Zarema The Highest Rank Rasul Gamzatov Poem by Yuri Starostin

THE HIGHEST RANK
On the Caucasus of the past years - I know it from the cradle – the joy, that a child is born, cocked the gun. A night in the window or the hour of a dawn, but a father pulled the trigger and drove a pistol shot in the dark ceiling. A lead flew at the ceiling in the ancient days for no out a reason. Is it the title for a man more honorable, than 'father'! And when got waited the news that I was born, to sit at the table an one poet was happy together with friends. There are notable, side by side the West and the East stood, he sent a twelve corks, like a bullets into the ceiling. Fulfilled a son of a mountains, a feeling is proud than, with that, though he was known as a poet, was unfamiliar until now. And I will tell about my first success no a secret on: I gave the poet the highest rank of all. He was just a kind mountaineer, he was a good fellow, he was just a verse creator, and now he became a father.