Бывший подъесаул [Byvshiy pof'esaul] [English translation]

Former Cossack elite

Had been leaving for war

With the curses of dad

And the silence of brother

He responded: “I’d rather…

But you won’t admit…”

Hugged his wife just a bit

And then added: “I’d rather…”

And he mounted the horse

Galloped half of a mile

But hold back at the side

Of the river backwater

And he threw his awards

And his last shoulder boards

Like the ties with past

And they sank to the bottom

Wind appeared from nowhere

Wrinkled face of the water,

And the leaves whispered: no

Nature grew circumspected

And the Cossack heard flow

Saying: ”How can you go

To fight men of your own

For the people’s state goal!”

Cossack jolted his head

And the prayer he read

And he put spurs to horse

To pore out his annoyance

And the horse jerked ahead

Like a devil it ran

To escape the cursed place,

Where awards sank to bottom.

He was carried about

With a wind through his land

Where the woods and the fields

Became champ of the battle

Former Cossack elite

Had succeeded in riot

And at very war end

He was leading an army

But nature is so quaint

And the eye of the Lord

Sees mistakes we afford

Treading our thorny road

And last hour comes

On our own accord

At the end of our rope

We recall the God’s code!

Former Cossack elite

Now having no army

He recalled curse of dad

And the Voice he cut dead

And the breechblock had clicked

And by the nine grams of lead

Sinful soul was released

To be met at Last Judgment

And the river has kept

The awards in its depth

And his last shoulder boards

They shall forever remain

Till the end of the time,

Till we hear last trump,

The most inseparable domain

Of the river called Don

Till the end of the time,

Till we hear last trump,

The most inseparable domain

Of the river called Don