The meaning of the lyrics of the song "He did not return from the battle." (On ne vernulsya iz boya) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Why is everything wrong? It seems - everything is as always:

The same sky - again blue,

The same forest, the same air, and the same water...

Only - he did not return from battle.

Now I cannot understand who was right among us

In our arguments without sleep and peace.

I only started missing him now -

When he did not return from battle.

He was silent out of place and sang along out of tune,

He always talked about something else,

He didn't let me sleep, he got up at dawn, -

And yesterday, he did not return from battle.

What is empty now is not the point:

Suddenly I noticed - there were two of us...

For me - it's as if the wind blew out the fire,

When he did not return from battle.

Today spring broke free, as if from captivity,

I called out to him by mistake:

"Friend, let it light up!" - and in response - silence...

He did not return from battle yesterday.

Our dead will not leave us in trouble,

Our fallen are like sentries...

The sky is reflected in the forest, as in water, -

And the trees stand blue.

We had enough space in the dugout,

And time flowed for both of us...

Everything now is for one, - it only seems to me -

That it was I who did not return from battle.

Почему все не так? Вроде - все как всегда:

То же небо - опять голубое,

Тот же лес, тот же воздух и та же вода...

Только - он не вернулся из боя.

Мне теперь не понять, кто же прав был из нас

В наших спорах без сна и покоя.

Мне не стало хватать его только сейчас -

Когда он не вернулся из боя.

Он молчал невпопад и не в такт подпевал,

Он всегда говорил про другое,

Он мне спать не давал, он с восходом вставал, -

А вчера не вернулся из боя.

То, что пусто теперь, - не про то разговор:

Вдруг заметил я - нас было двое...

Для меня - будто ветром задуло костер,

Когда он не вернулся из боя.

Нынче вырвалась, словно из плена, весна,

По ошибке окликнул его я:

"Друг, оставь прикурить!" - а в ответ - тишина...

Он вчера не вернулся из боя.

Наши мертвые нас не оставят в беде,

Наши павшие - как часовые...

Отражается небо в лесу, как в воде, -

И деревья стоят голубые.

Нам и места в землянке хватало вполне,

Нам и время текло - для обоих...

Все теперь - одному, - только кажется мне -

Это я не вернулся из боя.

The song "He Did Not Return From Battle" by Vladimir Vysotsky narrates the bitterness of loss and guilt experienced by the lyrical hero after the death of his comrade-in-arms.

The central theme is the irreparable loss and the attempt to make sense of what happened. The world around remained the same: "the same sky," "the same forest," but in the hero's soul there is a gaping void because the one with whom he shared the hardships of war, argued, and sang songs is gone.

The lines "Why is everything wrong?" convey the shock and incomprehension in the face of death. Life for the hero is divided into "before" and "after." The past, filled with arguments, songs, everyday trifles, is now seen in a different light - as a precious time, the value of which you realize only after its loss.

Guilt is another important theme. The hero reproaches himself for past quarrels, for not appreciating his comrade to the fullest. This thought culminates in the final lines: "It was I who did not return from battle." Perhaps this is a metaphor - the hero feels as if he died with his friend because their lives were inextricably linked.

The image of nature ("sky," "forest," "water") serves as a contrast to the hero's inner state. Nature is indifferent to human grief, it lives by its own laws. This contrast emphasizes the depth of the lyrical hero's experiences.

Vysotsky's song is not just a story about war; it is a reflection on the value of life, friendship, and the importance of cherishing every moment spent with loved ones.