B.Okudzhava: Russian writer Chekhov… (Антон Палыч Чехов...), by Rashpill

R u s s i a n     w r i t e r     C h e k h o v …

            Lyrics and music by B.Okudzhava
            Translation by Rashpill, 2010

Russian writer Chekhov | once | wrote down, / That
Smart ones love to learn, | when | fools – to instruct.
So many fools | in my life | I have found,
That I should receive | the award | for my troubles.

Fools adore the gathering in flocks | and in gaggles.
Following the leader, || glorious and brave. / As a
Child, I dreamed about that | once | of a sudden
Will be no fools around – they will fly away.

Oh, my childish dreams, you were | so | mistaken!
What a fairy tale I used to think I’m living in!
An insidious smile is on the face | of the nature:
Something so important I have missed | in my dreams!

A smart one is walking | around | on his own, / He
Values his loneliness above | all the fun. / And
It’s so easy to | track him and | take him down…
Soon they will be caught | out all, | one by one.

When they will be caught – It will be | a new era,
That you can’t imagine | and you can’t describe...
Life with [a] smarty – troublesome, with [a] fool – full of fear
We need something average, but how to get one?

Dumbness is rewarding, but not as desirable,
Smartness is desirable, but always reduced...
An insidious prophecy comes straight from sky above:
Maybe something av[e]rage will be finally produced.

________________________
Since Okudzhava’s song is written in freestyle rhythm, I put some symbols to explain how to read/sing this translation. Symbols mean the following:
      | means a little pause for a missed syllable, usually long dash do the same.
      / means that words after it technically belong to next line.
      [ ] means a vowel that is pronounced without making a separate syllable.