It’s the Last Day

In a village lived a happy family,

They had three sons.

One evening

А call-up notice came.

It said which of the three sons

Would be called up.

The oldest son had a wife and children,

So he was not the one to go.

The youngest son was too young,

So he was not the one to go.

The middle son had to go,

He cried, “It must be my turn.

“It’s the last day, the last time,

That I’ll be making merry with my friends.

Tomorrow early in the morning,

My whole family will cry for me.

“My brothers and sisters will cry,

My mother and father will cry.

And my beloved, whom I’ve been dating for three years,

Will cry, too.

“I was going to marry you,

I promised to love you till I died.

Oh, let me kiss you, my sweetheart,

One last time before I go.

“A carriage drives up to my home,

And stops by the porch.

A voice comes from the carriage:

‘Get your son ready for war!’

“It’s the last day, the last time,

That I’ll be making merry with my friends.

Tomorrow early in the morning,

My whole family will cry for me.

“Now I’m ready for my new life,

Serving in the czar’s Czar’s army.

Bring out the holy icon, mother,

Put the bread-and-salt on the table.

“For serving the czar is no way to fatten up,

I’d be happy to come by a dried-up piece of bread.

I’d come back to the cold barracks,

And roll up to sleep on the floor.

“My dear mother won’t say to me,

‘Get up, son! Have some tea.’

My dear father won’t say to me,

‘Have a drink with me.’

“My young wife won’t tell me:

‘Let’s go out for a walk in the garden, Vanya!’

Farewell, my good old village,

Farewell, my merry village.

“It’s the last day, the last time,

That I’ll be making merry with my friends.

Tomorrow early in the morning,

My whole family will cry for me.”