The meaning of the lyrics of the song "About mongooses" (Pro mangustov) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

"Snakes, snakes everywhere - confound them!" -

A man in despair cried out loud, -

And called for a mongoose to help him out,

To rescue him from the serpent crowd.

The mongooses got down to their work,

With no regard for their kith and kin, -

They went hunting every day and night,

No days off, no time to rest within.

And in deserts, steppes, and pampas far,

An order was given to every patrol -

Ignore the harmless snakes, they declared,

And bring the venomous ones to a halt.

Prepare yourselves - for sadness awaits:

The man returned, sneaking in the night, -

And set up snares for the mongoose brave,

Declaring the creature a harmful blight.

He came in the morning, dog by his side, -

And stuffed the mongoose into a sack. -

The mongoose struggled and wept in despair,

Crying out, "I'm a helpful creature, in fact!"

But mongooses, wounded and cut,

Were thrown in the sack, just like mushrooms they found,

Driven mad from the pain of the traps,

And the sudden, cruel twist of fate they'd been bound.

And they wondered, "What could be the reason -

Why are we dragged off to this dreadful end?"

And an elderly mongoose, leg broken and beaten,

Spoke these words, "My friends, let me lend

You my ear, for I know the story:

The goats in Belgium, they ate all the kale,

The sparrows in China, the rice from the fields,

And in Australia, a tale does prevail.

It's no strange or wondrous thing, you see,

Once useful we were, but now it appears

We mongooses were a tad too zealous

In our efforts to wipe out the vipers, my dears.

And so, here's the reward that we get

From those calculating humans so sly -

It seems they can't live without venom, I bet,

And that means, without snakes, they will die."...

And once again:

"Snakes, snakes everywhere - confound them!" -

A man in despair cried out loud, -

And called for a mongoose to help him out,

To rescue him from the serpent crowd.

"Змеи, змеи кругом - будь им пусто!" -

Человек в исступленье кричал, -

И позвал на подмогу мангуста.

Чтобы, значит, мангуст выручал.

И мангусты взялись за работу,

Не щадя ни себя, ни родных, -

Выходили они на охоту

Без отгулов и выходных.

И в пустынях, в степях и в пампасах

Даже дали наказ патрулям -

Игнорировать змей безопасных

И сводить ядовитых к нулям.

Приготовьтесь - сейчас будет грустно:

Человек появился тайком -

И поставил силки на мангуста,

Объявив его вредным зверьком.

Он наутро пришел - с ним собака -

И мангуста упрятал в мешок. -

А мангуст отбивался и плакал,

И кричал: "Я - полезный зверек!"

Но мангустов в порезах и ранах

Все швыряли в мешок - как грибы,

Одуревших от боли в капканах,

Ну, и от поворота судьбы.

И гадали они: в чем же дело -

Отчего нас несут на убой?

И сказал им мангуст престарелый

С перебитой передней ногой:

"Что козы в Бельгии съели капусту,

Воробьи - рис в Китае с полей,

А в Австралии злые мангусты

Истребили полезнейших змей.

Это вовсе не дивное диво:

Раньше были полезны, и вдруг

Оказалось, что слишком ретиво

Истребляли мангусты гадюк.

Вот за это им вышла награда

От расчетливых наших людей, -

Видно, люди не могут без яда,

Ну а значит - не могут без змей"...

И снова:

"Змеи, змеи кругом - будь им пусто!" -

Человек в исступленье кричал, -

Снова звал на подмогу мангуста.

Чтобы, значит, мангуст выручал.

Vladimir Vysotsky's text "About Mongooses" offers a profound allegory for human ingratitude and shortsightedness. At first glance, it appears to be a simple story about people employing mongooses to combat snakes and then, deeming them too effective, deciding to exterminate them.

However, the images of snakes and mongooses carry a deeper meaning. Snakes symbolize dangers, problems that humans face. Mongooses represent those who help us overcome difficulties, our helpers and protectors.

Initially, people welcome the mongooses' assistance, but gradually their efforts are taken for granted. Moreover, the effectiveness of the mongooses turns against them – people decide that since the danger has been eliminated, the helpers are no longer needed.

The phrase "people cannot live without poison" is key to understanding the meaning of the text. It suggests that humans tend to create problems for themselves, to seek enemies even when there are no objective reasons to do so. Even having gotten rid of one danger, they will immediately find or invent another to justify their aggressive actions.

The ending of the poem, where the man calls for the mongoose's help again, emphasizes the cyclical nature of this situation. People do not learn from their mistakes, continuing to exploit and betray those who help them.