V.Vysotsky, They’Re – Eight… – Translation (Rus.)

‘They’re – eight, we are – two.’ That’s the layout.
Not our’s, but we’re ready to play.
Seryozha, be ready! We seem to be out.
But we should not equalize tramps!
I shan’t leave this quartet. The cyphers – to nothing!
My friend now my back protects.
And so the chances are equal. We’ll take them.
We are ready to play the game.

‘The Messer’ has come to my tail, but soon it
Got smoke. Howled motors in strain…
The crosses on its wings, so they now needless
To set crosses on their graves.

– I’m ‘first’, I’m ‘first’… They under you now.
I have runned to intercept them.
– Beat down the fire! Fly up to the clouds!
I’ll try you to cover! … In vain…

Sergei! You are burning! So have only hope
On your parachute. But its late…
I see just in front ‘Messer’ also is going…
Farewell! I’ll have frontal attack!
I know, that others will surely take him
And out… but later… in skies…
And our souls are flying in heaven
As two plains… Forever we tied…

The Archangel will say: ‘In paradaise, know,
It may be not easy, as well.’
And close the gates. But we’ll ask him: ‘Please, note,
Take us to the angel’s regiment’.
And I’ll ask the God, holy spirit, for other
My will in this important case:
‘I wish that forever my friend would me cover,
As in the last battle my back.’

We’ll ask wings and arrows from the God-father –
He needs the angels-aces, at least.
But if there’re too many of the angel-fighters,
Then let him include to the keepers.
To keep up – that’s also the matter of honour:
To carry on wings a success,
As really we were in life with Seryozha,
In air and on earth – dear friends.