Уходим Понемногу (We Leave Little By Little)

Song Meaning

The lyrics open with a somber, collective journey: "We are now slowly leaving for that country where there is peace and grace." The speaker anticipates their own imminent departure, preparing to gather "perishable belongings" for a final road. It's a quiet acknowledgment of an inevitable end. Yet, this acceptance is immediately undercut by a profound sense of longing. The speaker cannot hide their "sadness" before this "multitude of those leaving," expressing deep affection for "dear birch groves," the earth, and the "sands of the plains." This tension between an accepted fate and an intense love for the physical world drives the emotional core. The craft here lies in the vivid imagery and poignant contrasts. Phrases like "aspens, spreading branches, gazing into pink waters" paint a picture of a world so beautiful it's hard to leave. The speaker admits, "I loved too much in this world everything that clothes the soul in flesh." Despite calling this "gloomy earth," they find profound happiness in simply having "breathed and lived" here, a powerful counterpoint to the impending journey. The repeated phrase, "I know that in that country there will be no fields gleaming in the mist," underscores the speaker's clear-eyed understanding of what they are leaving behind. This awareness is precisely "why people who live with me on Earth are dear to me." The lyrics effectively convey the bittersweet weight of departure, making the listener feel the preciousness of every earthly detail and human connection in the face of the unknown.