My friend left for Magadan.
Take off your hat, take off your hat!
He left on his own, left on his own,
Not "on a stage", not "on a stage"

Not because my friend wasn’t lucky,
Not in order to spite someone,
Not because of a rumor, whatever they say, you crank,
But simply so, but simply so.

Possibly someone will say: - It’s in vain!
Why do this - decide to do without everything?
Everyone knows that there are only prison camps there,
While inside them - murderers, while inside them - murderers!

He answers: - Don’t believe the rumors.
There aren’t more killers there than in Moscow. -
Later he packs his suitcase -
And off to Magadan, and off to Magadan.

It’s not that I could handle the years
I would’ve jumped out of a train at night
But I’m not going to Magadan,
Forgetting habits, closing quotations marks

I will sing under the strumming sound
About what he will see,
About what he’s never in his life seen, -
About Magadan, about Magadan.

My friend left of his own accord,
He’s satisfied, he’s satisfied.
The escort won’t be beating him,
He is a volunteer, he is a volunteer.

But my lot is given me by God...
But, maybe, also to go to Magadan
Together with my friend
And lay on the bottom bunk, and lay on the bottom bunk.