The meaning of the lyrics of the song "'Song of the Volga'" (Pesnya o Volge) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

On Mother Volga, on the river that sustains us,

All the ships with goods, barges and boats flow.

And she's not strained, not weary,

The burden is not heavy, her own ships she knows.

Down the Volga, I sail, passing the rapids,

And gaze upon the gentle right banks.

There the reeds sway, breaking across,

On the right the bank stretches, on the left it rises.

The Volga has heard songs greater than "Dubinushka,"

Its waters tasted the sting of enemy fire.

And our blood, our lifeblood, flowed along Mother,

Turning into brown foam near the shores.

For long, bitter tears flowed into the fresh waters.

The steep banks, the gentle banks,

Cried, scarred by sharp horseshoes,

But now the wicked wounds are licked by the waves.

Something has happened to you, ancient cities -

Where ancient walls stand, kremlins on the hills,

As if epic heroes have awakened,

And, countless in number, rose from the earth.

With clawing paws, the ships strive,

Pulling barges from the Caspian, straining, tearing,

Pulling without looking back, for many versts,

After the steep, the gentle banks they're steering.

Как по Волге-Матушке, по реке-кормилице,

Все суда с товарами, струги да ладьи.

И не надорвалася, и не притомилася -

Ноша не тяжелая, корабли свои.

Вниз по Волге плавая, прохожу пороги я

И гляжу на правые берега пологие.

Там камыш шевелится, поперек ломается,

Справа берег стелется, слева - поднимается.

Волга песни слышала хлеще, чем "Дубинушка",

В ней вода исхлестана пулями врагов.

И плыла по матушке наша кровь-кровинушка,

Стыла бурой пеною возле берегов.

Долго в воды пресные лились слезы строгие.

Берега отвесные, берега пологие,

Плакали, измызганы острыми подковами,

Но теперь зализаны злые раны волнами.

Что-то с вами сделалось, города старинные -

Там, где стены древние, на холмах кремли,

Словно пробудилися молодцы былинные

И, числом несметные, встали из земли.

Лапами грабастая, корабли стараются,

Тянут баржи с Каспия, тянут-надрываются,

Тянут, не оглянутся, и на версты многие

За крутыми тянутся берега пологие.

In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Song of the Volga," the river emerges as a powerful, multifaceted symbol of Russia.

The opening stanzas depict the Volga as "Mother," "breadwinner," carrying ships laden with goods. Here, the image of the river is associated with abundance, fertility, and the generosity of the Russian land. The Volga is calm and mighty, effortlessly handling its burden, much like the Russian people, accustomed to hard work and challenges.

As the lyrical hero journeys down the river, both the landscape and the mood of the song transform. The gently sloping right banks give way to steep ones, reeds sway and break, and the Volga becomes a rapid to be overcome.

The third stanza abruptly transports us to a wartime past. The Volga, having heard not only peaceful songs but also the din of battles, holds the memory of war. The blood shed for the Motherland becomes part of the river, its "lifeblood." The image of "brown foam" emphasizes the horror and tragedy of wartime.

Yet, even within these somber verses, hope resonates. Tears shed for the fallen mingle with the Volga's waters, wounds inflicted upon the land are "licked" by the waves. Nature heals, and the river continues its eternal flow, carrying within its depths the memory of the past.

In the closing stanzas, the Volga once again appears as a symbol of tireless labor and striving for the future. "With clawed paws," ships, akin to epic heroes, pull barges, overcoming the current. The steep banks, stretching "for many versts," become a metaphor for the challenges encountered on the path to achieving one's goals. But the Volga, like Russia, remains undaunted, continuing its flow towards the future.