Songs about wolves

[KapitanSparrow]

Since we are all here admirers of nature and some of wolves in particular, here's a little song about wolves by legendary Polish bard Jacek Kaczmarski. It's one of his most beautiful songs. This is actually the 2nd version of the song. There are 4 in all, each telling a different story. The original song is by world famous Russian bard Vladimir Vysocki. It never fails to send chills down my spine each time I listen to it.



Here is the translation of lyrics:

I run through the strange forests
My heart tugs my throat
Not because of fear- because of rage, despair.
The tracks of wolves' packs are mossy now,
Survivors live like dogs.

No furry snout will come out from the bushes
In their eyes - madness, fear, greed or treason.
The pawprints disappeared long time ago.
Wolf knows what "extermination" means!

I hear it again and again and I can't believe it
But everything proves that:
You're animals and you live like them
But you're not wolves anymore...

Brother thinks he's safe in forest
But not God but human chases him.
Propellers above, bullets and yell
That's pulling out our eyes.

Drunk hunters' faces above their guns
Burning rain of shots
It's not a hunt anymore
It's destroying of our kind.

From hands in uniforms, from helicopters,
Automatic shots black bullets
In our heads
And there's a yell:
You're not wolves anymore!

Who hadn't become mad
Or hadn't been shot
Still runs searching for his burrows
But there is no shelter he knew once
The dogs will sniff him everywhere.

Imagine, that once he treated them as a prey
Which is not worth wolf's fangs.
Today they will drag their brother to their masters feet
Or kill tear him apart at the command.

Who is running will die when he runs
And who's standing will fall where he stood
In panic we're writing our blood on the snow,
We're not wolves - just meat to shoot.

This shot one whines
This one is loudly yelps.
But I'm alone
I can do nothing.

Let's happen what have to be
When I meet a bullet on my way
It rips my old wound on my back
But as long wolf bleeds the wolf is alive.

So it's not death yet
Death has sharper fangs
It's not my triumph,
But it's not their victory either.

I won't whine or complain
As long as blood runs in my veins
I will be first who rips brother's throat
If he says - we are not wolves anymore

Here's the original by Vysocki:


Here are all four versions by Kaczmarski: