He Didn t Come Back From The Battle

Виталий Фурсов
Why do things feel so wrong? All remains quite the same:
The sky's still blue, trees familiar, air... water...
Nearly everything's unchanged, but the difference is
That he never returned from the battle.

I no longer discern who was right, who was wrong
While we restlessly altercated prattle.
I've just recently got what it means to fall short
When he never returned from the battle.

He would whistle offbeat and he sang out of rhyme,
He would always remain saying oppo,
He would not let me sleep waking up at sunrise -
'till he never returned from the battle.

Emptiness all around, but it's not just the space.
I've just noticed that we were a pair.
It's like wind killed the fire for me all at once,
For he never returned from the battle.

Life is jumping at us like a rescued at large.
I've mistakenly asked him, but got no refute:
"Will you leave me a smoke?" - but a silence came back...
As he never returned from the battle.

Our perished in battles won't leave us in trouble,
Their tutelary power is global.
Like in water the sky shines in timberland's castle,
Each and every tree is standing as noble.

We had more than enough room in a bunker for us,
Time for both of us swimmingly settled...
The world is solely mine now, but it seems nevertheless,
As I never returned from the battle.

=======================================================
Original performed by the author, Vladimir Vysotsky:
https://youtu.be/L04ZWfjwl7w