Владимир Высоцкий (Vladimir Vysotsky, 1938-1980) was a Soviet singer, poet and actor. He became wildly know for his unique way of singing, treating serious social and political problems with a ferocious humour.
Vysotsky said once about his songs: “Many years ago I was with my closest friends, relating them about my various journeys, well mostly my perceptions put in verses with a sort of a rhythm. So I took my guitar and started to play. And what came out of this was a kind of a song. But it wasn't a song. It was, as I understood it later, poetry recited with musical accompaniment. I remember the atmosphere at that time. It was an atmosphere of confidence, freedom, and what is the most important, friendship.”
Песня о друге (Song about a friend) was written in 1966.
Если друг оказался вдруг | If your friend suddenly appeared |
И не друг, и не враг, а – так, | Not a friend, not a foe, – just so |
Если сразу не разберёшь, | If you cannot decide from the start, |
Плох он или хорош,- | If he is bad or if he is good, |
Парня в горы тяни - рискни! | Take him to the pick – don't fret! |
Не бросай одного его, | Don't leave him alone, |
Пусть он в связке в одной с тобой – | Let him be one with you - |
Там поймёшь, кто такой. | And you'll know who he is. |
Если парень в горах - не ах, | If the guy gets scared on the track, |
Если сразу раскис и - вниз, | If he gets weak and looses heart, |
Шаг ступил на ледник и - сник, | And steps back on the ice, and get lost, |
Оступился - и в крик,- | If he stumbles and screams out of exhaustion, |
Значит, рядом с тобой - чужой, | Then next to you, you have a stranger, |
Ты его не брани - гони: | Don't yell at him, just let him go: |
Вверх таких не берут, и тут | Such persons you don't need, and in short |
Про таких не поют. | You don't sing for those guys. |
Если ж он не скулил, не ныл, | If the guy didn't whine nor complain, |
Пусть он хмур был и зол, но - шёл, | And dull and upset he kept going, |
А когда ты упал со скал, | And when you slipped over the cliff, |
Он стонал, но - держал, | He struggled but hold you in his grip, |
Если шёл за тобой, как в бой, | If he walked next to you as a good soldier, |
На вершине стоял хмельной,- | And on the top he stood tipsy, |
Значит, как на себя самого, | Then you know you can trust him, |
Положись на него. | As you trust yourself. |