The meaning of the lyrics of the song "To my captain" (Moemu kapitanu) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I'm a fool now, stuck on this land!

Traps of dry ground, cunningly planned:

My captains, not seeing the gangway's incline,

Stepped ashore, and are now forever mine.

My songs are filled with hollow zeros,

With gaping holes and painful sorrows:

My captains, leaving their uniforms behind,

Like shedding skin, left a part of my mind.

Now I can't sail the ocean wide,

Can't greet them at the harborside.

Ah, my eternal sanatorium,

A bitter taste, a sour delirium!

My captains would say, "Don't you howl!"

But I won't whimper, I'll growl:

You carried more than just my songs, you see,

You took my very soul with thee.

Crowds of faithful friends met you at each port,

And I shared in your triumphs, a silent cohort.

I imagined myself stepping off the ships,

In Tokyo, Hamburg, and on distant trips...

Now you can't sail the ocean's grace,

And I can't meet you at any place.

Ah, my eternal sanatorium,

A bitter taste, a sour delirium!

But I believe the sea holds greater might,

Than concrete squares, in day or night.

The sea's a sorcerer, far beyond compare,

And I'll meet you again, from Lisbon, I swear.

I see mechanics, skippers in my sleep,

They haven't grown fat, their spirits leap.

Captains descend from tankers, bold and grand,

From cargo ships, and liners at hand...

No, I'll sail the ocean once more,

Or meet them at the welcoming shore.

To hell with the eternal sanatorium,

And the bitter taste, the sour delirium!

Я теперь в дураках - не уйти мне с земли!

Мне расставила суша капканы:

Не заметивши сходней, на берег сошли

И навечно - мои капитаны

И теперь в моих песнях сплошные нули

В них всё больше прорехи и раны:

Из своих кителей капитанских ушли

Как из кожи, мои капитаны

Мне теперь не выйти в море

И не встретить их в порту

Ах, мой вечный санаторий

Как оскомина во рту!

Капитаны мне скажут: "Давай не скули!"

Ну а я не скулю - волком вою:

Вы ж не просто с собой мои песни везли

Вы везли мою душу с собою

Вас встречали в порту толпы верных друзей

И я с вами делил ваши лавры,

Мне казалось, я тоже сходил с кораблей

В эти Токио, Гамбурги, Гавры...

Вам теперь не выйти в море

Мне не встретить вас в порту

Ах, мой вечный санаторий

Как оскомина во рту!

Я надеюсь, что море сильней площадей

И прочнее домов из бетона

Море лучший колдун, чем земной чародей,

И я встречу вас из Лиссабона

Я механиков вижу во сне, шкиперов

Вижу я, что не бесятся с жира,

Капитаны по сходням идут с танкеров

С сухогрузов, да и с "пассажиров"...

Нет, я снова выйду в море

Или встречу их в порту,

К черту вечный санаторий

И оскомину во рту!

The song "To My Captain" by Vladimir Vysotsky uses a deep metaphor, where "captains" are not just sailors, but a symbol of freedom, dreams, and a bright and fulfilling life.

The lyrical hero feels trapped in the mundane ("the land has set traps for me"). He longingly remembers the time when the "captains" were near, embodying adventure and distant travels. Now the hero's songs are empty ("all zeros") without the inspiration that these symbols of freedom gave him.

The "sanatorium" in the song is a metaphor for a monotonous, boring life that weighs on the hero. He feels aimless, locked in a rut. Even the calls of the "captains" not to lose heart cannot drown out his longing, because he has lost more than just company - he has lost a part of his soul that he put into his songs and that came alive in their voyages.

However, hope does not leave the hero. He believes in the power of the sea, which can work miracles and connect destinies. The sea is a symbol of change, hope for a meeting with the "captains," a return to a bright and full life. The ending of the song sounds optimistic: the hero is determined to break out of the "sanatorium" and find himself again.