will tell us "You'll have a hard time in heavens"

but soon as the doors are shut

we'll ask the Lord to enlist us both

in whatever heavenly squadron.

And I'll pray the Father, the Son

and the Holy Ghost to grant my wish:

May you, my friend, forever watch over me

as you did in our last fight.

We'll ask God for new wings and arrows

Surely they need aces in heaven too

And if they have plenty of fighters already

let them make guardian angels out of us.

Yes, that'd be a valuable thing too,

bearing our success on our wings

we'd remain together as we lived, Serguei and I,

in the skies as on earth.

We'd remain together as we lived, Serguei and I,

in the skies as on earth.

1. That's supposed to be a manoeuver like a skid or a steep dive to blow out the flames from an engine, but frankly I don't think that trick ever worked or was actually used in combat2. the Russian says it differently but I think the idea is the same

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky