Translations of famous Russian cult songs with vocabulary

Music is something that connects people. It is not otherwise in Russia, neither. There are a few songs that all Russians have heard a thousand times already, and that make them sing out loud at any time and any place, if they hear the familiar melodies. In this article, we will look at some of the songs that street musicians love to play at the streets of any Russian city, translate them to English and learn some useful vocabulary and grammar based on them. Knowing these songs will definitely amaze all your Russian friends and acquaintances.

Кино – Пачка сигарет

The first song we will look at is Пачка Сигарет by Кино. This song is the symbol of the post-soviet punk movement spearheaded by Viktor Tsoi. If you want to find out more about Tsoi and Kino, read this article on our blog.

The original lyrics:

And here’s the translation:

Kino: A pack of cigarettes

I’m sitting and looking at a foreign sky out of a foreign window
And i don’t see any familiar stars.
I roamed on all roads back and forth,
And turning around, I cannot make out any footprints.

Chorus:
But if there’s a pack of cigarettes in my pockets,
It means that things are not that bad at all for today.
And a ticket for the airplane with silver wings,
That taking off, only leaves it’s shade on the ground.

And no one wanted to be a sinner without wine,
And no one wanted to reap the fruits of someone else’s work.
And without music on this world death is not that beautiful,
And without music I would not like to disappear.

Vocabulary:

оборачиваться/ обернуться – to turn around
разглядеть – to make out / find
след – footprint, trace
карман – pocket
пачка – pack
серебристый – silver
взлетать / взлететь – to take off
оставлять / оставить – leave
лишь – only, just, merely
тень – shadow
виноватый – guilty
руками жар загребать – to bank the fire with someone else’s hands (idiom)
смерть – death
пропадать – to disappear

Владимир Высоцкий – Горная лирическая

In retrospective, Vladimir Vysockiy is considered the 70’s most important cultural figure. He was an actor, poet, singer-songwriter and the spearhead figure of Russia’s bard movement. He’s hard to ignore, if someone is interested in Russian culture. This song is not one of his most famous ones, but in my humble opinion, one of his best ones. Let’s see! 

Here’s the original text:

Ну вот, исчезла дрожь в руках,
Теперь – наверх!
Ну вот, сорвался в пропасть страх –
Навек, навек.
Для остановки нет причин –
Иду, скользя,
И в мире нет таких вершин,
Что взять нельзя.

Среди нехоженых путей
Один – пусть мой.
Среди невзятых рубежей
Один – за мной.
А имена тех, кто здесь лег,
Снега таят.
Среди непройденных дорог
Одна – моя.

Здесь голубым сияньем льдов
Весь склон облит,
И тайну чьих-нибудь следов
Гранит хранит,
И я гляжу в свою мечту
Поверх голов
И свято верю в чистоту
Снегов и слов.

И пусть пройдет немалый срок –
Мне не забыть,
Как здесь сомнения я смог
В себе убить.
В тот день шептала мне вода:
“Удач всегда…”
А день… какой был день тогда?
Ах да – среда!