Eight of them - two of us, the fight plans Don’t suit us, but we will play! Serezha, hold on! We have no chance, But we need to equalise tramp cards today. This square of the sky, I’ll not neglect - The numbers now not important to me at all: Today my friend protecting my back, That means- our chances are equal. The "messer"1 jumped on my tail, but here’s it started to smoke, With anguish the propellers were howling, - They don’t even need the crosses on the graves - It’s good enough the crosses on the wings! I’m - "The First", I’m - "The First", they under your plane! To cut them off I’ll try! I’ll cover you, hide in the clouds, kill the flame! There is no miracles in the dogfight. Sergei, you’re burning! Trust, man, Your straps now, they are reliable! No, it’s too late, the "messer" coming towards my front, - I’ll take him head on, farewell!.. I know, someone else will even the score, - But sliding among the clouds, Like two planes our souls will soar, - After all, they can’t be each other without. Archangel will tell us: "It will be hard in heaven!" But as soon as the gate behind will slam, - I will ask God: "Do enter me and my friend In some sort of angelic regiment!" And I’ll ask God, the Spirit and the Son, - So he can make easy my plight: Let my friend for eternity cover my back, as he done, Like in that final dogfight! We will ask God to give us wings and arrows, a lot, - After all, they in need of angel-ace, - And if they have many fighter pilots- Let them enlist as custodians us! It’s also a matter of honor to keep others save, - To bear good luck on the wing everywhere As we were, when alive, me and Sergei On the land as well as in the air
1 Messerschmidt - German fighter plane during World war II.
 
© Anatoli Trojanowski. Translation, 2019