The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Two Fates" (Dve sudbyi) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I lived a merry life in the first third,

Twenty years upon this Earth, -

Learning.

I lived carefree, though with a purpose,

Drifted where my eyes looked, -

With the current.

I thought, this is my reward -

No need for oars,

No need for palms.

Mosquitoes, horseflies, and wasps,

Bothered me, bloodsuckers,

But didn't finish me off.

I heard from the shore at the beginning -

Cries for help,

For rescue.

They waited in vain, poor souls -

I lay, delirious from mead,

Unconscious.

Will it shake me in the turn,

Swirl me in the whirlpool -

Everything will be alright.

I reason, then I put on my shoes,

I admire myself in the water -

I really like it.

The shores flow past the boat,

And I caress my throat

With mead.

After one too many sips,

Look - I'm not floating alone -

With an old hag.

And while I was surprised,

A fog fell and I found myself

In a perilous place -

And the enormous old hag

Laughed right into my ear,

The evil beast.

I scream - but I don't hear a sound,

I can't think straight from fear,

I can barely see,

The wind rocks me...

"Who's there?" I hear in reply:

"It's me, Trouble!"

Stop crossing yourself and lamenting -

The Holy Mother

Won't save you:

He who casts aside rudder and oars,

Trouble will take him -

That's how it goes!

I search for a way in the darkness,

Sipping mead little by little -

Just a drop at a time -

And she doesn't sleep,

She walks ahead of me

With heavy steps.

Look, she tripped over the roots,

From such obesity,

Groaning heavily.

And even she's short of breath,

But she drags me along - to the same place,

The damned beast.

Suddenly, towards us - alive,

Lame, crooked,

With a cunning face.

And she cries out: "You stand above the abyss,

But I will save you, my dear,

I will wipe away your tears!"

I asked: "Who are you?"

And she replies: "I am Crookedness," -

"I'll pull you out," she says,

"And though I'm crooked,

Crooked-handed, cross-eyed, -

I will pull you out!"

I exclaimed, pouring:

"Pull me out, Crookedness!

I'm trapped!"

"I'll even build you a tavern,

I'll fix your crookedness -

Just pull me out!"

And you, mama, you old bat,

Here, take a sip -

You're awfully nervous.

Forget about me for a while,

You're fat - in the harem

You'll be the first."

And the two old hags fell

By the bottle of mead

Into a drunken, hysterical stupor.

While I hide behind the bushes,

I quietly back away

Straight to the shore.

I swiftly rowed to the current

In two strokes to the middle -

Oh, what a scoundrel I am!

May you die drinking,

My two fates -

Crookedness and Trouble!

It seems, by some malicious calculation

And someone's secret

Providence

I, the fool, had no luck,

And it dragged me, the troublemaker,

With the current.

It seemed to me life was a joy,

No need for oars, oh, no need -

Oh, what a scoundrel I am!...

They disappeared, howling,

My two fates -

Crookedness and Trouble!

Жил я славно в первой трети

Двадцать лет на белом свете -

по учению,

Жил бездумно, но при деле,

Плыл, куда глаза глядели, -

по течению.

Думал - вот она, награда, -

Ведь ни веслами не надо,

ни ладонями.

Комары, слепни да осы

Донимали, кровососы,

да не доняли.

Слышал с берега в начале -

Мне о помощи кричали,

о спасении.

Не дождались, бедолаги, -

Я лежал, чумной от браги,

в отключении.

Тряханет ли в повороте,

Завернет в водовороте -

все исправится.

То разуюсь, то обуюсь,

На себя в воде любуюсь -

очень нравится.

Берега текут за лодку,

Ну а я ласкаю глотку

медовухою.

После лишнего глоточку

Глядь - плыву не в одиночку, -

со старухою.

И пока я удивлялся,

Пал туман и оказался

в гиблом месте я, -

И огромная старуха

Хохотнула прямо в ухо,

злая бестия.

Я кричу, - не слышу крика,

Не вяжу от страха лыка,

вижу плохо я,

На ветру меня качает...

- Кто здесь?- Слышу - отвечает:

- Я, Нелегкая!

Брось креститься, причитая, -

Не спасет тебя святая

богородица:

Тот, кто руль и весла бросит,

Тех Нелегкая заносит -

так уж водится!-

Я в потьмах ищу дорогу,

Медовухи понемногу -

только по сту пью, -

А она не засыпает,

Впереди меня ступает

тяжкой поступью.

Вон, споткнулась о коренья,

От такого ожиренья

тяжко охая.

И у нее одышка даже,

А заносит ведь - туда же,

тварь нелегкая.

Вдруг навстречу нам - живая,

Хромоногая, кривая,

морда хитрая.

И кричит:- Стоишь над бездной,

Но спасу тебя, болезный,

слезы вытру я!-

Я спросил:- Ты кто такая?-

А она мне:- Я Кривая, -

воз, мол, вывезу, -

- И хотя я кривобока,

Криворука, кривоока, -

я мол вывезу!

Я воскликнул, наливая:

- Вывози меня, Кривая!

я на привязи!

Я тебе и шбан поставлю,

Кривизну твою исправлю -

только вывези!

И ты, маманя, сучья дочка,

На-ка выпей полглоточка -

больно нервная.

Ты забудь меня на время,

Ты же толстая - в гареме

будешь первая.-

и упали две старухи

У бутыли медовухи

в пьянь, истерику.

Я пока за кочки прячусь,

Я тихонько задом пячусь

прямо к берегу.

Лихо выгреб на стремнину

В два гребка на середину -

ох, пройдоха я!

Чтоб вы сдохли, выпивая,

Две судьбы мои -

Кривая да Нелегкая!

Знать, по злобному расчету

Да по тайному чьему-то

попечению

Не везло мне, обормоту,

И тащило, баламута,

по течению.

Мне казалось, жизнь - отрада,

Мол, ни веслами не надо, ох, не надо -

ох, пройдоха я!

...Удалились, подвывая,

Две судьбы мои -

Кривая да Нелегкая!

English:

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Two Fates" tells an allegorical story about a man drifting through life without purpose or effort.

At the beginning, the hero enjoys the seeming ease of such an existence, unwilling to struggle with difficulties ("no need for oars or palms"). He ignores warnings and pleas for help, plunging into carelessness and drunkenness.

However, inaction and frivolity lead him to an encounter with two ominous old women - Trouble (Neliegkaya) and Crooked (Kriyaya), personifying a difficult fate and false hopes. Trouble symbolizes the inevitability of consequences for wrong choices, while Crooked embodies the deceptive illusion of help, which in reality only aggravates the situation.

The hero manages to escape by taking advantage of their weakness for alcohol. He runs away, realizing that he brought trouble upon himself by refusing to fight and take responsibility for his life.

The finale of the song leaves a bitter aftertaste. Although the hero escaped the fate of being dragged into the abyss of Trouble and Crooked, he did not find the desired freedom. He is still drifting, but with the burden of awareness of his own mistakes and the understanding that fate favors only those who fight and are not afraid to take their lives into their own hands.