The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Pirate" (Piratskaya) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

A jolly pink sunrise, a ship on a course of peril,

And a cabin boy went on his first voyage

Under the skull and crossbones of a pirate flag.

Leaning into the water, sails rustling,

The two-masted brig made a turn.

And the cabin boy's soul swayed with joy

Like hempen shrouds on the mast.

Hiding his tender soul under a rough robe,

The stern boatswain gave him advice:

"Be a gentleman, if you have luck,

And without luck, there are no gentlemen!"

And the brig sailed wherever it wanted,

Meeting whoever fate brought along,

Breaking the oars of caravels,

Whenever it came to boarding.

Once there was a rich haul of loot -

And the pirates raged and drank themselves silly...

The cabin boy suddenly turned pale and grabbed his knife, -

Because they had cheated him.

A girl stood there, neither hiding nor crying,

And the cabin boy remembered the boatswain's words:

We are gentlemen, if we have luck,

And if there is no luck, there are no gentlemen!

And he saw that the captain was silent,

Not trying to stop the bloody fight.

And he did not notice the deep wounds -

And struck back.

Only she felt that the cabin boy was in trouble,

And she wanted no other, -

She threw herself overboard - and the water hid

Her golden, tanned body.

And straight into his chest, surprising the pirates,

He fired the hot pistol...

He was the last gentleman of fortune, -

The end of fortune - there are no gentlemen!

Был развеселый розовый восход,

И плыл корабль навстречу передрягам,

И юнга вышел в первый свой поход

Под флибустьерским черепастым флагом.

Накренившись к воде, парусами шурша,

Бриг двухмачтовый лег в развороте.

А у юнги от счастья качалась душа,

Как пеньковые ванты на гроте.

И душу нежную под грубой робой пряча,

Суровый шкипер дал ему совет:

"Будь джентльменом, если есть удача,

А без удачи - джентльменов нет!"

И плавал бриг туда, куда хотел,

Встречался - с кем судьба его сводила,

Ломая кости веслам каравелл,

Когда до абордажа доходило.

Был однажды богатой добычи дележ -

И пираты бесились и выли...

Юнга вдруг побледнел и схватился за нож, -

Потому что его обделили.

Стояла девушка, не прячась и не плача,

И юнга вспомнил шкиперский завет:

Мы - джентльмены, если есть удача,

А нет удачи - джентльменов нет!

И видел он, что капитан молчал,

Не пробуя сдержать кровавой свары.

И ран глубоких он не замечал -

И наносил ответные удары.

Только ей показалось, что с юнгой - беда,

А другого она не хотела, -

Перекинулась за борт - и скрыла вода

Золотистое смуглое тело.

И прямо в грудь себе, пиратов озадачив,

Он разрядил горячий пистолет...

Он был последний джентльмен удачи, -

Конец удачи - джентльменов нет!

Vladimir Vysotsky's poem "The Pirate" tells the tragic story of a young cabin boy experiencing the brutality of pirate life. The poem begins with a romantic depiction of a sea voyage, filled with youthful enthusiasm and hope. The cabin boy embarks on a journey under a pirate flag, eager for adventure, while the boatswain gives him cynical advice: "Be a gentleman if you're in luck, but without luck, there are no gentlemen!".

This advice becomes prophetic for the young hero. He faces the harsh reality of the pirate world, where violence, greed, and betrayal reign. During the division of spoils, the cabin boy is cheated, and at this moment he first encounters the injustice and meanness of his comrades.

The image of a girl, neither hiding nor crying in the face of danger, becomes a symbol of purity and nobility for the cabin boy. For her sake, he remembers the boatswain's teachings and decides to become a "gentleman of fortune". However, fortune proves fickle. Seeing the captain's indifference to the girl's fate, the cabin boy commits an act of self-sacrifice, defending her at the cost of his own life.

The ending of the poem is tragic. The cabin boy dies remaining true to his idea of honor and nobility, but his act is in vain. "He was the last gentleman of fortune - the end of fortune - there are no gentlemen!". Vysotsky shows that in a cruel world ruled by violence and injustice, nobility and honor are often doomed.