"Private Borisov reports!" - "You better start explaining."
I was holding on with all my might:
It was dark, I’m not a lark, and then it started raining...
But I’ve warned him properly, all right!

At my first shout: "Who’s coming?" he began to joke,
When I shot in the air, he clamored: "Drop it, bloke!"
I hesitated for a moment, to be frank,
Then spat the ciggy out and shot him at point-blank.

"Private, listen, for your best, the truth is all that’s matters!
You’d have recognized him miles away."
How could I? - the night was dark, the sky’s completely covered...
Someone walked, refusing to obey. 

At my first shout: "Who’s coming?" he began to joke,
When I shot in the air, he clamored: "Drop it, bloke!"
I hesitated for a moment, to be frank,
Then spat the ciggy out and shot him at point-blank.

"Private Borisov," the crime investigator uttered,
"You will be court-martialed, on a whim!"
"I was at my post: ’twas dark, the sky’s completely covered..."
I repeated, wearily, to him.

At my first shout: "Who’s coming?" he began to joke,
When I shot in the air, he clamored: "Drop it, bloke!"
I hesitated for a moment, to be frank,
Then spat the ciggy out and shot him at point-blank.

Years ago - and I do not forgive the humiliation,
We’d a little quarrel in the mine.
But back then we couldn’t have a proper conversation:
The jackhammers stopped us all the time.

At my soul’s cry: "Leave her alone!" he chose to joke,
And when I threw a punch, he clamored: "Drop it, bloke!"
I hesitated, feeling angry and bereft,
Then spat the ciggy out, threw down my knife and left.

I was lucky: he survived the shooting and recovered,
As for me, I was in sentry mode.
And again - the night was dark, the sky’s completely covered,
So I shot according to the code!

At my first shout: "Who’s coming?" he began to joke,
When I shot in the air, he clamored: "Drop it, bloke!"
I hesitated for a moment, to be frank,
Then spat the ciggy out and shot him at point-blank.