The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Every poet has their province..." (U kajdogo poeta est provinciya...) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

In the garrison club beyond the Carpathians

I read of the retreat, I read

About how over the dead soldiers

Not the angel of death, but the battalion commander cried

And they listened to me as only they can listen

To each other, men of the same platoon

And I felt, how between souls

A spark of my word had flown

Every poet has a province

Which forgives his errors and his sins

All the petty hurts and grievances

For the truth in his verse within

And I too have one, immutable

Not marked on any map, alone

My harsh and candid province

My distant province - War.

Я в гарнизонном клубе за Карпатами

Читал об отступлении, читал

О том, как над убитыми солдатами

Не ангел смерти, а комбат рыдал

И слушали меня, как только слушают

Друг друга люди взвода одного

И я почувствовал, как между душами

Сверкнула искра слова моего

У каждого поэта есть провинция

Она ему ошибки и грехи

Все мелкие обиды и провинности

Прощает за правдивые стихи

И у меня есть тоже неизменная

На карту не внесенная, одна

Суровая моя и откровенная

Далекая провинция - Война.

In the poem "Every poet has a province...", Vladimir Vysotsky reflects on the role of the poet and the power of true poetry, which draws inspiration from deep personal experience. The author draws a parallel between a poet and a soldier, arguing that every poet has their own "province" – a space of experiences that shapes their voice.

The first lines paint a picture of a poet performing in front of soldiers far from home. Vysotsky chooses a poignant image of a battalion commander mourning fallen soldiers, emphasizing the harsh reality of war, far from heroic clichés. The atmosphere is filled with sincerity and empathy – the soldiers listen to the poet "as only people of one platoon listen / To each other", and he, in turn, feels a response in their hearts: "A spark of my word flashed between souls".

It is in this unity of souls that true poetry is born. Vysotsky states that every poet has their own "province" – a place where "mistakes and sins", "All petty grievances and offenses" are forgiven. This is not a geographical concept, but a space of deeply personal experience from which the poet draws inspiration. For Vysotsky, such a "province" becomes war, "harsh" and "frank", which has forever left a mark on his soul.

The poem becomes a metaphor for the power of art, able to overcome boundaries and unite people. "Truthful poems", born in the "province" of personal experience, resonate in the hearts of listeners, becoming a bridge between souls. Vysotsky shows that true poetry always comes from the heart, and only it is capable of such a deep interaction.