Там, вдали за рекой,
Засверкали огни,
В небе ясном заря догорала;
Сотня юных бойцов
Из буденновских войск
На разведку в поля поскакала.
Они ехали долго
В ночной тишине
По широкой украинской степи.
Вдруг вдали у реки
Засверкали штыки:
Это белогвардейские цепи.
И без страха отряд
Поскакал на врага,
Завязалась кровавая битва.
И боец молодой
Вдруг поник головой —
Комсомольское сердце пробито.
Он упал возле ног
Вороного коня
И закрыл свои карие очи.
- Ты, конек вороной,
Передай, дорогой,
Что я честно погиб за рабочих...
Там, вдали за рекой,
Уж погасли огни,
В небе ясном заря разгоралась.
Сотня юных бойцов
В стан буденновских войск
Из разведки назад возвращалась.
-----------
Far away 'cross the river
Slowly lights grew bright,
In the sky the evening glow went out,
A young guides' century
Of the Red Cavalry
Rode into the fields on the scout.
They were riding awhile in the still of the night
Broken only by chirping field crickets,
Suddenly far ahead
Bayonets glitterEd -
'Twere the White Army lines, their pickets.
And this troop it rushed dauntlessly onto the foes,
The gory battle raged higher and higher,
And a young warrior he
Bent aslant suddenly,
His brave soul was pierced by cross-fire. [Or: He was pierced by enemy fire.]
He fell down by the hooves of his fiery horse,
And he closed his eyes now forever,
"You my dear faithful bay,
Gallop back and please say,
For the workers' cause I fell with valour."
Far away 'cross the river
Slowly lights grew dim,
In the sky the morning glow was dawning,
The young guides' century
Of the Red Cavalry
Rode back home from the fields in the morning.
Slowly lights grew bright,
In the sky the evening glow went out,
A young guides' century
Of the Red Cavalry
Rode into the fields on the scout.
They were riding awhile in the still of the night
Broken only by chirping field crickets,
Suddenly far ahead
Bayonets glitterEd -
'Twere the White Army lines, their pickets.
And this troop it rushed dauntlessly onto the foes,
The gory battle raged higher and higher,
And a young warrior he
Bent aslant suddenly,
His brave soul was pierced by cross-fire. [Or: He was pierced by enemy fire.]
He fell down by the hooves of his fiery horse,
And he closed his eyes now forever,
"You my dear faithful bay,
Gallop back and please say,
For the workers' cause I fell with valour."
Far away 'cross the river
Slowly lights grew dim,
In the sky the morning glow was dawning,
The young guides' century
Of the Red Cavalry
Rode back home from the fields in the morning.