R.Rozhdestvensky, They Were Leaving... - Translation (Rus.) Poem by Lyudmila Purgina

They were leaving once my country, talented,
Taking with them their honour state.
Some of them - after the bad camp eating,
The others - in few weeks beforehand.
They were not the heroes -
And you hardly could reveal from them: a hero? ..
They were simply thinking not in row -
Though it was then the best system, ideal.

They were leaving. And without any indulgence.
They had one, the most perfect feature:
All of them could be considered - 'clever',
And you know Russia was to dislike the wit
for ages!
They were leaving country through the 'Yes' or 'No',
Not for one year, but for the rest of living.
And the customs checked them so thoroughly,
The frontier guards were looking with a grin.

Not by inner call in their hearts that was!
Not by call!
But under force of need.
They were leaving this sky. And this zone.
This the sixth part of the Earth, indeed.

And there was an hour of weariness.
The unfair payment.
Sheremetievo.
And a blizzard.
The hard snowflakes...

...They were leaving one day my country, talented...
They were leaving
but to stay in it forever.

by Robert Rozhdestvensky