Translating the poem "Lucky pirate"

This is a silly, absolutely unrealistic song about a pirate who left his evil ways after falling in love with a pretty girl. People usually sing it to cheer up someone who is sad or whey they’re drunk :) There are no deep meanings here, the only goal is to keep the main theme and a lighthearted mood.

The original Russian text:

Я пел веселую песнь тебе
О белых пяти кораблях.
Веселую песнь тебе я пел
О неизвестных морях.

Гитара взывает к душе твоей,
И к мысли твоей – слова.
Красивая песня – но что за ней?
Поймешь ты это едва...

Ох, я рад!
А ведь я пират!
Я много морей повидал.

Ох, я рад!
Отыскал я клад!
С разбоем я завязал.

С былых времен мне осталась песнь
Для несокрушимых сердец.
О том, что давно у меня уже есть,
Мечтает любой юнец.

А я же мечтаю лишь об одном.
Твоей я руки прошу.
Мы счастливы будем с тобой вдвоем,
Весь мир я тебе покажу.

Ох, я рад!
Отдыхай пират!
Ты битвам полжизни отдал.

Ох, я рад!
Отыскал я клад,
Как только тебя увидал!


My rough translation

Lucky pirate

I sang a merry song to you
About five white ships.
A merry song I sang to you
About uncharted seas.

My guitar calls to your soul,
My words call to your mind.
A beautiful song but what’s it really about,
Will you understand?

Oh, I’m happy!
I’m a pirate!
I’ve seen many seas!

Oh, I’m happy!
I’ve found my treasure!
I’m retiring now.

I remember a song from my old days,
A song for unconquerable hearts.
Every young man dreams
Of what I already have.

As to me, I dream only of one thing.
I ask your hand in marriage.
We will be happy together,
I will show you all the world.

Oh, I’m happy!
Rest, pirate!
You spent half of your life fighting.

Oh, I’m happy!
I’ve found my treasure
As soon as I saw you!



Alan Jackson's comments and translation:

I didn't write the music - the verse is taken almost unchanged from a hymn tune called "Roll call"; the chorus is based on the chorus of the same tune, but pretty remotely!

Lucky pirate

Once I sang a funny song to you
A merry song and fair
Of five white ships a-sailing on the breeze
And you listened to the music
of my hand on my guitar
And you felt the lure of undiscovered seas

Chorus:
Ahoy! Ahoy!
I’m a pirate boy!
You’re so fair you sent my bearings in a whirl!
Ahoy! Ahoy!
I’m your pirate boy!
You’re my treasure beyond measure, you’re my girl!

Yes, you listened and you wondered, but
You didn’t understand
How the words could wake so deep within your mind
How the music of an old guitar
could touch your very soul
With a beauty long-forgotten, undefined

Chorus

But I still have one more song to sing
An ancient song and wise
But it takes a heart like yours to grasp it’s true
It’s the song that every boy has sung
from Time’s first night and day
That my heart is singing now because of you

Chorus

Now I want to tie the knot with you
‘cos I know you’re my dream
And I know you won’t be happy till it’s done,
When we’re safe inside our harbour home
I’ll show you all the world,
For the world is nothing next to what we’ve won!

Last Chorus:
Ahoy! Ahoy!
I’m a pirate boy!
It’s the day to sail away from war and strife!
Ahoy! Ahoy!
I’m your pirate boy!
You’re my treasure beyond measure, you’re my life!

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About the project:
My scifi and fantasy novels have a lot of poems in them that can not be removed without destroying the plot. Alas, my English in not good enough for translating poetry. Alan Jackson helps me translate the poems. It makes the translation of my novels possible.

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Random stuff

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McColl34:
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Aprillen:
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McColl34:
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Mildegard:
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Jourell:
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Mildegard:
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Jude Wilkins:
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Mildegard:
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Jan
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Jan
"The world is so real it hurts".
Elie
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Что случилось с русской версией комикса "Дары бродячих льдов"?
Комикс Дары бродячих льдов перезапущен в новом формате на сайте mildegard.ru
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GWI has a store with 1$ books and juicy freebies! Check it out :)
"Tales from the Afterworld" is a collection of illustrated short stories in different genres (sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism) from the author of "Gifts of wandering ice". You can read it for free here or on Tapas.
Did you know that there is a way to support the author of GWI without spending your money? Here you go: download Tapas app, subscribe to one of Olga's stories on Tapas, earn Tapas Ink in the app by watching ads or playing games, donate the ink. Easy :)
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