“The Flagship March” It is a very vivacious song. ******************************************************************************************** “The Flagship March” (Translated by Andrey) A fresh wind have stolen a hand kerchief From a tender slender arm [1], And shroud of black smoke have covered A high wave. Bayonets are glittering dimly In the rays of the dawn. Many sailors are going on combat Under the sounds of a march trumpet. Black clouds have covered a sea, And the enemy is guileful and spiteful. And a honeyed moment of a victory is waiting us In the whirlwind of a started thunderstorm. The soldiers are going in a campaign, And the ships are beating in a fever [2]. And the call of a pipe Is directing us to guns. Our ships are going in column, We shall preserve our honour and glory, So play merrier, trumpet, And let the trace of a kiss will taste bitter in our lips! Our ships are going in column, We shall preserve our honour and glory, So play merrier, trumpet, And let the trace of a kiss will taste bitter in our lips! Our farewell shout is sewed up with With a sea unbleached thread, And this shout can’t rush in the sky From sailor’s chest like a seagull [3]. Mainland, farewell, farewell, See off us by a smile. We shall not see each other soon, And who does know what will happen with us ahead… Our ships are going in column, We shall preserve our honour and glory, So play merrier, trumpet, And let the trace of a kiss will taste bitter in our lips! We had been called all hands on deck, And our commander had stood up in captain's bridge, The “Slav woman” [4] was being heard from the coast And the flagship went out in the roadstead. Our ships are going in column, We shall preserve our honour and glory, So play merrier, trumpet, And let the trace of a kiss will taste bitter in our lips! Our ships are going in column, We shall preserve our honour and glory, So play merrier, trumpet, And let the trace of a kiss will taste bitter in our lips! Remarks of Andrey: [1] It means that a woman was seeing off the seamen and was waving by a hand kerchief which was blown off by a wind. [2] “To beat in a fever” means “to vibrate” there, the moving at full speed ships often vibrated. [3] Hmm… I suppose that this couplet is about a duty and discipline which prevent sailors from farewell shouts. [4] The “Slav woman” means the march “The Farewell of a Slav Woman”, it is short unofficial name of that march. ******************************************************************************************** The Russian version (translit): "Flagmanskii marsh" U nezhnoi tonkoi ruki Ukral platok svezhii veter, I pelenoiu chiornyi dym Liog nad vysokoiu volnoi. Blistaiut tusklo shtyki V luchakh zari na rassvete. Pod zvuki marshevoi truby Idut matrosy na boi. Nad morem tuchi legli, I vrag kovaren i zloben. I v vikhre grianuvshei grozy Nas zhdiot pobedy sladkii mig. Idut matrosy v pokhod, I korabli b'iot v oznobe. I dudki botsmanskoi prizyv K orudiiam nas ustremit. My v kil'vaternom gordom stroiu Sberezhiom chest' i slavu svoiu, Tak veselei igrai, truba, I pust' gorchit potselui na gubakh! My v kil'vaternom gordom stroiu Sberezhiom chest' i slavu svoiu, Tak veselei igrai, truba, I pust' gorchit potselui na gubakh! Zashit proshchal'nyi nash krik Morskoi surovoiu nitkoi, I v nebo chaikoi ne rvanut' Emu iz flotskoi grudi. Proshchai, proshchai, materik, Ty provodi nas ulybkoi. Neskoro svidimsia my vnov', A chto tam zhdiot vperedi… My v kil'vaternom gordom stroiu Sberezhiom chest' i slavu svoiu. Tak veselei igrai, truba, I pust' gorchit potselui na gubakh! I vot sygrali avral, I komandir vstal na mostik. "Slavianka" s berega gremit, I flagman vyshel na reid. My v kil'vaternom gordom stroiu Sberezhiom chest' i slavu svoiu. Tak veselei igrai, truba, I pust' gorchit potselui na gubakh! My v kil'vaternom gordom stroiu Sberezhiom chest' i slavu svoiu. Tak veselei igrai, truba, I pust' gorchit potselui na gubakh!