“Plait” Merry song of Cossacks' dashing cavalry with some joking context ******************************************************************************************** “Plait” (Translated by Andrey) Our dashing cavalry squadron was going at a wide trot Along the dusty road which went downhill. Suddenly we saw a girl-beauty nearly road, - Oh, her bait is wonderful, Oh, her eyes are blue and large like a sea! - She smiled us with a simple smile And waved us with her hand... And then our captain said with a smile: “Glance back, there are dust and fog behind of us, But the girl-beauty stood there, - Oh, her bait is wonderful, Oh, her eyes are blue and large like a sea! - She saw that hero is riding on a horse And smiled me...” Everyone heard it, everyone laughed, everyone dreamed. Suddenly our lieutenant said with a merry laughter: “It is very gaily for me that the girl-beauty, - Oh, her bait is wonderful, Oh, her eyes are blue and large like a sea! - Saw that eagle [1] is riding on a horse And smiled me...” Everyone heard it, everyone laughed, but I kept silent. I rode silently, I rode proudly, I rode and knew, I knew with confidence that the girl-beauty, Oh, her bait is wonderful, Oh, her eyes are blue and large like a sea! - Saw that the Cossack is riding on a horse And smiled me... Our dashing cavalry squadron was going at a wide trot Along the dusty road which went downhill. And the girl-beauty remained far off, Oh, her bait is wonderful, Oh, her eyes are blue and large like a sea! - She smiled us with a simple smile And waved us with her hand... 1943 Remarks of Andrey: [1] – "eagle" – In Russian it is possible to say sometimes about a brave dashing man that he is an "eagle". ******************************************************************************************** The Russian version (translit): "Kosa" Po doroge pyl'noi, chto legla pod uklon, Shiol shirokoi rys'iu nash likhoi eskadron. Vidim - u dorogi devka-krasa, - Chudo-kosa, More-glaza! - Ulybnulasia ulybkoi prostoi, Nam pomakhav rukoi... I skazal togda s ulybkoi nash kapitan: "Oglianites'-ka, za nami pyl' da tuman, A stoiala tam ved' devka-krasa, - Chudo-kosa, More-glaza! - Uvidala, chto geroi na kone, I ulybnulas' mne..." Vse slykhali, vse smeialis', kazhdyi mechtal. Vdrug s vesiolym smekhom leitenant nash skazal: "Ochen' radostno, chto devka-krasa, - Chudo-kosa, More-glaza! - Uvidala, chto orel na kone, I ulybnulas' mne..." Vse slykhali, vse smeialis', ia promolchal. Ekhal tikho, ekhal gordo, ekhal i znal, Znal uverenno, chto devka-krasa, - Chudo-kosa, More-glaza! - Uvidala, chto kazak na kone, I ulybnulas' mne... Po doroge pyl'noi, chto legla pod uklon, Shiol shirokoi rys'iu nash likhoi eskadron. A vdali ostalas' devka-krasa, - Chudo-kosa, More-glaza! - Ulybnulasia ulybkoi prostoi, Nam pomakhav rukoi. 1943