Jacek Kaczmarski - Epitafium dla Włodzimierza Wysockiego

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Downwards at neckbreaking speed I run!
No one holds me, no one examines me
No one breaks bridges nor puts up gates!

Along the ridge! Along the ridge!
Over the abyss, without chains, without hesitation!
Here devils will take the sober,
Rationality - bastard - will betray me
Into wolf pit the memories will turn
The sharp ridge!

Along the ridge! Along the ridge! Along the ridge!
Here the defeated ones will not get in my way!
They only take me by my legs,
They shout "don't go!" They shout "stop!"
These, that stopped halfway
And with teeth, claws, they crush the ridge!

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Into the abyss onto my head, onto my neck - a jump!
New translation of "Divine Comedy"
And into the first circle of Hell my first step!

Here to me! Here to me!
Redhead girl grabs me with her hands
And ties me to a horse's main
Pulls its hair - the stallion neighs
She "what's the matter, my prince?"
Whispers to me...

To Hell! To Hell! To Hell!
I don't have time for rides, you furious witch!
-You don't know what waits there for you-
She says, drawing blue tears
-Hell is also for a human!
Don't scare, don't tempt and while going away, take the dreams!

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Around me crowd of pale characters
Horse carries me over them lightly
And into the second circle he directs his steps!

Exiled! Exiled!
Marked, condemned and sold!
What are you doing in tunnels of Hell
Wading in the mud, stomping the ice!
Does death give free people
Again under the knout?

"It's not like that! Not like that! Not like that!
Do not feel pity for us - you are a poet!
We could not stand the paradise
Here is our element, here is our home!
Here vile people will not enter
Here no thunder will decimate us!

Mistress of swamps, wetlands and snowy fields!
In the steam bath burn the stones to whiteness!
Let the pain melt from the heated bodies!
We will target the tattoos!
Because on the heart, to the left, there Stalin shivers,
Sweat floods his eyes and moustache!
His profile we forged there, deliberately
So he could hear the eagerness/tearing* of hearts!"

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
The kerosene lamps attract the sight
Suburban house, little chamber
And into the third circle next step:

"Come on in! Come on in!
I don't know how you got here!
Just in time, the samovar seethes, drink the tea,
Son, drink!
Drink moonshine with us!
Live well!

We're fine! We're fine! We're fine!
So we live invisibly and soundlessly!
We will live and we will die
The world will not hear about us
And after death we will drink
For the several years survived in good faith!"

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
A city and in the city a block next to a block
I breathe in the air and slightly wobbly
Already in the fourth circle I direct my steps

To the circus! To the circus! To the cinema!
Turn on the TV - the cartoon begins!
Mom in a shop, dad in a bar
Son from his PPSh shoots all over!
On his pioneer neckerchief of dreams
He has a star!

To matches! To matches! To rallies!
Know what you know, don't stand out to the State Service!
With a neighbour, of course, you can drink
But this is a neighbour, a brother is a brother
Since forever the world used to belong
And smile to the careful

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Onstage there is Hamlet, his pierced side
From which blood has just leaked -
This is the next step to the fifth circle!

"Oh mother! Oh mother!
How could you sell yourself to him so easily!
After all, he killed your husband
He will slay me, desecrate the throne
Destroy Denmark, rob the people
Toll the bell!

Alarm! Alarm! Alarm!
Don't choose between your desire and God!
There is still time to fix the mistakes
Mother, don't do it - stop!"
The censor from the ninth row:
"No, in this form it cannot be released!"

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Vodka and beer, cognac, grog,
The last Mecca of the best of us
And into the sixth circle the next step!

On the top! On the top! On the top!
One would like to live the fullest and the longest!
It is worth to make effort for that!
This is an addiction, understand that!
There you live like in times of the tzar!
And that's it!

At the bottom, at the bottom, at the bottom
A glass of vodka and a black bread on the table!
And we all, both there and here
Crowd of souls torn in half
After the swing nausea and sadness
Even if you banged your head on the table everyday!

This is my pathway from Hell to Hell
Slowly the darkness is falling on me
So rows of fiends lighten my path
Because into the seventh circle I direct my steps!

There they sit in silence
And they don't look at my face - they know everything
They sit, but they don't talk
Cloudy sight gleams from under their eyelids
They chew something, because long time ago
Their fangs have fallen out!

So I stand! So I stand! So I stand!
And before them lies my life in a briefcase!
They don't read, they don't ask -
They keep silent, they sit - someone coughs,
And outside the window the drumrolls play -
Again a parade, a holiday or something else...

And I figured out what they want to do with me here
And the fear grabs me by the throat
My horse has disappeared and you, the crowd of the seven circles
You have sand in your ears and eyes!
No one will reach out their cruel arms to me
I will not be tormented nor sheared!
For me they have something else here - the eighth circle!
The eighth circle, where there is nothing at all.

Remember me with all your might! All your might!
Even though I flashed before you like shadow!
Heat the steam bath until the stone turns to ashes -
After all I will come back when the day begins.

* verb "się rwą" has two meanings (to physically tear apart or to be very eager), I don't know which one was intended by author here