This song was written by fine Russian singer Igor Talkov about leader of Cossacks and Comandarm of Red Army Philip Kozmich Mironov.
Former Pod'esaul
Former pod'esaul,
he was going to war
With a doubt of his friends
And with curse of his father.
He replied: "I just have to...
You can't understand."
Gently hugged his wife
And repeated: "I have to...".
As he sat on his horse
and he rode half a mile
but he suddenly halt
on the bank of a river
And the river received
all his golden medals,
And his crosses went deep
to the bottom of river.
Then the wind blown at once
raising waves very high
and from trees came a noise
like the nature awaken
and cossack recognised
"You are going to fight
For the good of the people
but you deeply mistaken..."
Then he made sign of Cross
and he prayed for a while
then he whiped his horse
in a bitter annoyance
and his horse start to run
like it chased by devil
from the Don river bank
where his crosses was drowning.
And he rode far across
his beloved fatherland
where forests and fields
Were turned to encampments
Former pod'esaul many victories gained
so promoted he was
to Commander of Army.
...
But the Nature is wise
And His eyes from above
seeing every man's step
carring his heavy load.
There is moment of truth,
when it comes everyone
starts to think of his past
at the end of his road...
And recalled Comandarm
Everything that he did
And the doubt of his friends
And the curse of his father
And the order of God
that he didn't fulfill
when the shot in the head
claimed his life in Lubianka.
But the river still holds
all his golden medals,
and his crosses reminds
many moments of glory,
So forever we know
Sorrow fate of Cossacks
that will live in the tales
of the river of Don.
Notes:
1. Pod'esaul - High officer Rank in the Russian Army given to Cossacks.
2. Comandarm - Commander of Army
3. Lubianka - Tcheka headquarters (later NKVD, MGB, KGB...)
Translated by DarkGarry
Original song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLWmCQeu-Yc