The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Song of the Weightlifter" (Pesnya o schtangiste) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

As a sport - weightlifting is not new

In the history of peoples and powers:

Do you remember how a certain Greek

Lifted and threw another,

Having held him for a while?

As I squeeze the round bar, like the neck of a victim -

What should I expect: applause or - whistles?

I lift Antaeus from the earth,

Like the first ancient Greek weightlifter.

Not marked by the grace of a mustang,

I am constrained, not quick in movements.

The barbell, the overloaded barbell -

Is my eternal rival and partner.

I wouldn't wish such an unbearable colossus

Upon my enemy -

I approach the heavy apparatus

With a heavy feeling: what if I can't lift it?!

We are both as if made of metal,

But only it - is truly metal.

And I walked for so long to the pedestal,

That I wore out the grooves in the platform.

Not marked by the grace of a mustang,

I am constrained, not quick in movements.

The barbell, the overloaded barbell -

Is my eternal rival and partner.

The enemy is thrown to the ground - how beautiful! -

But the cry "Weight is taken!" is familiar to many.

"Weight is taken!" - excellent, but unfair:

After all, I am below, and the barbell is above.

Such a triumph is akin to defeat,

And the meaning of victory is ridiculously simple:

The whole point is, having completed the movement,

To immediately throw the barbell onto the platform.

Not marked by the grace of a mustang,

I am constrained, not quick in movements.

The barbell, the overloaded barbell -

Is my eternal rival and partner.

It crawls upwards - the further, the more powerless, -

It tears my muscles at the seams in the end.

And from his high belfry

The spectator shouted to me: "Send it to hell!"

One last moment -

And my iron god is thrown to the ground!

... I performed the usual movement

With the short, angry name "snatch".

Как спорт - поднятье тяжестей не ново

В истории народов и держав:

Вы помните, как некий грек

другого

Поднял и бросил, чуть попридержав?

Как шею жертвы, круглый гриф сжимаю -

Чего мне ждать: оваций или - свист?

Я от земли Антея отрываю,

Как первый древнегреческий штангист.

Не отмечен грацией мустанга,

Скован я, в движеньях не скор.

Штанга, перегруженная штанга -

Вечный мой соперник и партнер.

Такую неподъемную громаду

Врагу не пожелаю своему -

Я подхожу к тяжелому снаряду

С тяжелым чувством: вдруг не подниму?!

Мы оба с ним как будто из металла,

Но только он - действительно металл.

А я так долго шел до пьедестала,

Что вмятины в помосте протоптал.

Не отмечен грацией мустанга,

Скован я, в движеньях не скор.

Штанга, перегруженная штанга -

Вечный мой соперник и партнер.

Повержен враг на землю - как красиво! -

Но крик "Вес взят!" у многих на слуху.

"Вес взят!" - прекрасно, но несправедливо:

Ведь я внизу, а штанга наверху.

Такой триумф подобен пораженью,

А смысл победы до смешного прост:

Все дело в том, чтоб, завершив движенье,

С размаху штангу бросить на помост.

Не отмечен грацией мустанга,

Скован я, в движеньях не скор.

Штанга, перегруженная штанга -

Вечный мой соперник и партнер.

Он вверх ползет - чем дальше, тем безвольней, -

Мне напоследок мышцы рвет по швам.

И со своей высокой колокольни

Мне зритель крикнул: "Брось его к чертям!"

Еще одно последнее мгновенье -

И брошен наземь мой железный бог!

...Я выполнял обычное движенье

С коротким злым названием "рывок".

In his song "Weightlifter's Song," Vladimir Vysotsky employs the imagery of weightlifting to convey a profound philosophical meaning about the human struggle, self-overcoming, and the price of victory.

From the very first lines, the author draws a parallel between weightlifting and the history of humanity, where strength and power have always played a significant role. The weightlifter compares himself to an ancient Greek athlete, referencing the myth of Antaeus, who drew strength from the earth.

The image of the barbell is central to the song; it is not just a piece of sports equipment, but an "eternal rival and partner," personifying life's challenges and obstacles that must be overcome. The weightlifter struggles not only with physical weight but also with the burden of responsibility, the fear of failure, and his own weaknesses.

Vysotsky emphasizes the contradictory nature of victory in this duel: "Weight is taken!" sounds triumphant, but the weightlifter remains below, crushed by the weight. Victory turns into exhaustion, physical and emotional fatigue. The final chord of the song – "snatch" – symbolizes not only a sporting term but also a desperate throw of despair, a liberation from an unbearable burden.

Thus, "Weightlifter's Song" is a metaphor for human life, where each of us is a weightlifter, overcoming our own "overloaded barbells" on the path to victory, which does not always bring joy and satisfaction.