I grew up like everybody with the gang in the backyard. We drank Vodka, at nights we sang songs, - And he didn’t like me, that Seryoshka Fomin Because he was so absorbed in himself. Once we sat at Seryoshka Fomin’s - We with him managed our meetings, - And heard about that war has begun, Molotov spoke to us in his famour speech. At the war commissionership’s they said to me: "Old myn. You produce tanks, the nativ manufactoring plant Compressors!" I denied, - but Seryoshka Fomin Spoke about the army, his father is a professor. I shed blood for you, my country, For all of you who take precedences of my heart: I shed blood for Seryoshka Fomin - But he sits and doesn’t care about anything! Now, he doesn’t go to the cinema - There will be a report about us before the performance, - There should be at once Seryoshka Fomin To conquer on the front the teutones ...But finally the war ended - We liberated ourselves as if of a ton of burden, - I met once again Seryoshka Fomin - And he is a hero of the Soviet Union...
© Elisabeth Jelinek. Translation, 2019