> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hawkword.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Translation: Visotsky's My Two Fates - URL: https://www.hawkword.com/poetry/translation-visotskys-my-two-fates/ - Published: 2021-07-20T12:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2021-07-20T12:00:00.000Z - Description: Life was great and full of plenty So it seemed when I was twenty As the saying goes - Author: A. Gee - Tags: Poetry, Allpoetry Import, #Import 2026-04-25 19:56 Life was great and full of plenty So it seemed when I was twenty As the saying goes I was carefree, and seemed busy Current carried me, so dizzy Where the current flows Going where the current’s flowing Needs no paddling or rowing What a gift, indeed Wasps, mosquitos, the blood suckers Harried me, the evil fuckers But did not succeed From the shores, I saw folks waving Offer help and offer saving But I paid no mind Tried for naught, these eager troopers I was lying in a stupor Catatonic, dumb and blind When the current rips, no matter Rapids break, it’s just a splatter All will be all right I was brimming with affection Gazing at my own reflection Future seeming bright As the shores drift up the river I am sipping from a quiver Of the mead I own At “That’s It”, or almost near it I am joined by a foul spirit An enormous crone While I sat there shocked, astonished Fogs descended, sunlight vanished The place reeked of death And the ugly crone, she wriggles Bends and in my ear, she giggles With her beastly breath I am screaming, but don’t hear it Cannot see a thing, but fear it I can barely see The boat rocks as the winds blow it “Who goes there?” I finally know it It’s my Destiny “Do not cross yourself and cower Here the Virgin has no power She will not provide Those who forsake keel and paddle They are Destiny’s to addle And you must abide” I seek pathways among shadows Sipping mead, each sip a small dose Each a tiny shot But she doesn’t doze or stagger Marches on with little swagger Not a chance I got Here she stumbles on a tree stump Shakes all over, what a big rump Heaves and hoes, the hulk She is short of breath and wheezing But keeps pulling me, uneasy Her enormous bulk Suddenly, we meet a creature Lame, and lacking a straight feature Mischief in each eye “On the precipice you wobble. I will save you from your troubles Let your tears run dry” I ask her: “and who shall you be?” And she says, “whatever’s to be. I am your Big Lie. And though I am lame and graceless Cross eyed, humped, and often baseless I can get on by I exclaimed, while pouring her some Save me, you old hump. Save this bum I am in your tow I will even fix your old hump Just you get me from this old dump From this undertow And here Destiny, you drink up Honesty in every dew drop Can you just relax? In a minute, less, I reckon You’ll feel pretty, have no second As that tension cracks The two crones fell on the bottle In hysteria, they prattle As they drink my mead In the meantime, I seek shelter Crawling backwards, helter skelter There’s the shore, indeed Paddling with urgent fervor No respite, no life preserver But I’m almost saved Lap it up, you ancient phonies Hope you drop dead, you old cronies You are all I’ve craved Had I known, what evil curses Mumbling what secret verses Had me in their grip As a vagabond, I traveled Watching as my plans unraveled Saw my future slip Life was grand and full of plenty So it seemed when I was twenty Scoundrel, that I was They depart, still howling, crying My two fates, no lack of trying But with empty paws --- **Author notes:** This is a sung, allegorical ballad by Vladimir Visotsky, one of the most influential songwriters and poets of the latter period of the Soviet era (he died in 1980). Much of his work was circulated underground. Though he never confirmed it while he was alive, many analysts thought that his two fates are his addictions. The ballad's creatures, loosely translated here (one is literally "Hard Fate) and other is literally "Bent" or "Curved", feature in Russian folklore. I've matched the rhythm and rhyming scheme of the song -- you can listen to the original here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmLfoLJ4XgQ