The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Mary's Song" (Pesnya Mari) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Why didn't you throw yourself, Maryushka, into the river's flow?

Why didn't you fall silent then, forevermore?

When they took your beloved as a recruit, a recruit,

When your betrothed went off to be a soldier?

I will wash the room with my bitter tears

And lock the door for many long years.

I will bend over the lake like a willow, a willow,

And see, as in a mirror, what's become of you.

The grass, the little ant, so lush and minty,

Withers without you, the winds blow free.

Such is the soldier's fate, a warrior's decree,

What if bullets find their way to your chest, you see?

I will tread a deep path through the field,

And braid my wedding wreath in vain, it's revealed.

My long maiden braid, down to my heel, to my heel,

I will keep for my beloved, even with gray revealed.

They will take my ring from the white dish,

The dance will end, a somber wish.

May my fortune-telling come true, come true,

May my betrothed return on a spring day anew!

Отчего не бросилась, Марьюшка, в реку ты

Что же не замолкла-то навсегда ты

Как забрали милого в рекруты, в рекруты

Как ушел твой суженый во солдаты?

Я слезами горькими горницу вымою

И на годы долгие дверь закрою

Наклонюсь над озером ивою, ивою

Высмотрю, как в зеркале, - что с тобою

Травушка-муравушка - сочная, мятная

Без тебя ломается, ветры дуют

Вот долюшка солдатская - ратная, ратная

Что как пули грудь твою не минуют?

Тропочку глубокую протопчу по полю

И венок свой свадебный впрок совью

Длинну косу девичью - до полу, до полу

Сберегу для милого - с проседью

Вот возьмут кольцо мое с белого блюдица

Хоровод завертится грустно в нем

Пусть мое гадание сбудется, сбудется

Пусть вернется суженый вешним днем!

Vladimir Vysotsky's "Song of Marya" uses a seemingly simple plot to explore deep tragedy and the strength of the human spirit. Marya, the song's lyrical heroine, faces a difficult fate – her beloved is taken away for military service, destined for long years away from home.

Vysotsky employs vivid imagery to convey the depth of Marya's despair. The opening question "Why didn't you throw yourself into the river, Marya?" immediately plunges us into an atmosphere of hopelessness. We see that Marya's grief is so profound that even thoughts of suicide cross her mind.

However, the heroine doesn't surrender. She chooses to fight for her love and her future. The image of "bitter tears" with which Marya "will wash the room" speaks to the intensity of her emotions but also to her willingness to "cleanse" herself from pain and move forward.

The door closed "for many years" symbolizes the rejection of her usual life and the embrace of waiting. The image of the "willow over the lake" in which Marya "searches" for her fate alludes to folk beliefs and fortune-telling, showing that the heroine seeks solace and hope in ancient traditions.

The description of nature – "the grass so lush and minty" – contrasts with the harshness of a "soldier's lot" and emphasizes the fragility of human life. Marya acknowledges the danger her beloved faces ("What if the bullets pierce your chest?"), yet her faith in a brighter future remains unshaken.

In the song's final verses, we see Marya's active efforts to ensure her beloved's return. She will "tread a path," weave a wreath, and preserve her braid – all symbols of love and fidelity. The fortune-telling ritual with the ring – another element of folk culture – expresses the heroine's deep belief that her wish will come true.

"Song of Marya" is not merely a song about love and separation. It's a hymn to the strength of the human spirit, which, even in the face of hardship, finds the strength to believe and hope.