Lyrics
Empire Of The Clouds
To ride the storm, to an empire of the clouds
To ride the storm, they climbed aboard their silver ghost
To ride the storm, to a kingdom that will come
To ride the storm, and damn the rest, oblivion
Royalty and dignitaries, brandy and cigars
Grey lady giant of the skies, you hold them in your arms
The millionth chance they laughed, to take down his majesty’s craft
“To India,” they say, “magic carpet float away,” an October fateful day
Mist is in the trees, stone sweats with the dew
The morning sunrise, red before the blue
Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
His majesty’s airship, the R101
She’s the biggest vessel built by man, a giant of the skies
For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside
Drum roll tight, her canvas skin, silvered in the sun
Never tested with the fury, with the beating yet to come
The fury yet to come…
In the gathering gloom, the storm rising in the west
The coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
We must go now, we must take our chance with fate
We must go now, for a politician he can’t be late
The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch,
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
She never flew at full speed, a trial never done
Her fragile outer cover, her Achilles would become
An Achilles yet to come…
Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
Loyal to the king, and an airship creed
The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
Release the cords that bind us to the ground
Said the coxswain, “Sir, she’s heavy, she’ll never make this flight.”
Said the captain, “Damn the cargo! We’ll be on our way tonight.”
Groundlings cheered in wonder, as she backed off from the mast
Baptizing them her water, from the ballast fore and aft
Now she slips into our past…
Fighting the wind as it rolls you
Feeling the diesels that push you along
Watching The Channel below you
Lower and lower, into the night
Lights are passing below you
Northern France, asleep in their beds
Storm is raging around you
A million to one, that’s what he said
Reaper standing beside her
With his scythe cuts to the bone
Panic to make a decision
Experienced men, asleep in their graves
Her cover is ripped and she’s drowning
Rain is flooding into the hull
Bleeding to death and she’s falling
Lifting gas is draining away
“We’re down, lads!” came a cry, bow plunging from the sky
Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
The empire of the clouds, just ashes in our past
Just ashes at the last…
Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
On the ground where they built, and the engines did run
To the moon and the stars, now what have we done?
Oh the dreamers may die, but the dreams live on
Dreams live on
Dreams live on
Now a shadow on a hill, the angel of the east
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
And in a country churchyard, laid head to the mast
Eight and forty souls, who came to die in France… |
Prevod na srpski
Carstvo oblaka
Izdržati oluju, do carstva oblaka
Da zajašu oluju, ukrcali su se na svog srebrnog duha
Da zajašu oluju, do kraljevstva što će doći
Izdržati oluju, i dođavola sve ostalo, zaborav
Plemići i dostojanstvenici, brendi i cigare
Džinovska siva gospo nebeska, oni su u tvojim rukama
Šansa jedan prema milion kojoj su se smejali, da se sruši letelica njenog veličanstva
“U Indiju,” rekoše, “odletimo na magičnom tepihu,” jednog sudbonosnog oktobarskog dana
Izmaglica u drveću, kamen iznojava rosu
Jutarnji izlazak sunca, crveno na plavom
Visi sa stuba, komanda se čeka
Cepelin njenog veličanstva, R101
On je najveći ikad napravljen, gigant neba
Za sve vas nevernike, Titanik staje u njega
Uvijena čvrsto, njegova karoserija na suncu je posrebrena
Nikad testiran u opasnim uslovima, tek će se suočiti sa udarima
Opasnost tek predstoji…
Nadvio se mrak, oluja se dizala sa zapada
Kormilar je zurio u preteći barometar
Moramo krenuti, moramo iskušati sudbinu
Moramo krenuti, zbog političara, ne sme kasniti
Posada cepelina je trideset sati neprekidno bila budna,
Ali ta letelica im je u srži, u venama, u svim žilama
Nikada nije letela punom brzinom, probe nije bilo
Njen krhki spoljni omotač, postaće njena Ahilova peta
Ahilova peta tek će nastradati…
Nebeski mornari, očvrsla sorta
Kralju odani, i cepelinu verni
Motori zatutnjaše, zvuci telegrafa čuše se
Otpustite užad što za zemlju nas drže
Kormilar reče, “Gospodine, teška je, neće izdržati ovaj let.”
Kapetan reče, “Dođavola i teret! Večeras krećemo.”
Gledaoci su klicali od čuda, kada se otisnuo
Kadeći ih svojom vodom, sa pramca i krme
Sad u našu prošlost tone…
Bori se s vetrom dok te ljulja
Osećaš gorivo što te gura
Posmatraš Kanal ispod tebe
Sve niže i niže, u noć
Ispod tebe promiču svetla
Severna Francuska, spava u krevetima
Oluja oko tebe besni
Milion prema jedan, tako su rekli
Kosac uz nju stoji
Svojom kosom seče do kosti
Panika dok se ne odluči
Iskusni ljudi, u svojim grobovima zaspali
Omotač joj je pocepan i ona se davi
Kiša poplavljuje trup
Na smrt krvari i ona pada
Pogonski gas otiče
“Rušimo se, momci!” čuo se krik, pramac se obrušio s neba
Tri hiljade konjskih snaga nije se čulo dok je letelica umirala
Signalne rakete na kraju se pojaviše
Carstvo oblaka, samo pepeo u našoj prošlosti
Samo pepeo…
Ovde leže njihovi snovi, dok ja na suncu stojim
Na zemlji gde su gradili, a motori jesu radili
Do meseca i zvezda, šta učinismo?
Oh sanjari možda umiru ali snovi žive
Snovi ostaju
Snovi ostaju
Sada senka na brdu, anđeo istoka
Carstvo oblaka nek počiva u miru
A u jednom seoskom crkvenom dvorištu, dali su glave cepelinu
Četrdeset osam duša, došli su u Francusku da umru… |