The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Gypsy woman with cards, a long road ahead." (Cyiganka s kartami, doroga dalnyaya) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

A gypsy with cards, a long road ahead,

A long road ahead, a state-run home.

Perhaps the old central prison

Is waiting for me, a young lad, once more.

Taganka! All the nights, full of fire!

Taganka! Why did you ruin me?

Taganka! I am your permanent prisoner,

My youth and talent have perished

within your walls.

I know, my dear, we will not meet again,

Different roads are destined for us.

Again on Fridays, the visits will continue,

And tears fall from my family's eyes.

Taganka! All the nights, full of fire!

Taganka! Why did you ruin me?

Taganka! I am your permanent prisoner,

My youth and talent have perished

within your walls.

Цыганка с картами, дорога дальняя,

Дорога дальняя, казённый дом.

Быть может, старая тюрьма центральная

Меня, парнишечку, по новой ждёт.

Таганка! Все ночи, полные огня!

Таганка! Зачем сгубила ты меня?

Таганка! Я твой бессменный арестант,

Погибли юность и талант

в стенах твоих.

Я знаю, милая, больше не встретимся,

Дороги разные нам суждены.

Опять по пятницам пойдут свидания,

И слёзы падают моей родни.

Таганка! Все ночи, полные огня!

Таганка! Зачем сгубила ты меня?

Таганка! Я твой бессменный арестант,

Погибли юность и талант

в твоих стенах.

In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Gypsy with Cards, Long Road Ahead," we witness the dramatic story of a lyrical hero whose fate is intertwined with Taganka, a district in Moscow known for its prison.

The image of the road is central to the song. The "long road" symbolizes not only physical travel but also the hero's life journey. The "state house" and the "old central prison" indicate that this path leads to imprisonment, perhaps repeated.

Taganka is presented not just as a geographical location but as a living entity, a fatal force that has "destroyed" the hero, becoming the cause of his lack of freedom. The repeated question "why?" expresses pain and despair but does not contain an accusation. Rather, it is a cry from the soul, addressed to fate.

The image of the gypsy woman with cards, mentioned in the first line, creates an atmosphere of fatality. Gypsies have traditionally been associated with predictions, and perhaps the encounter with her foretold a bleak future for the hero.

The motif of love and separation is heard in the lines about Friday visits and the tears of loved ones. Love - a bright feeling, contrasted with the darkness of prison - becomes another victim of the hero's tragic fate.

"Youth and talent perished within your walls" - these words speak of shattered hopes, of lost potential. Taganka is not just a place of confinement, but a symbol of a system that breaks destinies and destroys talents.

The language of the song is simple and emotional, close to colloquial speech. Vysotsky uses vivid imagery, metaphors, rhetorical questions to convey the tragedy of the situation and the depth of the lyrical hero's experiences.