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

A merry pink sunrise, a ship sailing towards peril,

And a cabin boy on his maiden voyage

Under the skull and crossbones of a pirate flag.

Heeling over, sails rustling,

The two-masted brig turned sharply.

And the cabin boy's soul soared with happiness,

Like hempen shrouds on the mast.

Hiding his tender soul under a rough shirt,

The gruff boatswain gave him advice:

"Be a gentleman, if luck is on your side,

For without luck, there are no gentlemen!"

And the brig sailed where it pleased,

Meeting whomever fate brought its way,

Breaking the bones of caravels,

When it came close to boarding.

Once there was a rich haul of loot,

And the pirates went wild and drank their fill...

The cabin boy suddenly turned pale and grabbed his knife,

For 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 luck is on our side,

And without 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 he struck back.

Only she sensed that the cabin boy was in trouble,

And she wanted no other,

She threw herself overboard, and the water hid

Her golden-brown body.

And straight into his chest, taking the pirates by surprise,

He fired his hot pistol...

He was the last gentleman of fortune,

For when fortune ends, 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!

The song "The Pirate Song" by Vladimir Vysotsky tells the story of a young cabin boy embarking on his first voyage under the pirate flag. At the beginning of the song, he is full of enthusiasm and romantic notions of pirate life, his soul "swaying with happiness".

The boatswain gives him cynical advice: "Be a gentleman if you're lucky, and without luck, there are no gentlemen!" This phrase is the key to understanding the whole song. It reflects the brutal reality of the pirate world, where the strongest survive, where there is no place for nobility and honor.

The cabin boy faces this reality during the division of the spoils, when he is cheated. At this moment, he remembers the boatswain's words and is ready to defend his share with a knife in hand.

Suddenly, the image of a girl, who apparently likes the cabin boy, is introduced into the narrative. She gets into trouble, and the cabin boy, despite the danger, rushes to her aid, sacrificing himself.

In the final part of the song, the cabin boy performs a heroic act, protecting the girl at the cost of his own life. He becomes "the last gentleman of fortune". His act contradicts the boatswain's cynical advice and shows that even in the cruel world of pirates, there is a place for nobility and self-sacrifice.

The final phrase – "the end of luck – there are no gentlemen!" – sounds like a bitter confirmation of the rules of the pirate world, where death is the inevitable end for those who do not follow the laws of brute force.