"Ballade about soldier" It is a very good after-war song about the Soviet soldiers of WWII. ******************************************************************************************** "Ballade about soldier" (Translated by Andrey) A soldier was going Through a field, along the steep bank of a river, By peasant’s houses; He was dressed in the grey greatcoat of a private. The soldier went, surmounting all obstacles; The soldier went, losing his friends. And it was often That he went without a halt; But the soldier went forward. He went at the stormy nights, He went during a rain and a hail. The soldier singed a song Together with his combat friends. The soldier was singing, swallowing tears; He was singing about Russian birches, About his beloved girl’s hazel eyes, About the paternal home. The soldier singed on a way. It looked like his sub-machine gun Adhered to his shoulder. The soldier fought and won Damned enemies everywhere. The soldier fought and won them nearly Smolensk, The soldier fought and won them nearly the settlement N. [1] The soldier fought and won enemies, Not counting the amount of the bullets which he shot. The soldier fought and won enemies without rest. The soldier was going Through a field, along the steep bank of a river, By peasant’s houses, He was dressed in the grey greatcoat of a private. The soldier went because he was a servant of the Fatherland. The soldier went in the name of a life. He went, saving the World, Protecting the peace. The soldier went forward! He went, saving the World, Protecting the peace. The soldier went forward! Remarks of Andrey: [1] "N." - The military censorship often removed real names of settlements, units, soldiers and officers by name "N" during the war. [Not only during WW2 - AMVAS] So, for example, it was possible to hear on radio the following message: "The glorious soldiers of Colonel N's N-th Guards Division liberated the village Olkhovatka. [To keep full secret he had to say "N's-village" - AMVAS 8-D] Sergeant N. personally shot 25 Fascists." ******************************************************************************************** "Ballade about soldier" (Translated by Andrey, corrected by AMVAS) A soldier was going Across a field, along a steep riverside, By peasant's houses; Dressed in a gray greatcoat of private, The soldier went, surmounting all obstacles; The soldier went, losing his friends. And it was often When he had gone without a halt; But the soldier was moving forward. He was going in stormy nights, He was going in the rain and hail. Together with his combat friends He was singing a song The soldier was singing, swallowing tears; He was singing about Russian birches, About his beloved girl's hazel eyes, About the paternal home. The soldier singed on the way. It looked like his sub-machine gun Adhered to his shoulder. The soldier fought and hit, Damned enemies everywhere. The soldier fought and hit them nearby Smolensk, The soldier fought and hit them nearby the settlement N. [1] The soldier fought and hit enemies, Without counting the amount of [his] bullets, The soldier fought and hit enemies without rest. A soldier was going Across a field, along a steep riverside, By peasant's houses; Dressed in a gray greatcoat of private, The soldier was going because he was a servant of Motherland [2]. The soldier was going for the sake of life. He went, saving the World, Protecting the peace. The soldier was going forward! He was going, saving the World, Protecting the peace. The soldier was going forward! Remarks of Andrey: [1] "N." - The military censorship often removed real names of settlements, units, soldiers and officers by name "N" during the war. [Not only during WW2 - AMVAS] So, for example, it was possible to hear on radio the following message: "The glorious soldiers of Colonel N's N-th Guards Division liberated the village Olkhovatka. [To keep full secret he had to say "N's-village" - AMVAS 8-D] Sergeant N. personally shot 25 Fascists." [2] In original it was "Otchizna" = "Fatherland", but I replaced to Motherland, because word "Fatherland" is more associated with Germany (at least in Russia) [AMVAS] ******************************************************************************************** The Russian version (translit): "Ballada o soldate" Polem, vdol' berega krutogo, Mimo khat V seroi shineli riadovogo Shiol soldat. Shiol soldat, pregrad ne znaia, Shiol soldat, druzei teriaia, Chasto, byvalo, Shiol bez privala, Shiol vperiod soldat. Shiol on nochami grozovymi, V dozhd' i v grad. Pesniu s druz'iami frontovymi Pel soldat. Pel soldat, glotaia slezy, Pel pro russkie beriozy, Pro kari ochi, Pro dom svoi otchii, Pel v puti soldat. Slovno priros k plechu soldata Avtomat. Vsiudu vragov svoikh zakliatykh Bil soldat. Bil soldat ikh pod Smolenskom, Bil soldat v posiolke N-skom, Pul' ne schitaia, Glaz ne smykaia, Bil vragov soldat. Polem, vdol' berega krutogo, Mimo khat V seroi shineli riadovogo Shiol soldat. Shiol soldat, sluga Otchizny, Shiol soldat vo imia zhizni, Zemliu spasaia, Mir zashchishchaia, Shiol vperiod soldat! Zemliu spasaia, Mir zashchishchaia, Shiol vperiod soldat!