Vladimir Vysotsky - Pochemu aborigeny s'eli Kuka? (Почему аборигены съели Кука?) (English translation)
English translation
Why did Aborigines eat Cook?
Don't grasp the waists of strangers,
Now, that your girlfriends don't look.
Remember, how to the shores of Australia,
Sailed up the late Captain Cook.
Sitting in a circle under azalea
In Australian land sunny and hot,
Eating and eating from dawn to dusk
One another, evil, savage lot.
But why did Aborigines eat Cook?
You won't find the answer in the wisest book.
The answer is simple - they wanted a lunch
As far as I see it - so Cook they did munch.
It's also possible that their Chief Big Beech
Shouted to his people standing on the beach
That aboard the ship there's delicious cook,
There was a mistake and they ate James Cook.
Nothing was to it, no deceit at all
That without "knock, knock" they entered that door.
Knock, knock on the head with a bamboo stick
And James Cook is dead - what a nasty trick!
There is one more thing that I, well, suspect
Cook could have been eaten due to high respect.
All this has been set by a cunning shaman
"Catch Cook, boys," shrieked the cruel man.
Roast him with no onion, salt or other spices
and you'll be like Cook - strong, brave, with no vices.
A stone happened to be there which some savage took
Aim, hit, bang - and there is no Cook.
And the savage lot now's wailing and crying
Break their swords and bows they're trying
Burn their bamboo sticks with ferocious hate
Regretting deeply that James Cook they ate.
Submitted by 
maxia on Mon, 07/04/2014 - 21:07
maxia on Mon, 07/04/2014 - 21:07Added in reply to request by Vladislove
VladisloveLast edited by maxia on Sat, 09/08/2014 - 02:21
maxia on Sat, 09/08/2014 - 02:21
Russian
Pochemu aborigeny s'eli Kuka? (Почему аборигены съели Кука?)
More translations of "Pochemu aborigeny s'eli Kuka? (Почему аборигены съели Кука?)"
English
Vladimir Vysotsky: Top 3
| 1. | Pesnya o druge (Песня о друге) |
| 2. | Ya ne lyublyu (я не люблю) |
| 3. | Ballada o lyubvi (Баллада о любви) |
See also
Russian → English: All Translations
Comments
tanyas2882
Tue, 15/07/2014 - 13:48
Никогда бы не подумала, что эту песню можно перевести, да ещё в рифму!
thanks for translating. I just hope no one takes the title seriously lolz. If I recall, Cook was killed by the native Hawaiians in 1779. And he wasn't eaten, luckily.