On the Turkish frontier or Pakistani border There’s a strip of neutral ground. There where bushes grow On the right guards on our side mind our captain’s orders; On the left’s positioned the other border post. And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found. For the captain’s fiancee separation soured; She arrived, said "Darling" and put her charms to use. Brides need at the very least a big bunch of flowers - What’s a wedding without blooms? Just a chance to booze! And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found. Their commander also had an impromptu visit; Bang on cue his girlfriend too upped and came to stay. "Darling", she cried in their tongue, "it’s as sure as kismet We’ll be wed and, as I said, there’s no more to say." And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found. Out of all our border guards, valiant and worthy, Three were ordered on a raid by our captain’s side. How could they have known that their counterparts from Turkey Planned to open fire on flowers that same night? And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found. Drinking in the flowers’ scent left our captain hammered; Meanwhile their commander was also drunk as hell. As he sunk into the blooms in his tongue he stammered; In our tongue our captain cried "Mother..." as he fell. And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found. The captain sleeps and dreams they opened Russia’s border with Turkey just like the Kremlin gates. He had no need and no desire to be in someone else’s homeland; He only wanted to go where it’s owned by no state. And why should it be banned? It’s in nobody’s hands - Neutral ground is no man’s land! And flowers growing on the neutral ground Are of a beauty seldom found.
© Margaret & Stas Porokhnya. Translation, 2008