Текст песни War Song: So Tell Your Children (Paul Clarkson) с переводом

Me clothes are wet

The trenches stink

Me boots are worn half to limp!

The weather’s bad

The dugout’s flood

And No Man’s Land is full of blood!

The mud is worse than I’ve ever seen

We lost last Friday a boy of sixteen

We cannot advance and we will not retreat

So we’ll wait here

Until next year

When we’ll more or less

Still be here…

We sweat!

We drink!

We curse!

We survive here!

Don’t stop

To think

Who’s next!

To save a friend we’ll risk our necks!

Out in No Man’s Land!

Who will come for us then?

Will they wait 'til dark?

Will they leave us for dead?

So far apart, there is more to say

Than words could achieve

I love her more

I miss her more

Than she would believe

So far apart, there is more to say

Than words could achieve

I love him more

I miss him more

Than he would believe

Last night, a Tom from Maryport

Untimely had his life cut short!

We found his corpse without a face

But his evening rum won’t go to waste!

The guns were pounding all through the night!

I cannot sleep 'cause the rats will bite!

Even the bravest men shake with fright

But we’ll hold fast, we’ll be steadfast

'Til the war has passed us all by!

We swear!

We sing!

We kill

And we die here!

Don’t like

To think

Ahead!

Don’t care to contemplate the dead!

Though I’m proud of you

John, don’t take any risks

Scared and trembling, I

Read the casualty lists

What shall I tell him, May?

You can say ol' Harry’s doing well down the pits

He is, he likes it there… they won’t call him up, that’s one worry less

Dad says he likes to hear about how we’re all doin'; just ordinary things,

he said, didn’t he?

That’s true. It all seems so petty when you know what he’s doing!

They gas us out, and we have to run

We gas them back so they don’t stay long!

They lay some wire before an attack

We open fire so they can’t get back!

You’ve heard about Isaac losing his leg?

They say without Jackson’s help he’d be dead!

We can’t shift the Hun and the Hun can’t shift us

So we’ll stand firm 'til the tide turns

And the final German is dead!

Dear Emily

Remember me

To both my children

Dear Emily, I hope there’ll never be

Another time like this one

Oh! Isaac!

Now then!

You’ll have some tea--Harry'll be home, he’ll want to see you!

I have a home of me own to go to, but I promised a man I’d see you before I saw

anybody. It was a man I couldn’t break a promise to. It was Jackson Pennington,

Emily. Was him that saved me life. Bravest man you could hope to meet

Oh

Aye. They said he didn’t want to write a letter; I suppose he thought letters

might lead to trouble. But he wanted to be remembered to you; that was the word

I see

I’ve since heard… he’s dead

Oh. You know, I made a fool of myself over him once. I don’t think John’s ever

known how much I care for him since

Well last time I saw John, he was bearing up well!

How is he? How does he look? What’s it really like out there?

Like… like… nothin' on Earth, missus! Nothin'!

We crawl!

We climb!

We cry!

We’re expendable!

Don’t care

To count

The cost!

Ten men or more last night were lost

Out in No Man’s Land!

Who will come for us then?

Will they wait 'til dark?

Will they leave us for dead?

So tell your children all one day

Of our sacrifice!

Tell them we died young

Our work undone

Tell them pride has its price…

I signed up

No! You’re just seventeen!

They took me for eighteen and a half

I could go and tell them your real age!

You couldn’t! You wouldn’t do that, mother

You shouldn’t go

I can’t not

Live while you can, wait the extra year!

It’ll be over by then!

So it’s just the killing you want?

No, but I can’t not! That’s all

I’ll miss you

I’ll send all me wages straight back

What would you say to your son

If you were me?

Would you allow him his own choice?

Would he be free?

Would you shake your head

After all you’d said?

Knowing he’d go over?

Over?

Out there, in the burnt air

Where they’re caught down to the black rock!

Some of the other men think it’s all wrong

I’ve heard officers say it’s gone on too long

They said it would end by the end of the year

They must be short of volunteers!

They said we’d have won by the end of the year!

But no one has gained but the profiteers!

I can’t see the sense when so many must die!

But we’re not all right

They’re not all wrong

Both say «God's on our side!»

Some blind, some maimed, some mad

Do survive this!

Young lads, their dreams

All gone!

One fate, one grave, one prayer well sung!

Say you’re proud of us, and we won’t ask for gifts!

And our epitaphs on the casualty list!

So tell your children all one day

Of this sacrifice!

Tell them all are young

Their lives unsung

Were suckered with lies!

So tell your children all one day

Of our sacrifice!

Tell them we died young

Our lives unsung!

Tell them pride has its price!

They told me Harry was the most willing lad they ever had. The Captain himself

told me that when I went over. He’d been out after a sniper. It was a brave

thing to do. Poor lad. Least they said it was quick. They gave me some letters

from yee he was carrying on him. I’ll bring them back to you, now that it’s all

over