Plumber, and once a sailor,
On your birthday, hail!
Heir to great traditions,
A steadfast pillar of art,
Without pride or ambition,
He’ll drink away the last part.
But if someone, even slightly,
Would fail to honor your labor,
Neither God nor Van Gogh respected,
Let them sit dry—no favor!
So as a lesson in nature,
If Khilkov grabs the brush,
Whether at sea or in the garden,
He will not retreat, no rush!
Another might perish, drunk or fallen,
But not the ever-young, ever-blooming
Growing artist, Viktor Khilkov.
Yes, life is fleeting, but if
Two hundred years are needed
To sing all he’s imagined,
One must endure, live, be conceded.
We all drink—sailor and plumber,
And we too, in brotherly love,
Raise a stiff one—not for play,
Congratulations, Viktor, on your day!