Translation of the song Алкаши artist Aleksandr Dolskiy

Алкоголик старый Слава не боялся ни шиша,

Old alcoholic Slava wasn't intimidated by anything:

Не валялся он в канавах с самогона и ерша.

He never passed out sprawled in a ditch having had some moonshine or yorsh (a Russian drink, which is a mix of vodka and beer, in genera', yorsh is raffe, a type of fish with thorns, or a bottle-brush)

Он гулял интеллигентно с перегаром из души,

He was genteel, walking around with a hearty exhaust on his breath,

И ему индифферентно улыбылись алкаши.

And other drunkards were smiling neutrally at him.

Алкаши, алкаши, днём и ночью хороши,

Drunkards, drunkards, they feel good about themselves (they are in quite a good state) day and night,

Только утром мрачны лица если нет опохмелиться.

Their faces are only gloomy in the morning when they don't have anything to freshen the nip,

В голове и шум и звон, разливай одеколон.

It's dinging and banging in the head, pour out cologne (in order to drink since it contains alcohol)

Алкаши, алкаши, я люблю вас от души.

Drunkards, drunkards, I love you from the bottom of my heart.

Дядя Слава жил красиво без квартиры и без жён,

Uncle Slava lived beautifully without housing and without a wife,

Мы с ним как-то пили пиво, хоть и был он заряжён.

Once upon a time we were drinking beer together, though he was already loaded,

А потом мы для разрядки взяли белого домой,

And then, in order to unload, we took home some white (moonshine) with us,

Дядя Слава был в порядке, ну а я с копыт долой.

Uncle Slava was OK, but I myself passed out.

Алкаши, алкаши, днём и ночью хороши,

Drunkards, drunkards, they feel good about themselves (they are in quite a state) day and night,

До одинадцати, братцы, как-то нужно продержаться.

People, we have to hold out till 11 am (in order not to start drinking before, it's considered too early/a bad habit to drink early in the morning)

Нет стаканов и стола, пьём в подъезде из горла.

There is no table and no glasses, we are drinking from the bottle in a communal entrance hallway.

Алкаши, алкаши, всех бы трезвых придушить.

Drunkards, drunkards, (just imagine) how nice it would be to strangle all the teetotalers.

Если не было у Славы за душою ни гроша,

If it happened that Slava found himself at the bottom of the barrel (broke)

он любую пил отраву и любого пил ерша.

Then he drank any poison and any yorsh (he came across)

Пили вместе мы лет десять, было Славе хоть бы хны,

We used to drink together (like this) for good ten years, Slava was none the worse for it,

Слышал, он погиб в Одессе, выпив два стакана хны.

But I heard, he perished (as a hero) in Odessa (a city in Ukraine)

Алкаши, алкаши, много здесь людей больших:

Drunkards, drunkards, there are a lot of important people among them:

Капитан есть и писатель, академик есть и врач.

There's a captain, and a writer, and academician, and a doctor.

Ах, российский обыватель, ты за них чуть-чуть поплачь

Hey, Russian citizen, cry a little thinking about them,

Алкаши, алкаши, догорел огонь души.

Drunkards, drunkards, the fire of the soul has burnt out.