Кукушка – Полина Гагарина/ Polina Gagarina
Translated song lyrics
How many songs remain unwritten?
Tell me, cuckoo, sing them out:
Should I live in the city or on the outskirts?
Lie cold as a stone or burn bright as a star, a star?
[Verse]
My sun, look on me!
My palm has turned into a fist,
And if there’s gunpowder, give me fire—
Just like that!
[Chorus]
Who will follow the lonely trail?
The strong and the brave
Have laid down their heads on the field, in battle.
Few remain in clear memory
With sober mind and steady hand,
In the ranks, in the ranks.
[Verse]
My sun, look on me!
My palm has turned into a fist,
And if there’s gunpowder, give me fire—
Just like that!
[Bridge]
Description
This is one of Polina Gagarina's most powerful performances: "The Cuckoo" ("Кукушка"), written by Viktor Tsoi and popularized by the film *Battle for Sevastopol*.
The song "The Cuckoo" is a poetic and dramatic ode to life, choice, and destiny. By posing questions to the symbolic bird, the protagonist reflects on the meaning of existence: to live in solitude or shine brightly, to survive or sacrifice oneself for something greater. It evokes fallen soldiers, freedom, and resistance, with imagery of the sun, gunpowder, and clenched fists. Polina Gagarina's interpretation heightens the emotional intensity of a text that unites pain, hope, and courage.
- Artist: Полина Гагарина/ Polina Gagarina