Милицейский протокол [Militseysky protokol] [English translation]

I would say, if you ask me, we didn't drink a lot tonight.

Tell them Sergey! God forbid, I do not lie.

And if the vodka was not made from sawdust,

Then drinking five bottles of it wouldn't border us!

...We drunk the second one by the counter, in the corner,

But that was just a very light warm up.

Then, at the park, where the wooden mushrooms made for kids,

Then... I don’t remember, I reach the point, I was pissed.

Why wouldn't I be: I drunk from the bottle, I was tired, didn't have a bite,

But I was clear like a glass, I mean with two glassy eyes.

And when patty wagon rolled in towards the store,

Then we had 700 grams per snout, or more!

It's true, we forcibly dragged the third* to join in.

Well, that’s was a stuff up, that shouldn’t have been.

And the fact that we broke that comrade’s glasses,

The port was the reason that we behaved like this.

The first comrade told us, that we should just shut up,

We must stop the rage, break up and stay apart.

“I agree, I’ll break up right away”, I said,

And I broke wild, I mean completely mad!

But punish me severely, if I scold someone in any way,

But it’s unlikely! I don't swear! Tell them, Sergey!

And what if I fell down, it’s all because I fainted,

And I yelled out of stupor and not out of grief.

Now, let me say a few words, off the record, if I may ask.

What does family and school teach us?

Life itself will strictly punish people like us. Isn't it the right way?

We agree with that. You tell, Sergey!

And, of course, he’ll say, when he wakes up, cold and famished,

May life be the judge, may life punish!

So, let us go home, do it for your own sake,

Why bother, if life will judge us anyway!

Stop looking at Sergey when he keeps nodding.

He still can think and understands everything!

And if he keeps silent, it’s because of excitement,

Out of repentance and enlightenment.

People, don’t lock us up, kids cry at home, they miss me,

I need to go to Medvedki, and he to Khimki

So, anyway: busses stopped their daily runs

The metro is closed, taxis do not pick up drunks.

It feels good, all the same, and we’re respected here, as well

Look, Sergey, they gave us a lift, and put us in the cell!

And the cry of a rooster won’t wake us when morning comes

A sergeant will wake us up, as he would an ordinary humans.

They’ll see us off almost to the sound of music, when we get sober

I stashed a rouble! We’ll get rid of a hangover! You hear, Serega,

And yet, my brother, the road will be hard today!

Ah, you, poor sod. Well, go to sleep, Sergey!

• Artist:Vladimir Vysotsky