When my verses don’t make any sense, When neither scales, nor rhymes feel right, - Then, I sing about the sailors to my friends, Squeezing the guitar neck till my fingers white. So, despite all my affairs on land And in spite all my worries in the world Do take me sailors, to the sea, if you can, - I’ll stand every watch on the ship, if called! You know, any creature in the sea can swim, Not everyone strives to get under the propeller, none, - But here, on the shore, the oncoming pedestrian, it seems Will step on, push you to the side, and run. So, despite all my affairs on land And in spite all my worries in the world Do take me sailors, to the sea, if you can, - I’ll stand every watch on the ship, if called! You do know, the world doesn’t stand on three pillars, And it can’t be split three ways1, it’s known In foreign ports you’re not allowed to be frivolous- And I forgot, how to be free in my own. So, despite all my affairs on land, And in spite all of my earthly troubles You, sailors, send a dinghy for me, if you can, And serve me a glass of vodka on the paddle!
1 Vysotsky reffering to an old Soviet Union custom to split a bottle of vodka three ways.
 
© Anatoli Trojanowski. Translation, 2019