Incident in a restaurant by Vlad Visotski

In the restaurant, hanging here and there on the walls,

Pictures "Three Bears", "Stabbed Knight",   etcetera…

The captain tipsy drunk sits alone at the table.

- May I? - I asked. - Sit down, yang  brother!

- Have a smoke! - Sorry, I don't smoke "Kazbek".

- Okay, have a drink! Give me the dish!

- While they bring it...- Drink, I tell you, wreck:

Bless you! - I definitely will wish.

- Well, so what, - said the captain, tipsy, -

You drink vodka beautifully, however,

Have you ever seen a machine gun or a tank up close in?

Have you ever, say, gone on the attack grinder

In '43 near Kursk I was a sergeant scout.

Behind my back - such things so bad,

A lot of things, brother, my back behind,

May you live long peacefully, lad!

He cursed and drank, he asked about my father.

He shouted, looking stupidly at the dish:

- I gave my whole life for you, a scoundrel rather,

And you're wasting your life, you catfish.

And a rifle for you, and to send you into battle?!

But you're drinking vodka here with me! -

I sat, deep in a trench under the Kursk Bulge,

Where the captain was a sergeant only.

He was getting more drunk on , I followed him closely.

Only at the very end of the conversation

I offended him, I said: - Captain, believe obviously:

You'll never be a major! Do not  mention!