Old boatswan, take the parrot off your shoulder,
I came to visit with you for a minute.
I am a rookie sailor, and when a storm starts,
I can’t prevent my knees from shaking.
It’s not that I’m afraid - it’s just that I’m not used to it,
Even though I should be a captain at this age.
I want to be able to do everything, so tell me, old man,
how to be kind, big, wise, and constant.

Old man, tell me the secrets of the ancient seas!
I know you have things to share with me.
You know the language of fish, birds, and beasts,
After all, you taught your bird to speak.
Teach me to drink rum from the bottle,
to seduce long-legged beauties,
to live so that my life is as exciting as yours,
to have something crazy pump through my veins.

And also explain, how to go around a typhoon,
how to not fall over board during the storms and the dead calms,
Tell me how to sail without sinking,
tell me how to live without being drowned.
You’ve been around the whole world! Boatswan, why are you silent?
Why is your bird staring far away without blinking?
I guess you are right, boatswan, it’s impossible to teach one how to live,
it is only possible to teach a parrot to speak.

We can’t read anything on another person’s skin,
Soon enough, we will find out everything ourselves.
Should we be warming up our bellies in the sun during the calm?
No, this is not why we go to sea.
I think I will risk studying life on my own -
Can one become a boatswan while avoiding storms?
So you remain silent, old boatswan, please, remain silent,
And make your parrot quiet down as well.