“Wait for me”

It is a well known, very popular Soviet song of WWII. 

Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem “Wait for me” at the night of the 6th-7th of November of 1941. 
At this night he took part in the raid of Soviet marines against the German rear positions in the 
Pikshuev Cap in the region of Murmansk. Not all the participants of the raid returned but the 
group of the marines waited them for a long time and believed that their comrades will return 
soon. Simonov wrote his poem under the impression of this waiting.

Many frontline soldiers re-wrote this poem and kept it in the pockets of soldier’s blouses. 
They sent this poem to their beloved girls and wives in home front. “Wait me and I shall return…”

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“Wait for me”

(Translated by Andrey)

Wait me and I shall return
But you must to wait me strongly.
Wait while yellow rains
Cast a gloom.
Wait during a snowstorm,
Wait during hot.
Wait when others are not waited 
And are forgotten yesterday.
Wait when there are no letters 
From a far land.
Wait when all others, who are waiting together with you,
Are tired to wait.

Wait me and I shall return.
Do not wish well to the people
Who knows well
That it is time to forget.
Let Son and Mother will believe 
That there is no me more.
Let my friends will be tired to wait,
Will sit near a fire
And will drink some bitter wine as a commemoration,
But you have to wait and to not hurry up
To drink with them for my commemoration.

Wait me and I shall return.
To spite of all deaths.
Let the persons, who didn’t wait me,
Will say: “He is lucky”.
They, who didn’t wait, are not able to understand
How you saved me
In the middle of a fire
By your waiting.
Only we with you will know
How I survived.
Just you were able to wait
Like no one other is able to do.

1941

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“Wait for me”

(Translated by Andrey with AMVAS's corrections)

Wait for me and I'll return
Only vastly wait.
Wait while yellow rains
Casts a gloom.
Wait when snowstorms,
Wait when heat.
Wait when others were not waiting 
Having forgotten yesterday.
Wait when there were no letters 
From afar.
Wait when all the others, waiting together with you,
Were tired to wait.

Wait for me and I'll return.
Do not wish for those well,
Who are sure
- It was time to forget.
Let a Son and Mother to believe 
That I was missed.
Let my friends to get tired with agony of suspense,
Will sit near a fire
And will drink some bitter wine in a commemoration of my soul,
But not hasten
To drink together with them.


Wait for me and I'll return.
All the deaths to spite.
Let those, who didn't wait for me,
To say: “He is lucky”.
Can't understand those, who didn't wait,
How in the middle of fire.
You saved me, by your awaiting.
Only you and I will know
How I survived.
Simply you were able to wait
Like nobody else.

1941

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The Russian version (translit):

"Zhdi menia"

Zhdi menia, i ia vernus',
Tol'ko ochen' zhdi.
Zhdi, kogda navodiat grust'
Zhioltye dozhdi.
Zhdi, kogda snega metut.
Zhdi, kogda zhara.
Zhdi, kogda drugikh ne zhdut,
Pozabyv vchera.
Zhdi, kogda iz dal'nikh mest
Pisem ne pridiot.
Zhdi, kogda uzh nadoest
Vsem, kto vmeste zhdiot.

Zhdi menia, i ia vernus',
Ne zhelai dobra
Vsem, kto znaet naizust',
Chto zabyt' pora.
Pust' poveriat syn i mat'
V to, chto net menia,
Pust' druz'ia ustanut zhdat',
Siadut u ognia,
Vyp'iut gor'koe vino
Na pomin dushi -
Zhdi, i s nimi zaodno
Vypit' ne speshi.

Zhdi menia, i ia vernus'
Vsem smertiam nazlo.
Kto ne zhdal menia, tot pust'
Skazhet: "Povezlo".
Ne poniat', ne zhdavshim im,
Kak sredi ognia
Ozhidaniem svoim
Ty spasla menia.
Kak ia vyzhil - budem znat'
Tol'ko my s toboi.
Prosto ty umela zhdat',
Kak nikto drugoi.

1941