“Baron Fon Der Pshik” This song is a good example of a satirical, scoffing song which was used for cheering up of the soldiers. ******************************************************************************************** “Baron Fon Der Pshik” (Translated by Andrey) Baron Fon Der Pshik [1] For a long time Dreamed of to taste Russian fat. He very liked stylishness, He was not used to be embarrassed, And he shouted beforehand about his future feats. He shouted on radio That he is in Leningrad, That he is living in clover, And that he is eating fat! He shouted that he is eating and is drinking, And that a Russian moujik Is serving the fat under a tall tale. Baron Fon Der Pshik Forgot about a Russian bayonet, But that bayonet didn’t get out of the habit of beating the barons [2]. And “dashing” [3] Fon Der Pshik Fell on a Russian bayonet So German and not Russian fat resulted! The half-belt of his uniform is cut off, The swastika on his uniform is broken, So now go in On the Russian bayonet! Baron Fon Der Pshik, Where is your previous stylishness? Only pshik remained from the baron! Kaput (All up)! [4] It is very well! Remarks of Andrey: [1] Pshik – it is the Russian term which means “an action with a trifling result”, the direct meaning of this term is the sound when an air is sharply going out from an inflatable small ball. Also it can mean “nobody”, “shallow person“. “Baron Fon Der Pshik” – it has an negative phonation in Russian. It is like typical name of German general-aristocrat. When I hear “Baron Fon Der…” I imagine an haughty contemptuous thin tall German officer with a monocle. [2] It means that the Russian militaries have enough of the experience how to beat the barons. “To beat the barons” has two meanings: - “to beat the Germans” as “baron” is associated with the German aristocracy - “to beat the followers of old regime, the enemies of people’s Soviet power” as the aristocracy was considered the enemy of the Soviet regime [3] in this case the Russian term “bravyi” means a man with done for effect bravery [4] Kaput – The Germans spoke “Hitler kaput!” when they were surrendering. ******************************************************************************************** The Russian version (translit): "Baron Fon Der Pshik" Baron Fon Der Pshik Pokushat' russkii shpik Davno sobiralsia i mechtal. Liubil on ochen' shik, Stesniat'sia ne privyk, Zaranee o podvigakh krichal. Oral po radio, Chto v Leningrade on, Kak na parade on, I est on shpik! Chto est' on i p'iot, A shpik podaiot Pod kliukvoiu razvesistoi muzhik. Baron Fon Der Pshik Zabyl pro russkii shtyk, A shtyk bit' baronov ne otvyk. I bravyi fon der Pshik Popal na russkii shtyk, Ne russkii, a nemetskii vyshel shpik! Mundir bez khliastika, Razbita svastika, A nu-ka vlaz'te-ka, na russkii shtyk! Baron Fon Der Pshik Nu gde tvoi prezhnii shik? Ostalsia ot barona tol'ko pshik! Kaput! Ochen' khorosho!