Quote Originally Posted by Ramil View Post
To me, this is probably the most touching song I've ever heard. Nobody knows whom it was dedicated to and it became known by its first line (Бьётся в тесной печурке огонь):
Софье Кревс To Sofia Krevs
Бьётся в тесной печурке огонь, Fire flickers in the wood burning stove
На поленьях смола, как слеза, A drop of tar shines like a tear
И поет мне в землянке гармонь The accordion rings through my dugout,
Про улыбку твою и глаза. Your smile and your eyes seem so near.
Про тебя мне шептали кусты In the snow-covered fields around Moscow,
В белоснежных полях под Москвой. The weeds rustle your name in my ear
Я хочу, чтобы слышала ты, I wish you could hear, in person,
Как тоскует мой голос живой. How my voice sounds and longs for you here..
Ты сейчас далеко-далеко. Right now, you are far, far away.
Между нами снега и снега. Endless snow lies between you and me
До тебя мне дойти нелегко, It’s not easy to reach you. No way.
А до смерти — четыре шага. Whereas death is as close as can be.
Пой, гармоника, вьюге назло, Sing, accordion, in spite of the storm,
Заплутавшее счастье зови. Bring me happiness from up above.
Мне в холодной землянке тепло And the chill of my dugout seems warm
От моей негасимой любви. From the undying flame of my love.
А. Сурков, Ноябрь, 1941 Alexey Surkov, November, 1941
I didn't know that you could use table formatting here -- cool!

Anyway, there were just a couple of grammar or usage mistakes that simply had to be fixed (in red) -- you can't say "under Moscow," for instance, unless you're talking about a subway train! And I made several other "poetic suggestions" in blue. For example, it seemed a shame to lose the imagery of the bushes/grass/weeds still alive although buried under the snow. And негасимая любовь immediately brought to mind the "eternal flame" that burns by war memorials -- not to mention the 1989 song by The Bangles! (The word "eternal" didn't fit the meter, but "undying" sounds just as strong and emotionally evocative here.)