This text was written shortly after the passing of Navalny (a prominent Russian dissident) in a Russian detention center in February, although I just came across it yesterday. The lyrics were penned by Leonid Kaganov, with the performance by the renowned Russian artist Vasia Oblomov (the stage name of Vasiliy Goncharov), who currently resides in the U.S.
Here is my translation:
Now, a vacant grave lies far from here.
We anticipated a miracle, and indeed, this was it.
It communicated with us, bestowing faith as a present
Through actions and words, irony and exemplification.Once again, for us, the Biblical evil drama unfolded,
Where they cure with a mere word and expel the deceivers from the temple,
Where, adored by the masses, they succumb to predetermined accusations,
Submitting to the Sanhedrin, to be crucified come Friday—For their intolerance of falsehood, for their fervor for the cause,
And who could be astonished that the terrestrial body has disappeared?
Yet the spirit shall be reborn on screens, emerging as a living icon,
And the oppressors will quake beneath the weight of concrete prison beds,
And the spirit shall dissipate within the word, amidst the realm of perpetual absurdity,
Amidst the land of executioners and bloodshed, amidst the culture of murderers and penitentiaries,
Where the thaw transitions into autumn, where jests grow scarce,
Where truth remains unspoken, yet inexplicably slaughtered,Where the devil parades unclothed, challenging one not to perceive him,
Where districts and schools instruct in the art of silence and hatred,
Where ordinary folk, bewildered by mundane disputes,
Are uncertain of what lies ahead, placing faith in the sewers.And those who beheld the miracle shut their kitchen doors,
Pierce voodoo dolls with needles, recite psalms, and believe
That the stone within the heart of the killer, the craven, icy being
Shall one day cease to beat, granting the world serenity,And in the heavens, blood clots shall burst within the crimson towers of the Kremlin,
And bombs shall fall silent in the fields of our neighbors,
Then the ballets shall conclude, the rogues shall flee,
And the air shall carry the scent of summer, permitting us to depart from conversation.And akin to heat and water, antennas, gas, and illumination,
Freedom shall be channeled into our dwellings, for you prophesied as such.
The time shall arrive, shall pass judgment, shall strip the executioners bare,
And it shall be accomplished with the people to whom you imparted hope.
The lyrics were supposedly composed on February 19, three days after Navalny’s demise, and during that period, his remains had not yet been released to his mother; hence, I interpret “the terrestrial body has vanished” and “vacant grave” in this context. The reference to a blood clot likely alludes to the suggested cause of Navalny’s death. The mention of ballets may pertain to Swan Lake emerging as a symbol of resistance against the Russian regime and, possibly, a harbinger of leaders’ demises. (Acknowledgments to Yurkin0v, a translator on LyricsTranslate, whose translation and insights proved invaluable in crafting this rendition.) I extend my apologies for any overlooked allusions.
