The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Song About the End of War" (Pesnya o konce voynyi) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

They knock tables together from planks in the yard,

While they haven't been covered yet - they clatter dominoes.

The days in May are longer than the nights in December,

But time drags on - and everything is decided.

Now pre-war lamps are burning dimly -

And Moscow looked down on the captives from the windows...

And somewhere a soldier was still being pushed by a splinter in his heart,

And somewhere scouts need to get a "tongue".

Now the banners are being renewed. And they are built into columns.

And the cobblestones in the square are clean, like parquet flooring.

And still, echelons are going and going to the West.

And the women in the rear are starting funerals.

They haven't drunk their fill of spring water,

They haven't bought wedding rings in advance -

Everything was washed away by the flow of national misfortune,

Which is finally coming to an end.

Now they've peeled the crosses off the windows from strips of paper.

And the curtains - away! Blackout is no longer necessary.

And somewhere they are giving out alcohol from a flask before the battle,

It drives out everything - cold, fear, and plague.

Now they are cleaning the icons from the soot of candles.

And both soul and lips - both pray and write poetry.

But with a red cross, echelons keep going and going,

Although the losses according to reports are not that great.

Gardens are already blooming everywhere.

And the earth has warmed up, and the water in the ditches.

And soon the reward for military labors -

A pillow of fresh grass in their heads.

No more balloons hovering over the city.

The sirens fell silent, preparing to trumpet victory.

But the company commanders will still manage to become battalion commanders,

Who for the time being can still be easily killed.

Now captured accordions have sounded,

Now vows are heard to live in harmony, love, without debts,

And still, echelons are going and going to the West,

And it seemed to us that there were no enemies left.

Сбивают из досок столы во дворе,

Пока не накрыли - стучат в домино.

Дни в мае длиннее ночей в декабре,

Но тянется время - и все решено.

Вот уже довоенные лампы горят вполнакала -

И из окон на пленных глазела Москва свысока...

А где-то солдат еще в сердце осколком толкало,

А где-то разведчикам надо добыть "языка".

Вот уже обновляют знамена. И строят в колонны.

И булыжник на площади чист, как паркет на полу.

А все же на Запад идут и идут эшелоны.

И над похоронкой заходятся бабы в тылу.

Не выпито всласть родниковой воды,

Не куплено впрок обручальных колец -

Все смыло потоком народной беды,

Которой приходит конец наконец.

Вот со стекол содрали кресты из полосок бумаги.

Вот и шторы - долой! Затемненье уже ни к чему.

А где-нибудь спирт раздают перед боем из фляги,

Он все выгоняет - и холод, и страх, и чуму.

Вот от копоти свечек уже очищают иконы.

И душа и уста - и молитву творят, и стихи.

Но с красным крестом все идут и идут эшелоны,

Хотя и потери по сводкам не так велики.

Уже зацветают повсюду сады.

И землю прогрело, и воду во рвах.

И скоро награда за ратны труды -

Подушка из свежей травы в головах.

Уже не маячат над городом аэростаты.

Замолкли сирены, готовясь победу трубить.

А ротные все-таки выйти успеют в комбаты,

Которых пока еще запросто могут убить.

Вот уже зазвучали трофейные аккордеоны,

Вот и клятвы слышны жить в согласье, любви,

без долгов,

А все же на Запад идут и идут эшелоны,

А нам показалось, совсем не осталось врагов.

In his song "Song about the End of the War," Vladimir Vysotsky conveys the complex and contradictory emotions that grip people in the final days and hours of the war.

On the one hand, the lyrics clearly evoke a celebratory atmosphere of approaching victory: people are taking down their blackout curtains, preparing for festivities ("They're knocking together tables from boards in the courtyard"), and life gradually returns to its peaceful course. Images of May ("Days in May are longer than nights in December") and blossoming gardens symbolize hope and rebirth.

However, Vysotsky does not idealize the picture of victory. He reminds us of the high price paid for it. The "echelons" heading west indicate that the war is not yet over, and many soldiers will not live to see victory. Images of funeral notices ("women are wailing over death notices in the rear"), the wounded ("And somewhere, a soldier still feels the shard in his heart"), and scouts going on missions ("And somewhere, scouts need to capture a 'tongue'") create a tragic contrast to the celebratory mood.

The meaning of the song lies not only in showing the joy of victory but also in reminding us of its cost and those who did not live to see this day. Vysotsky emphasizes that the war continues even when it seems to be over. "And it seemed to us that there were no enemies left" - this phrase sounds bitterly ironic. After all, the enemy is not only on the battlefield but also within the people themselves, in their fears, in the pain of loss, in the heavy memories that are not so easy to get rid of even after victory.