Varyag - Imperial Russian Navy Song (1904)

The stoicism of Varyag's crew at Chemulpo has inspired the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz to write a poem dedicated to Varyag. The Russian translation of this poem was put to music by A.S. Turischev. The result was the 1904 song that remains popular today.

Lyrics in English:

On deck, ye comrades, everyone on deck!
Out for the final parade!
Proud Varyag does not surrender,
We don't need mercy!

On the masts are the colourful pennants,
Aloft the jingling anchors,
In stormy haste to clear battle
Aimed are the bare guns!

It whistles and rumbles and cracks all around,
The cannons thunder, the shells hiss.
'Twas Varyag, the faithful ship,
Like a burning hell!

Bodies tremble in agony and death.
The thunder of cannons, the groans of men.
The ship's engulfed in flames,
Time to bid farewell!

Farewell, comrades! with God, hooray!
Down into gurgling depths!
Who would've thought yesterday
That we'll perish in the waves today!

Neither stone nor cross will say where we'll rest
To the glory of the Russian flag
Only sea waves will glorify alone
The heroic death of the Varyag!