The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The thunder of battles has faded." (Otgremeli raskatyi boev) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

The thunder of battles has faded,

Daisies bloom in the trenches now.

It's too early for nightingales,

Is it too early to forget somehow?

So many warm words we said

About the fallen, but words are just words.

The thunder of battles has faded,

We must never forget what occurred.

Out of uniform, you're a soldier still,

With the same heart and blood crimson red.

Wounds often ache when spring fills the hills,

It's too early for nightingales, it's said.

We were tempered by fire and fight,

We learned to soar into the great unknown.

We listen often to songs in the night,

But we must never forget what we've known.

Remembering is more than just words we say,

Clench it tight in your fist, hold it fast!

We're not blades of grass that wither away,

We must never forget what will last!

Remember Kursk, Oryol, and Rostov's plight,

We must never forget what transpired.

"Ready for trials, both day and night,"

Don't just say it, but live it, inspired.

The thunder of battles has faded,

Daisies bloom in the trenches now.

It's too early for nightingales,

Is it too early to forget somehow?

Отгремели раскаты боев

Зацветают ромашки во рвах

Рано слушать еще соловьев

Может, рано еще забывать?

Сколько теплых сказали мы слов

О погибших. Слова - лишь слова

Отгремели раскаты боев

Не должны ничего забывать

Сняв мундир, все равно ты солдат

Сердце то же и красная кровь

Раны веснами часто болят,

Рано слушать еще соловьев

Мы в огне закалялись боев

В космос мы научились лететь

Часто слушаем мы соловьев

Все равно не должны забывать

Помнить - это не только слова

Память - сжать ее крепче в кулак!

Люди! Мы не степная трава,

Забывать не должны мы никак!

Помнить Курск и Орел, и Ростов

Ничего не должны забывать

"К испытаниям новым готов",

Не сказать должен ты - доказать

Отгремели раскаты боев

Зацветают ромашки во рвах

Рано слушать еще соловьев

Может, рано еще забывать?

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Thunder of Battles Has Died Down" raises the crucial theme of historical memory and the inability to forget the horrors of war, despite living in peaceful times.

From the very first lines, the author draws a contrast between the battles that have passed ("the thunder of battles has died down") and the fragile beauty of reviving life ("chamomiles are blooming in the ditches"). This contrast emphasizes the unnaturalness of war, its alien nature in relation to the natural order of things.

Although the battles are over, the memory of them is still alive. The words of grief for the fallen ("How many warm words we have said / About the dead") seem insufficient to the author. He repeats: "We must not forget anything," emphasizing that memory is not just words, but a deep inner feeling, a duty to the fallen.

Vysotsky uses the metaphor of a removed uniform to show that war leaves an indelible mark on a person's soul. Even after taking off his military uniform, a former soldier remains a warrior at heart ("Having taken off your uniform, you are still a soldier / The same heart and red blood"). The wounds of war, both physical and mental, continue to ache even years later ("Wounds often hurt in spring").

The ability of man to fly into space ("We have learned to fly into space") is contrasted with the need to remember the past. Scientific progress and peaceful life should not overshadow the memory of the victims of war.

Vysotsky urges not just to passively remember the past, but to actively preserve memory, to fight oblivion ("Memory - clench it tighter in your fist!"). He compares people to grass, which grows easily and disappears just as easily. Unlike grass, people have consciousness and memory, which endow them with responsibility for the past and the future ("People! We are not steppe grass, / We must not forget in any way!").

Listing the cities that are symbols of military trials (Kursk, Oryol, Rostov), the author emphasizes the scale of losses and suffering. The memory of war is not just words, but a guide to action. Readiness for new trials should not be an empty promise, but confirmed by deeds ("“Ready for new trials”, / You should not say it - prove it").

The song ends with the same lines with which it began, creating a circular composition. This technique reinforces the sense of continuity of the historical process and reminds us that peace is fragile, and the threat of war always remains relevant.