David Samoylov (1920-1990) is a notable Russian poet of the Soviet War generation. He graduated from MIFLI, the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History just before the beginning of World War II and served in the Red Army till the war end.

Samoylov is considered to be one of the most important Russian poets of the post-war era. He was also the author of theoretical works on the poetic form in literature and is known as a translator of literature from Estonian, Polish, Chezh and Hungarian languages.

И вот одна́жды но́чью
Я вы́шел. Пе́ло мо́ре.
Дере́вья то́же пе́ли.
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли.
Каки́м-то та́йным зву́ком
Я был в ту по́ру позва́н.
И к облака́м и звёздам
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли.
Я слы́шал, как кипе́ли
В сада́х больши́е ли́пы.
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли
Вдоль лу́га и вдоль мо́ря.
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли,
И мне каза́лись стра́нны
Теку́чие тума́ны.
И спа́ли карусе́ли.
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли
Вдоль де́тских развлече́ний -
Каче́лей, карусе́лей,
Вдоль лу́га и вдоль мо́ря,
Я шёл в толпе́ виде́ний,
Я шёл без вся́кой це́ли.

And so one night
I walked out. The sea was singing.
The trees were also singing.
I walked without a purpose.
By some kind of secret sound
I was, at that time, called,
And to the clouds and stars
I walked without a purpose.
I heard how rustled
in the garden the big lindens.
I walked without a purpose.
Along the meadow and along the sea.
I walked without a purpose.
And to me seemed strange
the flowing mists.
And the carousels were sleeping.
I walked without a purpose.
Along children's attractions -
Swings, carousels,
Beside the meadow and along the sea,
I walked in a crowd of visions.
I walked without a purpose.