The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Ballad of the Free Shooters" (Ballada o volnyih strelkah) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

If for your head so bold,

A noose they seek to bind,

To make your neck, though cold,

Even colder to their mind,

Seek the forest, do not fear,

No safer haven you will find,

If for a pittance you are held so dear,

Body and soul, to be assigned.

The poor and wretched, filled with scorn,

For a life of servitude,

And vagrants, lost and forlorn,

With nothing but debts pursued,

All who are hunted, with nowhere to roam,

To this free forest they all come,

For here the master, it is known,

Is that good fellow, Robin Hood!

Here words are understood with ease,

Sharp tongues hold no fear,

Here they welcome, if you please,

Those who take heads, far and near.

And even knights, for a time, will hide,

Within these woods so deep:

For he who walks without fear or pride,

Has no wealth to keep.

They know each deer path like the lines,

Upon their hand, so clear,

Once servants, bound by duty's signs,

Now free archers, hold no fear.

Here, those who've lost their every due,

Find safety, find their stand.

Through the forest, free and true,

Walks Robin Hood, across the land!

And so they live, with little care,

Defying every rule and ban,

And never give in to despair,

These archers, free, a joyful clan.

They sleep beneath the starry dome,

On moss so soft and deep.

No matter how cold the night may roam,

They live, and life is theirs to keep.

Yet sometimes, a sigh escapes their breast,

For a home, a piece of land,

They caress their bows, put to the test,

So true they fit in every hand.

And no finer archers you will find.

What does tomorrow hold in store?

The best archer of all mankind,

Brave Robin Hood, will lead the score!

Если рыщут за твоею

Непокорной головой,

Чтоб петлей худую шею

Сделать более худой,

Нет надежнее приюта -

Скройся в лес, не пропадешь,

Если продан ты кому-то

С потрохами ни за грош.

Бедняки и бедолаги,

Презирая жизнь слуги,

И бездомные бродяги,

У кого одни долги, -

Все, кто загнан, неприкаян,

В этот вольный лес бегут,

Потому что здесь хозяин -

Славный парень Робин Гуд!

Здесь с полслова понимают,

Не боятся острых слов,

Здесь с почетом принимают

Оторви-сорви-голов.

И скрываются до срока

Даже рыцари в лесах:

Кто без страха и упрека -

Тот всегда не при деньгах.

Знают все оленьи тропы,

Словно линии руки,

В прошлом слуги и холопы,

Ныне - вольные стрелки.

Здесь того, кто все теряет,

Защитят и сберегут.

По лесной стране гуляет

Славный парень Робин Гуд!

И живут да поживают,

Всем запретам вопреки,

И ничуть не унывают

Эти вольные стрелки.

Спят, укрывшись звездным небом,

Мох под ребра подложив.

Им, какой бы холод ни был,

Жив - и славно, если жив.

Но вздыхают от разлуки, -

Где-то дом и клок земли, -

Да поглаживают луки,

Чтоб в бою не подвели.

И стрелков не сыщешь лучших.

Что же завтра, где их ждут? -

Скажет лучший в мире лучник,

Славный парень Робин Гуд!

In "The Ballad of the Free Archers," Vladimir Vysotsky glorifies the ideals of freedom and rebellion against injustice. The lyrical hero, hiding from persecution in Sherwood Forest, symbolizes all the disadvantaged and persecuted.

The forest becomes a metaphor for freedom and brotherhood. Here, "the poor and the wretched," "those with nothing but debts," all who are unwilling to tolerate injustice and slavery, find refuge. Their leader is Robin Hood, the embodiment of nobility and love of freedom. He protects the weak, challenges the system, and lives by the laws of honor and justice.

The free archers, former servants and serfs, find new life in the forest. They are free from social shackles, live in harmony with nature, fighting for a just cause. Vysotsky romanticizes the image of the robber, endowing him with the traits of a fighter for justice.

The song also touches upon the theme of nostalgia. The heroes miss their homes, their "piece of land," but they are not ready to trade freedom for a well-fed but slavish life.

The ballad's ending is open: "What awaits them tomorrow, where will they go?" This question remains unanswered. However, the belief in the power of the spirit, in the triumph of justice, in a better future does not leave the heroes.