The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Song of Transmigration of Souls" (Pesenka o pereselenii dusch) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Who believes in Muhammad, who in Allah,

Who in Jesus.

Who believes in nothing, not even in the devil, to spite everyone.

Hindus came up with a good religion,

That we, having kicked the bucket, do not die forever.

Your soul aspired upward,

You will be reborn with a dream.

But if you lived like a pig,

You will remain a pig.

Let them look askance at you,

Get used to the reproach,

It's a shame, well, you will be born again

Ready for rudeness.

And if you saw the death of the enemy

During this life,

In another you will be granted

A faithful, keen eye.

Live your life normally,

There is a reason to rejoice,

After all, maybe your soul

Will be embodied in your boss.

Let you live as a janitor,

You will be reborn as a foreman.

And after that, from a foreman you will rise to a minister.

But if you are dumb as a tree,

You will be born a baobab,

And you will be a baobab for a thousand years

Until you die.

It's a shame to live as a parrot,

A viper with a long life.

Wouldn't it be better in life to be

A decent human being.

But who is who, and who was who,

We never know.

Geneticists have gone mad

From genes and chromosomes.

Maybe that shabby cat

Was a scoundrel before,

And this nice person

Used to be a good dog.

I jump for joy,

I avoid temptations -

Hindus came up with

A convenient religion.

Кто верит в Магомета, кто в Аллаха,

Кто в Иисуса.

Кто ни во что не верит, даже в черта на зло всем.

Хорошую религию придумали индусы,

Что мы, отдав концы, не умираем насовсем.

Стремилась ввысь душа твоя,

Родишься вновь с мечтою.

Но если жил ты как свинья,

Останешься свиньею.

Пусть косо смотрят на тебя,

Привыкни к укоризне,

Досадно, что ж, родишься вновь

На колкости горазд.

И если видел смерть врага

Еще при этой жизни,

В другой тебе дарован будет

Верный, зоркий глаз.

Живи себе нормальненько,

Есть повод веселиться,

Ведь, может быть, в начальника

Душа твоя вселится.

Пускай живешь ты дворником,

Родишься вновь прорабом.

А после из прораба до министра дорастешь.

Но если туп как дерево,

Родишься баобабом,

И будешь баобабом тыщу лет

Пока помрешь.

Досадно попугаем жить,

Гадюкой с длинным веком.

Не лучше ли при жизни быть

Приличным человеком.

Да кто есть кто, да кто был кем,

Мы никогда не знаем.

С ума сошли генетики

От ген и хромосом.

Быть может, тот облезлый кот

Был раньше негодяем,

А этот милый человек

Был раньше добрым псом.

Я от восторга прыгаю,

Я обхожу искусы -

Удобную религию

Придумали индусы.

In his "Song about the Transmigration of Souls", Vladimir Vysotsky, with his inherent irony and insight, speaks about the eternal questions of life, death, and the meaning of human existence. The author addresses the theme of reincarnation, popular in Hinduism and Buddhism, but does so from an unexpected angle, bringing a dose of humor and worldly wisdom to the philosophical concept.

The song begins with a list of different religions and beliefs, highlighting the diversity of human perceptions of the world and the afterlife. However, already in the first verses, Vysotsky brings to the fore the idea of reincarnation as a "good religion", which does not frighten with final death but promises new possibilities and transformations.

The main idea of the song is that the future life directly depends on the actions in the present. Vysotsky uses vivid, memorable images to illustrate this principle. If a person lived "like a pig", then an unenviable fate awaits him in the next life as well. On the contrary, the one who strived for spiritual growth will retain his dream in a new incarnation.

The author does not shy away from social themes, ironically remarking that even in the afterlife there are laws of hierarchy: a janitor can become a foreman, and a foreman - a minister. However, even here, the decisive factor is not luck, but the personal qualities of a person. A fool, even reborn, will remain "stupid as a tree", while a person with a kind heart and sharp eyesight will retain his virtues in a new incarnation.

Vysotsky does not call for a fanatical belief in reincarnation; rather, he uses this idea as a metaphor for talking about moral choice and responsibility for one's actions. The song ends on an optimistic note: even if we do not know who we were in a past life, we always have a chance to live this life with dignity, becoming a "decent person".