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The meaning of the lyrics of the song "We are faithful, tried-and-true steeds..." (Myi vernyie ispyitannyie koni...) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

We are faithful, tried-and-true steeds,

Victors rode on our backs,

And many a great iconographer

Gilded our hooves on icons.

And knight-dog, and noble knight

Bent our backs with the weight of their armor,

One of us, the most reckless,

Once carried Caligula into the Senate.

Мы верные, испытанные кони,

Победоносцы ездили на нас,

И не один великий богомаз

Нам золотил копыта на иконе.

И рыцарь-пес, и рыцарь благородный

Хребты нам гнули тяжестию лат,

Один из наших, самый сумасбродный,

Когда-то ввез Калигулу в Сенат.

In Vladimir Vysotsky's poem "We are faithful, tested steeds..." the author uses the metaphor of horses to illustrate the multifaceted and contradictory nature of human history and destiny.

The horses in the text are not just animals, but a symbol of strength, loyalty, endurance, and also a tool in the hands of man, both for great deeds and for destruction.

The very first lines "We are faithful, tested steeds, / Victors have ridden us..." indicate that the horses were witnesses and participants in historical events, victories, and triumphs. The phrase "not one great icon painter / Gilded our hooves on icons" reinforces this image, adding a religious connotation and showing that these horses have become part of the cultural heritage, a symbol of glory and greatness.

However, already in the second stanza, a motif of duality appears. "Knight-dog" and "noble knight" are two different images that embody different sides of human nature. "Our backs bent under the weight of armor" – this phrase speaks of the burden that horses bear, serving man. Here one can see a metaphor for the heavy burden of history, suffering, and injustice.

The culmination of the poem is the image of the mad Caligula, whom "one of ours, the most insane" brought to the Senate. This episode from Roman history, where the emperor wanted to appoint his horse as a senator, symbolizes the absurdity and madness of human ambition, the capacity for destruction and self-destruction.

Thus, Vysotsky's poem is not just a description of horses, but a deep metaphor that touches upon the themes of history, fate, the contradictory nature of human nature, capable of both great achievements and monstrous cruelty.

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