Vladimir Vysotsky - He's Not Back From The War

A rhyming and rhythmic (not word-for-word) translation of Vladimir Vysotsky's tribute to the Soviet casualties of WWII. 1 stanza skipped.

Text:

What's wrong with the world? It's the same as ever,
The sky still as blue as before,
The same woods, the same water, just the same weather,
But he isn't home from the war.

I cannot make out, who was wrong, who was right,
When we fought day and night without pause,
Only now do I wish he were here by my side,
When he hasn't come home from the wars.

His outbursts lacked tact, he was mute and distracted,
Off topic, an ignorant bore,
Kept me up from the crack of the dawn, he was active,
But never came home from the war.

What matter the emptiness? more of the same,
But to realize our duo's no more,
Made me feel that the wind had extinguished a flame
When he never came back from the war.

Captive spring's bursts free of its bonds,
Unthinking, I turn to implore
"Pal, leave me a smoke," only silence responds,
He hasn't come home from the war.

Our dead never leave us in need, and forever
Our fallen, like guards, will stand by,
The watery woods are a mirror to heaven,
Their trees are the color of sky.

There was plenty of room in the trenches for two,
Time enough for us both to endure,
I've the world to myself now, but still, in my view,
It is I who's not back from the war.

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