Затяжной прыжок [Zatyazhnoy pryzhok] [English translation]

Just as well, I couldn't hear the sound, behind the roar,

That I was with my shame one on one:

I've hesitated by the open trapdoor-

And left the parachute spring hook undone.

Instructor helped me- he pushed me with his knee-

To cross that edge of weakness I've refused:

For our usual " Be bolder, sonny!"

I took his sleepy abuse.

And was cut short my scream,

And my cheeks were burned

With cold sharp blade

The ascending streams.

And sound back into my liver

Drove in again when I breathe in

Joyful, carefree

Air streams.

I've dropped into their skillful, tenacious hands:

Squeezing, tossing me- they do, what they want!

And I'm readily those crazy tricks implement

Jokingly doing them all- on and on.

Is there a reason in this kind of fall, who can say,

I'll find out after, but for now-

Either earth horizon came down on my face,

Or shied down on me those clouds.

And they were cutting short my scream,

And shaving my cheeks

With cold sharp blade

The ascending streams.

And drove in blood into my liver,

Cruel and taut like a spring,

Invisible oncoming

Air streams.

But I've ripped the ring with one inspiration of my soul,

Like the collar of the shirt or the grenade pin.

It happened in a random free fall-

In eighteen brief seconds.

...And now- I'm not attractive, humpback on both sides,

Lifesaving silk -in each hump.

I'm focused on target and in love, and in love

With that not so random free jump!

And cutting short my scream,

And shaving my cheeks

With cold sharp blade

The ascending streams.

And getting into my liver

When breathing out or in

Soulless and eternal

Air streams.

Unparalleled jump from the depth of stratosphere

On the "Go!" call I took a step into the void,-

To follow the shadow of faceless chimera,

To follow a free fall- let's go!

I will brake through an airy cotton wool darkness,

Though the conditions of the fall is not the same.

But you can't free fall- because,

That we are not falling into the emptiness.

And cutting short my scream,

And shaving my cheeks

With cold sharp blade

The ascending streams.

On me backpacks,

Hands to the sides- I'm meeting-

Straight, flawless

Air streams.

The wind into the ears trickling and scathingly will say:

" The lightness will come soon-don't pull the ring..."

Three hundred meters to the earth- now it will be too late!

The wind is lying, for sure lying!

Pop of the parachute dome-stop, the straps are pulling me up!

And - as if this minutes are never existed.

There are no free falls from the heights, but-

There is freedom to open the parachute!

My cheeks are getting cooled

And eyelids getting open-

The streams are finished

Caring for a man!

With sadness up I'm starring

The stars are lonely there-

And I'm drinking horizontal

Air streams

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky