The meaning of the lyrics of the song "On the Moldavian steppes..." (Na stepi moldavanskie...) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

On Moldova's steppe,

Light spilled out, scattered and bright,

But where the Romani tents once stood,

No tents are in sight.

I see no Romani, for in the night I left the band,

Only memories of them linger in this land.

Nothing, oh young one, ne ne,

I can't say either be or me,

Ai ne ne ne ne ne, ai ne ne,

Ai ne ne ne ne ne.

Two guitars behind the wall, their sounds a mournful plea,

From tents to Finnish homes, the Romani they did decree,

The Romani are people too, a collective farm, no more to roam,

A better guard for Sovnarхоз than a Romani caravan home.

Oh, Romani, so young and bold,

Honestly, I've never been told,

Once nomadic, now settled and bound,

Oh, what a sound, a Romani on collective ground,

A better guard, a whole ensemble, than a single Romani band around.

Tell me why, I must implore, tears welling in your eyes,

In the ensemble, no dark hair lies, only blondes meet my surprise.

Oh, the Romani, now a people anew, a collective farm, their fate,

A better guard for Sovnarхоз than their caravan's nomadic state.

You wish, my falcon,

To know where and how my evenings are spent,

He will read your fortune, like mine, time misspent,

Seek not happiness in your fair maiden's embrace,

For another king holds court within her heart's space.

Look not upon the card of light, so bright,

Turn your gaze, my falcon, to the Romani's light.

На степи молдаванскаи

Пролился свет--ка рассыпной,

А где шатры циганскаи,

Не видимо шатров,

Цыган не вижу кали я ночной покину стан

Одни его воспоминания остались от цыган

Ничего то юный тэ нэ нэ

Не могу сказать ни бэ, ни мэ,

Ай нэ нэ нэ нэ нэ, ай нэ нэ,

Ай нэ нэ нэ нэ нэ нэ

Две гитары за стеной жалобное ныли,

В финский домик у шатра цыган переселили,

У цыган тоже народ, вместо табора колхоз,

Лучший сторож совнархоза, чем цыганский наш обоз.

Эх, циганы, да молодыя,

Честно я не падал я

Раньше были кочевые, а теперь оседлыя

Эх, раз, ай да фан, стал колхозником цыган,

Лучший сторож -- музансамбль, чем один цыганский стан.

От чего, ты дай ответ, на глазах слезинки,

Ведь в ансамбле черных нет, а лишь одни блондинки

Эх, циганы уже народ, вместо табора колхоз,

Лучший сторож совнархоза, чем цыганский наш обоз.

Хочешь, сокол,

Где и как проводишь вечера Я знаю,

Он погадает, как я и вчера,

Ты не ищи в своей красотке счастья,

Ведь у нее другой король в груди,

Ты не смотри на карту светлой масти,

Ты на цыганку, сокол, посмотри.

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "On the Moldavian steppe" tells the story of Roma people who have transitioned to a settled way of life and become collective farmers. The lyrical hero reminisces about how Roma camps were organized in the past and compares it to their current situation.

While there is a motif of nostalgia for the past in the song, it is generally not devoid of irony and even sarcasm. Vysotsky mocks the romanticized notion of Roma people as free nomads, contrasting it with the reality in which they become part of Soviet society.

"The best watchman of the collective farm, than our gypsy caravan" - this phrase, repeated throughout the song like a refrain, vividly illustrates this idea. Roma, once associated with freedom and vagrancy, now perform the function of guardians of order on the collective farm.

The theme of fortune-telling is also treated ironically. The lyrical hero knows that the Roma man will predict the same thing as yesterday, hinting at the predictability and stereotypical nature of fortune-telling. The image of the "king in the chest" of the hero's beloved indicates that her heart is taken, and it is pointless to hope for reciprocity.

Overall, the song "On the Moldavian steppe" is not just a nostalgic sketch of the past, but also a satirical look at stereotypes about Roma people and the changes taking place in Soviet society.