B. Okudzhava: Horse Guardian’s Song (Песня кавалергарда), by Y. Bonver

H o r s e     G u a r d i a n ’ s     S o n g

By B. Okudzhava
Translation by [http://www.poetryloverspage.com/yevgeny/okudjava/cuirassiers_little_song.html]Yevgeny Bonver[/url]
Edited by Rashpill, 2010

Horse guard, your life is not a long one
And that is why it’s so sweet.
The trumpet sings, the curtain’s open,
And you can hear sabers’ ring.
Brass rumbling doesn’t come to ending,
But our commander’s on the horse…
Don’t promise to the youthful maiden
Your “love forever” on the earth!

In vain, the fun, serene and painless,
You’ll try to stretch on with a laugh.
You never will become the famous,
Until the blood is poured enough…
But though the world is sugar-laden,
Upcoming trouble will be worse…
Don’t promise to the youthful maiden
Your “love forever” on the earth!

Champagne is streaming like a river,
And lightly dims your own head,
And everything seems like it’s near,
And seems like it will never end.
Some day we all will be getting
The wooden or the iron cross…
Don’t promise to the youthful maiden
Your “love forever” on the earth!