V.Vysotsky, The Song Of Geratshenko – Translation (Rus.)

The song of Geratshenko
from the play ‘The last parade’

by Vladimir Vysotsky

There’re the instrument and darting eye…
That way the work is effective.
But I do know about you so much,
That it’s disgusting to look at.

Nat Pinkerton is the hero for me
From childhood, who’d excel him.
But he had great crime rate that time at least,
So I’m sleepless by envy.

You couldn’t escape, there’s no a secret –
My work is simple: to suspect all.
Every offender is leaving a trace, footprint,
And retutns to the crime place, of course.

The detectives have rather gloomy sight,
And rather a bad character, to say,
As they are working with the rights defied,
And only with dark side of the life and bad.

The other people drink despite of grief
And have a spree on holidays of may.
I’m not sitting at the table, where feast,
I’m going around, looking well.

‘All world’s – a theatre! ‘ – so told Shakespeare.
But I do see only the roles fixed:
That man – is villain, that one – a filcher,
A vampire… So Pushkin said ‘What’s more, indeed? ‘

But there exists the name… I am repeating:
‘Don’t think, that all the detectives’re unsociable…’
She’s playing a blue role here –
Is quite necessary for me such a role.

There’re the instrument and darting eye…
That way the work is effective.
But I do know about you so much,
That it’s disgusting to look at.

near to 21 march 1968