The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Song about a friend" (Pesnya o druge) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

If a friend you find one day,

Isn't friend, isn't foe, but so-so.

If you can't figure it out right away,

Whether he's good or he's no good -

Take the fellow to the mountains, take the risk,

Don't leave him there on his own,

Let him be in a bind with you as one -

There you'll know what he's really like.

If the fellow in the mountains is no good,

If right away he crumbles and turns back down,

Takes a step on the glacier and loses heart,

Missteps and cries out in fear,

It means beside you is a stranger,

Don't scold him - just send him away:

Those like him are not taken up above,

And songs are not sung about their kind.

But if he didn't whine, didn't complain,

Even if he was sullen and angry, but kept going,

And when you fell from the cliffs,

He cried out, but held on tight,

If he followed you like into a fight,

And stood at the summit, elated and free,

It means – just like yourself,

You can rely on him completely.

Если друг оказался вдруг

И не друг и не враг, а – так.

Если сразу не разберёшь,

Плох он или хорош -

Парня в горы тяни – рискни,

Не бросай одного его,

Пусть он в связке с тобой в одной -

Там поймешь, кто такой

Если парень в горах – не ах,

Если сразу раскис – и вниз,

Шаг ступил на ледник – и сник,

Оступился – и в крик,

Значит, рядом с тобой чужой,

Ты его не брани – гони:

Вверх таких не берут и тут

Про таких не поют

Если ж он не скулил, не ныл,

Пусть он хмур был и зол, но шёл,

А когда ты упал со скал,

Он стонал, но держал,

Если шёл за тобой, как в бой,

На вершине стоял, хмельной,

Значит – как на себя самого,

Положись на него.

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Song about a Friend" is an allegory about true friendship, about a test of strength in extreme situations. Mountains here act as a metaphor for life's difficulties and challenges.

The author draws a clear line between a true friend and just an acquaintance ("If a friend suddenly turned out to be neither a friend nor an enemy, but – so-so"). He proposes a method of verification – "drag a guy to the mountains," that is, put him in conditions where a person will show his true nature.

If a "guy in the mountains is no good," that is, shows weakness, is not ready to fight and help, then he is a "stranger." It is better to stay away from such a "friend" ("They don't take such people up, and they don't sing about such people here").

A true friend, even if he "was gloomy and angry," will not leave you in trouble ("And when you fell off the rocks, he groaned, but held on"). He is ready to share any difficulties, fight to the end and share the joy of victory ("He stood at the top, drunk"). You can rely on such a person "as yourself."

Thus, Vysotsky's song is a hymn to true male friendship, loyalty and mutual assistance. It teaches to distinguish true values from tinsel and not to waste time on superficial relationships.