1

Complete Songs
Compact Disc 28
Dva romansa na slova M. Lermontova
1 Utro na Kavkaze
Svetayet -vyotsa dikoy pelenoy
Vokrug lesisth gor tuman nochnoy;
Yescho u nog Kavkaza tishina;
Molchit tabun, reka zhurchit odna.
Vot na skale novorozhdionny luch
Zardelsia vdrug, prorezavshis mezh tuch,
I rozovy po rechke i shatram
Razlilsia blesk, i svetit tam i tam:
Tak devushki, kupayasia f teni,
Kogda uvidiat yunoshu oni,
Krasneyut fse, k zemle skloniayut vzor:
No kak bezhat, kol blizok mily vor!
2 Ballada
Nad morem krasavitsa-deva sidit;
I k drugu, laskayasia, tak govorit:
Dostan ozherelye, spustisia na dno;
Sevodnia v puchinu upalo ono!
T etim dokazhesh svoyu mne liubof!
Vskipela lihaya u yunoshi krof,
I um yevo obnial nevolny nedug,
On v pennuyu bezdnu kidaetsa vdrug.
lz bezdn perlove brzgi letiat,
I voln tesniatsa, i mchatsa nazad,
I snova prihodiat i o bereg byut,
Vot milova druga oni prinesut.
O schastye! On zhiv, on skalu uhvalil,
V ruke ozherelye, no mrachen kak bl.
On veri boitsa ustalm nogam,
I vlazhnye kudri begut po plecham
Skazhu, ne liubliu il liubliu ya tebia,
Dlia perlov prekrasnoy i zhizn ne schadia,
Po slovu spustilsia na chornoye dno
V korallovom grote lezhala ono.
Vozmi, i pechalny on vzor ustremil
Na to, shto dorozhe on zhizni liubil.
Otvet bl: O mily, o yunosha moy,
Dostan, yesli liubish, korall dorogoy.
S dushoy beznadiozhnoy mladoy udalets
Prgnul, Chtob nayti il korall, il konets.
lz bezdn perlove brzgi letiat,
l voln tesniatsa, i mchatsa nazad,
I snova prihodiat i o bereg byut,
No milova druga oni ne nesut.
Chetyre pesni na slova E. Dolmatovskogo
3 Rodina slyshit
Rodina slshit, Rodina znayet,
Gde v oblakah eyo sn proletayet.
S druzheskoy laskoy,
nezhnoy liubovyu
Almi zviozdami bashen moskovskih,
Bashen kremliovskih
Smotrit ona za toboyu.
Rodina slshit, Rodina znayel,
Kak nelegko eyo sn pobezhdayet.
No ne sdayotsa
Pravy i smely!
Vseyu sudboy svoyey f utverzhdayesh,
T zaschischayesh
Mira velikoye delo.
Rodina slshit, Rodina znayet,
Chto eyo syn na doroge vstrechayet,
Kak t skvoz tuchi
Put probivayesh.
Skolko by chornaya buria ne zlilas,
Shto b ni sluchilos
Bud nepreklonnm, tovarisch!
4 Vruchi menia
Protekli za ogradoy koliuchey
moyi moloe goda.
Zalivayas slezoyu goriuchey,
nashi devushki peli togda:
Nedrugov gonia,
vruchi menia,
kak v chudesnoy skazke,
rtsar molodoy
s krasnoyu zvezdoy
na zelionoy kaske
M v rodnye lachugi vernulis,
v pechalnuyu nashu stranu.
Na kamniah obezdolennh ulits
ya poyu, kak pevala v plenu:
Nedrugov gonia,
vruchi menia,
kak v chudesnoy skazke,
rtsar molodoy
s krasnoyu zvezdoy
na zelionoy kaske
Two Romances to Lyrics by M. Lermontov
A Morning In The Caucasus
The day is breaking. The nights mist swirls in a wild
veil
Round the wooded mountains;
At the foot of the Caucasus it is still silent;
The herd is quiet, the river alone is murmuring,
and there on a rock, a new-born ray of light
appears suddenly out of the clouds, blushing,
and its pink radiance spreads over the river
and the tents, shining here and there:
Likewise, young maids bathing in the shade
all blush, and cast their glance downward,
when they see a young lad;
but how can they run away, when the lovely thief is so
near!
Ballad
The beautiful maiden sits by the sea,
and she says to her friend so sweetly:
Pluck my necklace from the sea bottom,
for it was dropped there today!
Thus you will prove your love to me!
The lads boiling blood runs hot,
his mind is obsessed with an unwitting affliction,
And he suddenly plunges into the foaming abyss.
Pearly splashes rise from the abyss,
the waves clash, and retreat,
and arrive again, and beat against the shore,
In a moment, they will bring back the loving friend.
Oh happiness! He is alive, he has gripped the rock,
the necklace is in his hand, but he is gloomy.
He is scared to trust his weary feet,
His wet locks stlick to his shoulders
Tell me now, have I not proved my love to you?
I did not spare my life for my beautys pearls,
devotedly, I plunged down to the black seabed,
and found the necklace in a coral grotto.
Take it, and he cast a sad glance
To the one he loved more than his life.
The answer was, Oh sweet one, oh my darling,
if you love me, pluck me a precious coral.
The daring hero, hopeless in his heart,
plunged in to find a coral, or his death.
Pearly splashes rise from the abyss,
the waves clash, and retreat,
and arrive again, and beat against the shore,
But they do not bring back the loving friend.
Four Songs to Lyrics by E. Dolmatovsky
The Motherland Hears
The Motherland hears, the Motherland knows
Where her son flies through the clouds.
With friendly embrace,
with lender love,
she watches over you.
With the scarlet stars of Moscows towers,
of the Kremlins lowers.
The Motherland hears, the Motherland knows
How hard it is for her son to win,
but he who is brave and who is right
never gives up.
With all your fate you maintain,
you defend
The great cause of peace.
The Motherland hears, the Motherland knows
What her son has to face on his way,
how you thread your way
through thunder-clouds.
However fierce the black storm may be,
whatever may happen
remain staunch, Comrade!
Rescue Me
My young days were spent
behind barbed wire.
Shedding bitter tears,
our girls used to sing:
Driving out the enemy,
rescue me,
like in a fairy tale,
O young knight,
with a red star
on your green helmet.
We went back to the ruins of our homes,
to our sad country.
I sing on the stones of widowed streets,
like I used to sing in prison:
Driving out the enemy,
rescue me,
like in a fairy tale,
O young knight,
with a red star
on your green helmet.
2
5 Liubit ne liubit
Yest devushek mnogo u nas v gorodke,
No ta, shto vstrechayet s tsvetami v ruke,
V tebia vliublena,
No znay, shto ona
gadat na romashke ne budet.
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit
Geroyam fsegda prepodnosiat tsvet,
Ya veriu, shto stanesh geroyem i t.
Ne stanu gadat,
No budu ya zhdat,
I serdtse nichto ne ostudit.
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit
Yest devushek mnogo, no tolko odna,
Bt mozhet, naveki v tebia vliublena.
S liubovyu bolshoy
S otkrtoy dushoy
Dlia schastya vstrechayutsa liudi.
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit,
Liubit ne liubit
6 Kolibelnaya
Spi, moy horoshiy, spi moy rodnoy.
Ty poyavilsia zelionoy vesnoy.
Tot, kto rodilsia posle voyny,
vidit lish samye mirnye sn.
Spi, moy horoshiy, nezhno liubia,
ya zaschischu ot nevzgod tebia.
Mirnye liudi strazhu nesut,
tronut detey nikomu ne dadut.
Spi, moy horoshiy, nochyu i dniom
s blizhnih stroitelstv donositsa grom.
Pust eti grom budut slshn.
Detiam i vzroslm oni ne strashn.
Chetre monologa na slova A. Pushkina
7 Otrivok
V yevreyskoy hizhine lampada
V odnom uglu bledna gorit,
Pered lampadoyu starik
Chitaet Bibliyu. Sedye
Na knigu padayut vlas.
Nad kolbeliyu pustoy
Yevreyka plachet molodaya.
Sidit v drugom uglu, glavoy
Poniknuf, molodoy yevrey,
Gluboko v dumu pogruzhonny.
V pechalnoy hizhine starushka
Gotovit pozdniuyu trapezu.
Starik, zakrf sviatuyu knigy,
Zastiozhki mednye somknul.
Staruha stavit bedny uzhin
Na stol i vsiu semyu zoviot.
Nikto neydiot, zabyv o pische.
Tekut v bezmolvii chasy.
Usnulo vsio pod senyu nochi.
Yevreyskoy hizhin odnoy
Ne posetil Otradny son.
Na kolokolne gorodskoy
Byot polnach. Vdrug rukoy tiazholoy
Stuchatsa k nim. Semya vzdrognula,
Mladoy yevrey vstayot i dver
S nedoumenyem olvoriaet
I vhodit neznakomy strannik
V yego ruke dorozhny posoh.
8 Shto v imeni tebe moyom?
Shto v imeni tebe moyom?
Ono umriot, kak shum pechalny
Voln, plesnufshey v bereg dalny,
Kak zvuk nochnoy v lesu gluhom.
Ono na pamiatnom listke
Ostavit miortvy sled, podobny
Uzoru nadpisi nadgrobnoy
Na neponiatnom yazke.
Shto v niom? Zabtoye davno
V volnenyah novh i miatezhnh,
Tvoyey dushe ne dast ono
Vospominaniy chisth, nezhnh.
No v dni pechali, v tishine,
Proiznesi yevo toskuya;
Skazhi: yest pamiat obo mne,
Yest v mire serdtse, gde zhivu ya.
Four Monologues to Words by A. Pushkin
A Fragment
In the Jewish hut, a pale lamp
burns in a comer;
At the lamp, an old man
is reading the Bible.
His grey hair hangs down onto the book.
A young Jewess weeps
over an empty cradle.
In another corner, a young Jew
sits with his head down,
deep in his thoughts.
An old woman cooks a late supper
in that sad hut.
The old man closes the holy book
and fastens its copper clasps.
The old woman puts the meagre supper
on the table, and calls the whole family.
No one comes, they neglect the meals.
Hours run on in silence.
All is asleep in the shade of night,
The Jewish hut alone
has amiable sleep bypassed.
The town belfrys clock
strikes midnight. Suddenly, a heavy hand
knocks at the door. The family starts,
the young Jew then gets up and,
bewildered, opens the door.
And lo, an unknown stranger comes in,
a travellers staff in his hand.
Whats In My Name To You?
Whats in my name to you?
It will die like the sad murmur
of a wave striking some far-off shore,
like a night sound in forlorn woods.
It will leave a dead trace
on a memorial slip of paper,
like a tracing of a gravestone inscription
in an unknown language.
Whats in it? It is long forgotten
in new, tumultuous worries,
it will not give your soul
any pure and gentle reminiscences.
But pronounce it in days of sorrow,
in silence, when youre sick at heart;
say: theres remembrance of me,
theres a heart in the world where I live.
Loves Or Loves Not
There are many girls in our town,
but the one who meets you with flowers in her hand,
is in love with you.
But she will not try to tell her fortune
plucking daisy petals.
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not
Heroes are always greeted with flowers,
And I believe you too will be a hero.
I wont try to tell your fortune,
But Ill be waiting,
And nothing will cool my heart.
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not
There are many girls, but only one of them
may be in love with you for all time.
When love is great,
when souls are open,
people meet for happiness.
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not,
(S)he loves me (s)he loves me not
Lullaby
Sleep my darling, sleep my sweet one.
You came to the world in green spring.
Those who are born after a war
see only most peaceful dreams.
Sleep my darling, l love you tenderly
and cover you from hardships.
Peaceful people are on watch
and wont let anyone hurt children.
Sleep my darling, day and night
Thunder is heard from nearby construction sites.
Let this thunder resound,
For it never frightens either children or grown-ups.
3
9 Vo glubine sibirskih rud
Vo glubine sibirskih rud
Hranite gordoye terpenye,
Ne propadiot vash skorbny trud
I dum vsokoye stremlenye.
Neschastyu vernaya sestra,
Nadezhda v mrachnom podzemelye
Razbudit bodrost i veselye,
Pridiot zhelannaya pora:
Liubof i druzhestvo do vas
Doydut skvoz mrachnye zatvory,
Kak v vashi katorzhnye nor
Dohodit moy svobodny glas.
Okovy tiazhkie padut,
Temnits ruhnut i svoboda
Vas primet radostno u vhoda,
I bratya mech vam otdadut.
10 Proschanie
V posledniy raz tvoy obraz mily
Derzayu mslenno laskat,
Budit mechtu serdechnoy siloy
I s negoy robkoy i unloy
Tvoyu liubof vospominat.
Begut meniayas nashi leta.
Meniaya vsio, meniaya nas,
Uzh t dlia svoyego poeta
Mogilnm sumrakom odeta,
I dlia tebia tvoy drug ugas.
Primi zhe, daniaya podruga.
Proschanye serdtsa moyevo,
Kak ovdovevshaya supruga,
Kak drug, obniavshiy molcha druga
Pred zatocheniem yevo.
Grecheskiye pesni
11 Fperiod! (K. Palamas)
Fperiod, geroi Gretsii!
Za rodinu svobodnuyu!
Gotov liuboy borets yeyo
Delit sudbu narodnuyu.
Ot Pinda do Egeyskih vod
Groza grohochet nad gorami
Eto buria, eto plamia,
Eto msl odna fperiod!
Fperiod, na kruchi gornye,
V prostor morey nevedomy!
Nad bezdnoy nepokornoyu
Vzovyom svoy stiag pobedny m.
Opiat prizvny rog poyot,
Opiat zoviot geroyev Rigas
Sumrak nochi nas ne vdast,
Gornye orl, fperiod!
Fperiod, otriad groznye!
Klinki blesnut, kak molnii.
Rasskazhut nochi zviozdnye,
Kak m svoy dolg ispolnili!
V ogne Rumeli. Krit fstayot.
Grohochut pushki na Olimpe
Vzveytes k nebu, aly vmpel,
Smelye serdtsa, fperiod!
12 Pentozalis
Prokliatye! Vechno dolzhen zhda
Tebia ya pered fsemi.
A vremia ne verniotsa vspiat,
Na to ono i vremia!
Ne hochesh tselovat menia,
Hot tak tebia liubliu ya,
A net, kak dma bez ognia,
Liubvi bez potseluya!
Fsegda vdvoyom rastut tsvet
Dushistoy baziliki.
Zachem poniat ne hochesh t
Moyey liubvi velikoy?
Kogda umru, t nado mnoy
Ne ley naprasno slioz
Poplach, pokuda ya zhivoy,
Poka yescho ne pozdno!
Liubof bla, kak roz tsvet,
Teper koluchkoy budet.
A gde liubof? Bla i net.
Na nas diviatsa liudi.
Ne hochesh tselovat menia,
Hol tak tebia liubliu ya,
A net, kak dma bez ognia,
Liubvi bez potseluya!
Forward, up to sleep mountain peaks,
into unknown tracts of seas!
Over the unyielding abyss
we will fly our victorious banner.
The urgent trumpet sings again,
and Rigas summons its heroes again
The cloud of night wont betray us,
mountain eagles, forward!
Forward, fierce troops!
The blades will glisten like lightning.
The starry nights will tell
How we did our duty!
Rumeli is on fire. Crete is revolting.
Cannons thunder on Olympus
Scarlet banner, soar aloft!
Forward, brave hearts!
Penthosalis (folk song)
Damnation! Why do I always have
for you in front of everyone.
Time will never come back,
such is its habit!
You dont want to kiss me,
even though I love you so?
But can there be smoke without fire,
and can there be love without kisses?
Fragrant basil flowers
always grow in pairs.
Why dont you want to understand
my great love?
When I die, do not shed your tears
over me in vain
Weep now when Im living,
while its not too late!
Our love was rose blossom,
now its going to be a thorn.
Wheres our love gone?
People stare at us amazed.
You dont want to kiss me,
even though I love you so?
But can there be smoke without fire,
and can there be love without kisses?
In The Depth Of Siberian Mines
In the depth of Siberian mines
preserve your proud patience.
Your woeful toil will not be lost,
nor the noble aspirations of your thought.
Hope, Misfortunes faithful sister,
even in your gloomy dungeon
will awaken vigour and rejoicing,
and the hoped-for time will come:
Love and friendship will reach you
across the gloomy bolted doors,
just as my free voice
reaches into your prison caves.
The heavy chains will drop,
the jails will crumble, and freedom
will meet you happily at the entrance
and your brothers will hand the sword back to you.
Parting
For the last time I dare to caress
your sweet image in my thoughts,
to awaken the dream with power or heart
and to recollect your love
with timid and wistful bliss.
Our years run by, changing,
changing all and changing us,
now for your poet
you are shrouded in the twilight of the grave
and for you your friend has faded as well.
So accept, far-off friend of mine,
this, my hearts farewell,
like a widowed wife,
like a friend silently embracing his friend
before he goes to prison.
Greek Songs
Forward!
Forward, heroes of Greece!
For the free homeland!
Its every fighter is willing
to share the peoples destiny.
From Pindes to Aegean waters
a thunderstorm roars over the mountains
its storm, its flame,
its one thought, Forward!
4
13 Zolongo
O mir may chudesny, o mir may pechalny,
Gde lak redki radost i svet!
Slishish li nnche t moy golos dalniy,
Bednoy rab, skorbnuyu pesniu i zov proschalny,
Zhalobu serdtsa, moy posledniy privet?
Kray moy skorbny, kray t moy gorny,
Gibnet tvoy narod nepokorny.
Gor, lesa i reki, proschayus s vami naveki!
Gor, lesa i reki, proschayus s vami naveki!
Tesno rbke na dne boshoy lodki,
Byotsa bedniashka v seti rbaka!
Fsio, chto mne shliot sudba, snoshu ya krotko,
Tolko v rabstve zhizni netu dlia Suliotki:
Dolia eta serdtsu slishkom gorka!
Kray moy skorbny, kray t moy gorny,
Gibnet tvoy narod nepokorny.
Gory, lesa i reki, proschayus s vami naveki!
Gory, lesa i reki, proschayus s vami naveki!
14 Gimn ELAS
S vintovkoy vernoyu shagaya
Po derevniam i gorodam,
Ya za tebia borius, svoboda,
I za tebia ya zhizn otdam,
Fperiod, ELAS, za spravedlivost,
Za schastye Gretsii vperiod.
Pust etot klich na boy sviaschenny
Snov otechestva zoviot.
Kogda idiot na bitvu voin,
Zvuchit vezde tvoy veschiy glas,
I gor, ehom otzvayas,
Gremiat v otvet: ELAS, ELAS!
Zolongo (folk song)
O my wonderful world, o my sorrowful world,
where joy and light are so rare!
Do you hear now my voice from far away,
the mournful song and farewell call of a poor slave
woman,
Lament of my heart, and my last greeting?
My land of grief, my land of mountains,
your unyielding people is perishing.
Mountains, rivers and woods, goodbye forever!
Mountains, rivers and woods, goodbye forever!
A little fish feels small on a big boats deck,
the poor one struggles in the fishermans net!
I meekly endure all my destiny gives to me,
but a Suliote girl cannot live enslaved;
This lot is too heavy for my heart!
My land of grief, my land of mountains,
your unyielding people is perishing.
Mountains, rivers and woods, goodbye forever!
Mountains, rivers and woods, goodbye forever!
The Hymn of ELLAS (S. Mavroidi-Papadaki)
Marching with my trusty rifle
over villages and towns,
I fight for you, Freedom,
and for you Ill sacrifice my life.
March on, ELLAS, for justice,
for Greeces happiness, forward!
Let this war-cry call sons of my country
for a sacred battle
When warriors march to a battle,
your prophetic call is heard everywhere,
and mountains resound
and thunder in reply, ELLAS, ELLAS!
Piat romansov na slova Ye. Dolmatovskogo
15 Den vstrechi
Davno my ne videlis
Pravda! Ne den i ne god,
Fsiu zhizn ne fstrechalis,
No znali, shto vremia pridiot,
No verili: fstrecha nastanet,
Kak veriat, shto solntse vzoydiot.
Tak vot t kakaya,
Rodnaya, rodnaya!
Vglaza tvoi ya ne mogu nagliadetsa,
Ya v nih ne smotrel nikogda,
Vdali drug ot druga proshlo nashe detstvo
I sklnula yunost, kak veshniaya voda.
Pust oba m vzroslye stali,
No schasye ot etogo menshe ne budet.
Ya fsio povtoriayu: rodnaya, rodnaya
I krlya rastut u menia.
Chestnoye slovo, ya prosto ne znayu,
Kak zhil ya do etogo dnia,
16 Den priznaniy
Tropinkoyu uzkoy m shli,
Drug druga stesniayas nemnogo,
I fsio nam kazalos: vdali
Vidneyetsa smutno bolshaya doroga.
Vokrug podnimalis tsvet,
Na nas udivlionno smotreli.
Zapel solovey, i vpervye uslshala t
Yevo prihanya, rulad i treli.
Ya v knigah chital, shto strashna
Minuta priznanya,
No nam okazalas ona ne nuzhna
Zachem obyasniatsa? Ne znayu
Zachem obyasniatsa, ved slovo luboye
Zvuchit kak, liubliu i velikoyu, dshit lubovyu.
Mi shli fsio bstreye, bstreye,
I fdrug rasstupilis derevya,
I fsio tak nezhdanno sluchilos,
Kak zhdali vliublionnye nashi serdtsa.
Bolshaya doroga pred nami otkrlas,
I kraya yey net, i ne budet kontsa.
Five Songs to Lyrics by E. Dolmatovsky
The Day of Meeting
Weve not seen each other for so long
Its true! Not a day, or a year,
we havent met our entire life,
but we always knew the time would come,
but we believed we would finally meet,
just like we believe that the sun will rise.
So this is you at last,
my sweet darling!
I never tire of looking into your eyes.
I have never looked in them before.
Our childhood was spent miles and miles apart,
and our youth vanished like water from spring fields.
No matter that we have both grown up,
our happiness will not be less.
Ill say it again, my sweet darling
I feel like Im growing wings.
Upon my word, I simply dont know
how I managed to live until this day.
The Day of Declarations
We were walking along a narrow path,
we felt a bit self-conscious,
and it seemed to us that a great wide road
loomed far ahead in a haze.
Flowers were surrounding us,
looking at us surprised.
A nightingale started to sing, and you heard for the first
time
its warbles, roulades and trills.
Ive read in books that the moment of declaration
is frightening,
but it turns out that we dont need it.
Why should I declare anything? Dont know
What need is there to declare anything? When any word
sounds like I love you and breathes great love.
We walked faster and faster,
and the trees suddenly made way,
and all that happened was so unexpected,
and was just as our loving hearts desired.
We saw a great wide road ahead,
A limitless one, an endless one.
5
The Day of Memories
There was a little song.
Sometimes it was merry, sometimes sad,
sometimes it was sad, and sometimes merry,
and it brought the lovers to their meeting.
We managed to save it in our hearts
It always promises a happy meeting.
Yes, it always means a happy meeting,
and cheers you up when travelling far way.
Let Youth sing new songs.
The tune so dear to us lives in them too.
Its in them too, the tune so dear to us.
We will not betray that one song.
Weve had enough of sorrow.
Nightingales sing again in spring.
Its spring, and nightingales they sing again
of loyalty, of friendship, and of love.
Spanish Songs
Farewell to Granada
Farewell, Granada, my Granada,
I have to leave you forever!
Farewell, dear place, so pleasing to my eye,
farewell forever! Ah!
The memories of you will be my only consolation,
my dear place, my home place!
I am forever pierced with sorrow,
all I cared for is lost,
my love is gone into the darkness of the grave,
and my life is gone too Ah!
I am annoyed with whats around me, I cannot live as
before
in the place where my youth was so bright!
Little Stars
Under the old cypresses
the water near the shore is gleaming.
I am coming to my sweetheart with my guitar
to teach her songs.
But my teaching will not be free:
I charge her a kiss for every note.
Strangely, by the morning she learns everything
except the notes!
Pity, its too late to start again
Pity, its getting light already
Pity, the stars oer the bay
do not tremble shyly also in the daylight
19 Den vospominaniy
Bla takaya pesenka odna,
Poroyu vesela, poroy grustna,
Poroy grustna, poroyu vesela,
Ona vliublionnh k fstreche privela.
Yeyo v serdtsah sumeli my zberech,
Ona vsegda zalog horoshih fstrech.
Horoshih fstrech ona fsegda zalog.
I s ney razluke legche dal dorog.
Pust yunost pesni novye poyot.
Napev, dlia nas rodnoy, i v nih zhiviot.
I v nih zhiviot napev, dlia nas rodnoy.
M ne izmenim pesenke odnoy.
Nam goria mnogo dovelos uznat.
Zapeli solovyi vesnoy opiat.
Vesnoy opiat zapeli solovyi
O vernosti, o druzbe, o liubvi.
Ispanskiye pesni
20 Proschay, Grenada!
Proschay, Grenada, moya Grenada,
s toboy naveki mne rasstatsa nado!
Proschay, liubimy kray, ochey uslada,
navek proschay! Ah!
Budet pamiat o tebe moey yedinstvennoy otradoy,
moy liubimy, moy rodimy kray!
Navek mne serdtse toska pronzila,
pogiblo fsio, shto v zhizni blo milo,
moya liubov ushla vo mrak mogily,
i zhizn ushla! Ah!
I vokrug mne fsio postylo, zhi, kak prezhde net
uzh sily
tam, gde yunost tak bla svetla!
21 Zviozdochk
Pod kiparisami starmi
serebritsa pribrezhnaya glad.
K miloy idu ya s gitaroya,
shtob pesniam yeyo obuchat.
No uchit besplatno mne net ohot:
ya beru s neyo potseluy za notu.
Stranno, shto ona k utru uznayot
fsio, krome not!
Zhal, shto nachat snova pozdno!
Zhal, shto uzhe svetel vozduh!
Zhal, shto i dniom ne drozhat puglivo
nad zalivom zviozdi
The Day of Grievances
I dont know why you are so sad.
I too feel a weight on my heart.
Spring cannot soothe us
with its blue sky and lovely petals.
Cold-hearted people
have given way to slander.
They seem to feel so easy and happy
sneering at someone elses love.
They whisper, and whisper, and whisper, and whisper,
saying our love wont last a month.
They sting us with false smiles,
with evil disregard, with black envy.
What do you need? Is it your business?
How has our love harmed you?
I feel heavy and sad.
But you should not be unhappy.
Let our pure feelings, our sunny ways,
let them be sacred forever.
The Day of Joy
The sun is shining brightly,
A cheerful way is open to Spring.
You and I, our hearts now
feel so light!
Because you and I
are entering the world, your hand in mine,
fastened together with one destiny,
like two petals of a flower.
Our dreams will come true, surely they will!
And our sorrows? Theyll be forgotten.
Youre so happy, youre so beautiful,
No wonder everyone admires you.
But my love, dont be angry,
when I become envious to myself.
Im so proud of you,
that I seem to be jealous of everyone.
The sun is shining brightly,
A cheerful way is open to Spring.
You and I, our hearts now
feel so light!
17 Den obid
Ya ne znayu, otchego t tak grustna.
U samogo na serdtse kamen.
I ne uteshit nas vesna
Svoyey golubiznoy, svoimi lepestkami.
Ludi s dushoyu chorstvoy
Dali voliu zloslovyu.
Vidno, ochen legko i prosto
Nad chuzhoy izdevatsa liubovyu.
Shepchutsa, shepchutsa, shepchutsa, shepchutsa:
Eta liubof ne protianet i mesiatsa.
Zhaliat pri vstreche ulbkoy pritvornoyu,
Zlm bezrazlichiyem, zavisyu chornoyu.
Shto vam nuzhno? Kakoye vam delo?
Chem liubof nasha vas zadela?
Mne tiazhelo i grustno.
Toko t ne grusti.
Da budut sviaschennmi chistye chustva,
Svetlye nashi puti.
18 Den radosti
Solntse yarko zasiyalo,
Svetly put otkrt vesne.
Tak legko na serdtse stalo
I tebe, i mne.
Potomu shto m s toboyu
Fhodim vmir, v ruke ruka,
Skreplen odnoy sudboyu,
Slovno lepestki tsvetka.
Fse sbudutsa mecht! Konechno, sbudutsa!
A nashi goresti? A goresti zabudutsa.
Kakaya t schastlivaya, kakaya t krasivaya,
Shto fse toboy liubuyutsa.
No ne serdis, moya liubof,
Kol sam sebe zavidovat nachnu ya.
Ya tak gorzhus toboy,
Shto, kazhetsa, ko vsem tebia revnuyu.
Solntse yarko zasiyalo,
Svetly put otkrt vesne.
Tak legko na serdtse stalo
I tebe, i mne!
6
V zviozdockah nebo beskrayneye,
imi zviozdnaya nach polna.
Miloy moyey nazvayu ya
fseh beschislennh zviozd imena.
Va poznanyami dorozhu svoimi
i beru platu s neyo potseluy za imia.
Stranno, chto urok kazhetsa yey prost,
fsio, krome zviozd!
Zhal, shto nacha snova pozdno!
Zhal, shto uzhe svetel vozduh!
Zhal, shto i dniom ne drozhat puglivo
nad zalivom zviozd
22 Pervaya fstrecha
T u ruchya vod mne dala kogda-to,
svezhey vod holodnoy, kak sneg v uschelyah sinih
gor.
Nochi temney tvoy vzor,
v kosah aromat lepestkov dikoy miat
Vidish, opiat kruzhit horovod,
buben gremit, zvenit i poyot.
Kazhdy tantsor podruzhku vediot,
smotrit na nih, liubuyas, narod.
Bey, moy buben, bey, gremi, budto grom!
S miloyu moyey my tantsuem vdvoyom.
Lenta na tebie nebes golubey!
Bey, may buben, bey! Buben, bey! Buben, bey!
Mne ne zabt vovek etoy pervoy fstrechi,
laskovh slov i smugloy ruki, i bleska chornh glaz
Ponial ya v etot chas,
shto tiebia liubliu i liubit budu vechno!
Vidish, opiat kruzhit horovod,
buben gremit, zvenit i poyot.
Kazhdy tantsor podruzhku vediot,
smolrit na nih, liubuyas narod.
Bey, moy buben, bey, gremi, budto grom!
S miloyu moyey m tantsuyem vdvoyom.
Lenta na tebe nebes golubey!
Bey, moy buben, bey! Buben, bey! Buben, bey!
Ronda
The round dance is heard near our door,
its time for rejoicing.
Come and dance with me,
you little scarlet carnation flower!
In the moonlit silence, even the streams ringing is not
heard
Give me your hand, my girl,
You little scarlet carnation flower!
The street is like a bright orchard.
Laughter rings out, and eyes shine.
Ronda spins round and sings,
the sky gleams in starry silver,
and merry couples are whirling
Its a joyful feast of first flowers,
Its a feast of our love!
The shades of almond-trees on the window
are playing in moonbeams
When will you come out to me,
my sweet spring flower?
Pluck an almond twig from a tree,
give it to me as a token of your love,
my sweet spring flower!
The street is like a bright orchard.
Laughter rings out, and eyes shine.
Ronda spins round and sings,
the sky gleams in starry silver,
and merry couples are whirling
its a joyful feast of first flowers,
its a feast of our love!
Black-Eyed Girl
Your mother gave you starry eyes,
and gentle colour of your dark cheeks,
my sweetheart!
With pain in my heart, late at night,
I wander alone, without you,
my sweetheart!
Ah, why does my fate punish me so?
Ah, why did I meet you at all?
I will die of my desperate love if you wont love me,
my sweetheart!
23 Ronda
Shumit horovod u nashih dverey,
veselya para nastala.
ldi tantsevat so mnoyu skorey,
gvozdiki tsvelochek al!
V lunnoy tishine ne stshen zvon ruchya
Day ruku mne, devushka moya,
gvozdiki tsvetochek aly!
Ulitsa slovno yarkiy sad.
Shutki zveniat, glaza blestiat.
Ronda kruzhitsa i poyot,
svetitsa zviozdnm serebrom nebosvod,
mchatsa vesiolye pari
Eto radostny prazdnik pervh tsvetov,
eta prazdnik nashey liubvi!
Igrayut v luche lun na okne
derevyev mindalnh teni
Kogda zhe siuda t vydesh ko mne,
moy nezhny tsvetok vesenniy?
Vetku mindalia s dereva sorvi,
yeyo mne day v znak tvoyey liubvi,
moy nezhny tsvetok vesenniy!
Ulitsa slovno yarkiy sad.
Shutki zveniat, glaza blestiat.
Ronda kruzhitsa i poyot,
svetitsa zviozdnm serebrom nebosvod,
mchatsa vesiolye par
Eto radostny prazdnik pervh tsvetov,
eto prazdnik nashey liubvi!
24 Chernookaya
Mat dala tebe ochi zvezd,
nezhny tsvet tvoih smuglh schok,
milaya moya!
S bolyu f serdtse nochyu pozdney
bez tebia ya brozhu, odinok,
milaya moya!
Ah, za chto ya nakazan bl sudboy?
Ah, zachem povstrechalsia ya s toboy?
Ya umru ot liubvi bezumnoy, yesli t ne poliubish
menia,
milaya moya!
The limitless sky is covered with little stars,
they are abundant in the starry night.
I tell my sweetheart
the names of all these numberless stars.
I value my knowledge
and charge her a kiss for every name.
Strange, the lesson seems easy to her,
everything but the stars!
Pity, its too late to start again
Pity, its getting light already
Pity, the stars oer the bay
do not tremble shyly also in the daylight
The First Time I Met You
Once you gave me some water near the stream;
it was fresh and cold like snow in blue mountains
canyons.
Your eyes are darker than night,
and your braids have the aroma of wild mint petals
See the round-dance spinning again,
hear the tambourine rattling, jingling and singing.
Each dancer is leading his girlfriend,
people are looking at them in admiration.
Beat, tambourine, beat, rattle like thunder!
I am dancing with my sweetheart,
her ribbon is azure as the sky!
Beat, tambourine, beat! Beat, tambourine! Beat,
tambourine!
Ill never forget that first time I met you,
tender words, and swarthy hand, and shining black
eyes
It was then that I understood
that I loved you and would love you forever!
See the round-dance spinning again,
hear the tambourine rattling, jingling and singing.
Each dancer is leading his girlfriend,
people are looking at them in admiration.
Beat, tambourine, beat, rattle like thunder!
I am dancing with my sweetheart,
her ribbon is azure as the sky!
Beat, tambourine, beat! Beat, tambourine! Beat,
tambourine!
7
Five romances on words from Krokodil
magazine, No.24 of August 30, 1965
Autographic Testimony (Issayev N. M., retired)
At Khvorostianka I get on the bus.
The driver tickets the passengers.
I put the question to him,
why didnt he stop at Khokhly?
He stands there, silent.
I repeat the question, why didnt you stop at Khokhly?
He mumbles something about the asphalt. Well, if
well, but
Without a second thought, I perform a body tilt
forward,
I concentrate all my feeble power in my right fist,
and, using a boxing method, I plant one on the left chap
of that rude boor.
And all I said to him at that moment was,
Heres your asphalt, you rude mug.
Such are the procedures one sometimes has to apply to
eradicate rudeness.
Please dont think for a moment that I was drunk. I am
sixty-seven years old,
and that morning I hadnt even had breakfast yet.
A Difficult Desire to Fulfil
I am a single man, and I need a lot of money.
I cannot find a wife so as not to suffer from lack of
money,
therefore I expressly: send me one as soon as possible,
and if there is such one in Moscow
who would provide me with food and drink and not
demand money for that,
advise me her address. Please.
Discretion
Although the ruffian Fedulov did beat me,
I did not report this to our remarkable police force.
I decided to restrict myself to the thrashing already
received.
Irinka and the Shepherd
She is looking down the steep hillside
at the cows lying near the waterside,
at the amusingly short, when seen from above, figure of
the shepherd.
From her vantage point he looks like a little boy.
And lrinka suddenly feels a strong desire to squeeze him
in her hands,
and to toss him up into the clear azure sky over and over.
The shepherd cannot see lrinka.
Stocky and broad-shouldered, he is sitting with his back
to her, peeling an egg.
And lrinka feels a terrible desire to squeeze him.
Piat Romansov na slova iz zhumala Krokodil
2 Sobstvennoruchnoye pokazaniye (Isayev N.M.)
V Hvorostianke fhozhu v avtobus.
Shofior obilechivayet passazhirov.
Obraschayus k nemu s voprosom:
pochemu v Hohlah on ne sdelal ostanovki?
Stoit, molchit.
Povtoriayu vopros: pochemu v Hohlah ne sdelal
ostanovki?
On shto-to promiamlil pro asfaltDa kab da
yezheli
Ne dolgo dumaya, delayu naklon tulovischa vperiod,
sosredotachivayu fsiu svoyu silionku vpravom
kulake
i po metodu boksa vlepliayu vlevoye zhevalo etogo
bama.
I yedinstvenno, shto ya skazal yemu v etot moment:
na zh tebe asfalt, hamskaya tvoya rozha.
Vot kakiye meropriyatiya prihoditsa primeniat k
izzhtiyu hamstva.
Ne podumayte, shto ya bl pyan. Mne shestdesiat
sem let,
i v to utro ya yescho ne zavtrakal.
3 Trudno ispolnimoye zhelaniye
Ya holost, i mne trebuyetsa mnogo deneg.
Zhen takoy ne mogu nayti, shtob ne nuzhdalsia
dengami,
a poetomu userdno proshu: vshlite pobstrey,
a yesli yest v Moskve takaya,
shtob kormila, poila, i deneg s menia ne sprashivala,
to soobschite mne eyo adres. Pozhaluysta.
4 Blagorazumiye
Hotia huligan Fedulov izbil menia,
ya v organ nashey zamechatelnoy militsiyi ne
obratilsia.
Reshil ogranichitsa poluchennmi poboyami.
5 Irinka i pastuh
Ona gliadit pod kruchu vniz,
na uliogshihsia u vod korov,
na zabavno korotkuyu, kogda smotrish sverhu,
figurku pastuha.
Otsiuda on pohozh na malchishku.
I Irinke vdrug ochen hochetsa potiskat yego v
rukah,
dolgo podkidvat v chistoye, goluboye nebo.
Pastuhu Irinka ne vidna.
Korenasty, shirokoplechiy, on sidit k ney spinoy i
lupit yaytso.
A Irinka uzhasno hochet yego potiskat.
Your mother gave you a tall stature,
and the black shine of unruly locks,
my sweetheart!
I curse my cruel fate,
the pain and tortures of my soul,
my sweetheart!
Oh, why did your mother manage
to give you such beauty, the worse for me?
I will die of my desperate love if you wont love me,
my sweetheart!
Dream
I dont know what this could mean
I had a marvellous dream,
as if I was riding in a fishing boat
over stormy waves
The boat has no oars,
I have dropped them
The waves are foaming angrily, trying to sink my boat,
but I am bravely riding among enormous dark waves,
because you, too, are riding,
in that fishing boat,
my proud one, together with me,
and you seem to love me too!
O my dove!
See how this poor guy who loves you so
is dashing across the sea
in his fragile little boat!
A foreword to my complete works and a brief
contemplation with respect to this foreword
I scribble on paper in a spurt;
Then I hear catcalls, and my ears not hurt;
Then I torment the ears of all the world;
Then have it printed, and forever unrecalled.
This is a foreword that might be written
not only for my Complete Works,
but also to the complete works of many, many other
composers,
both Soviet and foreign.
And here is the signature: Dmitri Shostakovich
Peoples artist of the USSR.
Followed by many other titles of honour:
First secretary, Union of Composers of the RSFSR
(Simply the) secretary, Union of Composers of the USSR
As well as very many other quite important
responsibilities and positions.
Mat dala tebe stan vsokiy,
chorny blesk nepokornh kudrey,
milaya moya!
Proklinayu rok zheslokiy,
bol i muki dushi moyey,
milaya moya!
O, zachem zhe tebe sumela mat
Mne nazlo krasotu takuyu dat?
Ya umru ot liubvi bezumnoy, yesli t ne poliubish
menia,
milaya moya!
25 Son
Ne znayu, shto eto znachit
Son chudesny prisnilsia mne,
kak budto v lodke rbachyey
ya plvu po burnoy volne.
Choln bez vosel,
ya ih brosil
Voln peniatsa, zliatsa i topiat moy choln,
no otvazhno mchus ya sredi tiomnh, sred
ogromnh voln,
ottovo, shto v rbachyey eloy lodke
po morskoy nepokornoy glubi mchishsa t,
moya gordaya, mchishsia vmeste so mnoy
i menia t budto tozhe liubish!
O, moya golubka!
Posmotri zhe, kak nesiotsa v svoyey lodochke
hrupkoy
po moriu bedny paren,
shto tak krepko liubit tebia!
Russian transliteration: Lev Hrol, ed. V. Morosan
Compact Disc 29
1 Predisloviye k polnomu sobraniyu moih
sochineniy i kratkoye razmshleniye po
povodu etovo predisloviya
Marayu ya yedinm duhom list;
Vnimayu ya privchnm uhom svist;
Potom fsemu terzayu svetu sluh;
Potom pechatayus i v Letu buh!
Takoye predisloviye mozhno blo b napisat
ne tolko k polnomu sobraniyu moih sochineniy,
no i k polnomu sobranyu sochineniy mnogih,
ochen, ochen mnogih kompozitorov,
kak sovetskih, tak i zarubezhnh.
Avot i podpis: Dmitriy Shostakovich.
Narodny artist ES ES ES ER.
Ochen mnogo i drugih pochotnh zvaniy.
Pervy sekretar Soyuza kompozitorov ER ES EF ES
ER.
Prosto sekretar Soyuza kompozitorov ES ES ES ER.
A takzhe ochen mnogo drugih vesma otvetstvennh
nagruzok i dolzhnostey.
8
The City Sleeps
The city sleeps, veiled in haze,
the streetlamps flicker faintly
Far away, beyond the Neva,
I see the glow of dawn.
In this far-off reflection,
in these glimmers of flame
hides the awakening
of sad days awaiting me
The Tempest
Oh, how madly the evil tempest
rages and roars outside my window!
The clouds rush by, pouring down rain,
and the wind howls, then fades!
Horrific night! In such a night
I pity those deprived of shelter,
and the pity drives me outside
into the embrace of the damp chill!
There, to brave the darkness and the rain,
sharing the lot of the sufferers
Oh, how madly the wind rages
outside my window in torment!
Secret Signs
Secret signs light up
upon a solid, relentless wall.
Golden and red poppies
brood over me in my sleep.
I hide away in caves of the night
and do not remember the stern magic.
At the dawn, azure chimeras
look out from the mirrors of the bright sky.
I run away to moments in the past,
and close my eyes in fear,
and a maids golden tresses lie
upon the pages of the book that grows ever colder.
The heaven has already lowered above me,
a black dream broods in my breast.
My forecast end is near,
ahead are the war and the fire.
10 Gorod spit
Gorod spit, okutan mgloyu,
chut mertsayut fonari
Tam dalioko, za Nevoyu,
vizhu otbleski zari.
V etom dalnem otrazhenyi,
v etih otbleskah ognia
pritailos probuzhdenye
dney tosklivh dlia menia
11 Buria
O, kak bezumno za oknom
reviot, bushuyet buria zlaya,
nesutsa tuchi, lyut dozhdiom,
i veter voyet, zamiraya!
Uzhasna noch! V takuyu noch
mne zhal liudey, lishonnh krova
i sozhalenye gonit proch
v obyatya holoda srogo!
Borotsa s mrakom i dozhdiom,
stradaltsev uchast razdeliaya
O, kak bezumno za oknom
bushuyet veter, iznvaya!
12 Tayne znaki
Razgorayutsa taynye znaki
na gluhoy, neprobudnoy stene.
Zolotye i krasnye maki
nado mnoy tiagoteyut vo sne.
Ukrvayus v nochnye pescher
i ne pomniu surovh chudes.
Na zare golubye himer
smotriat v zerkale yarkih nebes.
Ubegayu v proshedshiye migi,
zakrvayu ot straha glaza,
na listah holodeyuschey knigi
zolotaya devichya kosa.
Nado mnoy nebosvod uzhe nizok,
chorny son tiagoteyet v grudi.
Moy konets prednachertanny blizok,
i voyna, i pozhar vperedi.
Exaggerated Delight
The first bread!
Tell me, who of you has never enjoyed eating a slice of
bread of a new harvest?
How nicely it smells. Its a smell of the sun, of fresh
straw,
and most importantly, of the combine drivers hands
soaked in kerosene.
Seven Poems by Alexander Blok
Ophelias Song
Parting with your beloved maiden,
you swore that you would love, my friend!
That you would keep your oath,
leaving for that dreary land!
There, far from happy Denmark,
your shores are veiled with fog
Big, angry, and grumbling waves
wash tears off the cliff
The sweet warrior will not be back
all clad in silver
The ribbon and the black plume
will mournfully stir in the coffin
Gamauyn the Soothsaying Bird
(A picture by V. Vasnetsov)
On the smooth endless waters
which the sunset has clad in purple,
she prophesies and she sings,
unable to spread her confused wings
She prophesies the oppression by wicked Tartars,
a line of bloody executions,
earthquakes, and famine, and fires,
the might of villains and the demise of the
righteous
Obsessed by eternal horror,
the beautiful visage beams with love,
but the blood-covered lips
pronounce prophetic truths!
We Were Together
We were together, I remember that
The night was disturbed, the violin sang
You were mine in those days,
and grew more lovely by the hour
Through the quiet murmur of the streams,
through the mystery of a womanly smile,
the lips were longing for a kiss,
the strains of the violin were longing towards the
heart
6 Chrezmerny vostorg
Pervy hleb!
Komu, skazhite, iz vas ne prihodilos syest lomot
hleba novovo urozhaya?
Kak on chudesno pahnet solntsem, molodoy solo-
moy,
a glavnoye, kombayniorskimi rukami, propitannmi
kerosinom.
Sem stikhotvoreniy Aleksandra Bloka
7 Pesnia Ofelii
Razluchayas s devoy miloy,
drug, t klialsa mne liubit!
Uyezzhaya vkray posfiliy,
kliatvu dannuyn hranit!
Tam, za Daniyey schastlivoy,
berega tvoi vo mgle
Val serdity, govorlivy
moyet slioz na skale
Mily voin ne verniotsa,
ves odety v serebro
V grobe tiashko vskolhniotsa
bant i chornoye pero
8 Gamayun, ptitsa veschaya
Na gladiah beskonechnh vod,
zakatom v purpur oblechonnh,
ona veschayet i poyot,
ne v silah krl podniat smiationnh
Veschayet igo zlh tatar,
veschayet kazney riad krovavh,
i trus, i golod, i pozhar,
zlodeyev silu, gibel pravh
Predvechnm uzhasom obyat,
prekrasny lik gorit liubovyu,
no veschey pravdoyu zvuchat
usta, zapekshiyesia krovu!..
9 M bli vmeste
Mi bli vmeste, pomniu ya
Noch volnovalas, skripka pela..
Ti v eti dni bla moya,
t s kazhdm chasom horoshela
Skvoz tihoye zhurchanye struy,
skvoz taynu zhenstvennoy ulbki
k ustam prosilsia potseluy,
prosilis v serdtse zvuki skripki
9
Dialogue Between Hamlet and His Conscience
Shes on the river-bed, where mud
And weeds are She went to sleep
In them, but even there she cant find sleep!
But I did love her;
Forty thousand brothers
Could not love so!
Hamlet! Shes on the river-bed,
where there is mud; Mud
And the last little garland
Has floated up
at the logs by the riverside
But I did love her
As forty thousand
Still less than one lover.
Shes on the river-bed,
where there is mud.
But I Did I love her?
The Poet and the Czar
Along the otherworldly
Hall of the Czars
Whos this adamant,
This marble one?
So majestic
In the gold of regalia.
Wretched watchman
Of Pushkins glory.
Rebuking the author
And snipping his manuscript,
The beastly butcher
of Polish land.
Look at him sharper!
Never forget:
The Singerkiller
Czar Nicholas
The First.
16 Dialog Gamleta s sovestyu
Na dne ona, gde il
I vodorosli
Spat v nih ushla, No sna i tam net!
No ya yeyo liubil,
Kak sorok tsiach
Bratyev, liubil ne mogut!
Gamlet! Na dne ona,
Gdeil: il!
I posledniy
Venchik vspll
Na prirechnh briovnah
No ya yeyo liubil,
Kak sorok tsiach
Menshe fsio zh,
Chem odin liubovnik.
Na dne ona, gde il.
No ya yeyo liubi!
17 Poet i tsar
Potustoronnim
Zalom tsar
Kto nepreklonny
Mramorny sey?
Stol velichavy
V zolote barm.
Pushkinskoy slav
Zhalkiy zhandarm.
Avtora hayal,
Rukopis strig.
Pol skovo kraya -
Zverskiy miasnik
Zorche vgliadisia!
Ne zabvay:
Pevtsoubiytsa
Tsar Nikolay
Pervy.
Music
At night, when my disquietude falls asleep
and the city disappears in the mist
oh, how much music God has,
what sounds exist in the world!
What is the tempest of life to me, when your roses
flourish and blaze for me!
What are human tears,
when the sunset blushes crimson!
Accept, O Empress of the Universe
through blood, through torments, and through graves the
foaming cup of final passion
from your unworthy slave!
Six Poems by Marina Tsvetayeva
My Verses
My verses written so early
That I did not yet know I was a poet;
Snapped off like splashes from a fountain,
Like sparks from rockets,
Which rushed in like tiny devils
Into the sacred place where slumber and incense prevail,
My verses of youth and death
Never-read verses!
Scattered in the dust of bookshops
(Where no one has ever bought them!),
My verses, like vintage lvines,
Will have their time!
Whence All This Tenderness?
Whence all this tenderness?
These curls are not the first
I ever stroked, and Ive known
Lips darker than yours.
Stars rose and faded
(Whence all this tenderness?),
Eyes rose and faded
So close to my own eyes.
I used to hear sweeter songs
In the dark of the night
(Whence all this tenderness?)
Upon the very breast of the singer.
Whence all this tenderness?
And what shall I do with it,
O sly youth, O visiting singer,
With eyelashes longest ever seen?
13 Muzika
V nochi, kogda usniot trevoga,
i gorod skroyetsa vo mgle
o, skolko muzki u Boga,
kakiye zvuki na zemle!
Shto buria zhizni, yesli roz
tvoyi tsvetut mne i goriat!
Shto chelovecheskiye slioz,
kogda rumianitsa zakat!
Primi, Vladchitsa vselennoy,
skvoz krof, skvoz muki, skvoz groba
posledney strasti kubok penny
ot nedostoynogo raba!
Shest stihotvoreniy Marin Tsvetayevoy
14 Moyi stihi
Moyim stiham, napisannm tak rano,
Shto i ne znala ya, shto ya poet,
Sorvavshimsia, kak brzgi iz fontana,
Kak iskr iz raket,
Vorvavshimsia, kak malenkiye cherti,
F sviatilische, gde son i fimiam,
Moyim stiham o yunosti i smerti,
Nechitannm stiham!
Razbrosannm v pil po magazinam
(Gde ih nikto ne bral i ne beriot!),
Moim stiham, kak dragotsennm vinam,
Nastanet svoy cheriod!
15 Otkuda takaya nezhnost?
Otkuda takaya nezhnost?
Ne pervye eti kudri
Razglazhivayu, i gub
Znavala temney tvoih.
Fshodili i gasli zviozd
(Otkuda takaya nezhnost?),
Fshodili i gasli ochi
U samh moih ochey.
Yescho ne takiye pesni
Ya slushala nochyu tiomnoy
(Otkuda takaya nezhnost?)
Na samoy grudi pevtsa.
Otkuda takaya nezhnost?
I shto s neyu delat, otrok
Lukavy, pevets zahozhiy,
S resnitsami net dlinney?
10
Four Poems of Captain Lebyadkin
Captain Lebyadkins Love
A red-hot glowing love grenade
Burst in Ignats breast.
And once again, poor armless beast,
He wept recalling Sevastopols cannonade.
Well Ive never been to Sevastopol,
and I aint even arntless,
but just look at these rhymes!
And the star is flittering on horseback
surrounded by other Amazons.
And shes smiling to me from horseback,
that aristocratic female child.
To the Perfection of Mademoiselle Tushina.
For the attention of: My Honorable lady Elizabeth
Nikolaevna
O how sweet is she, Elizabeth Tushina,
when, in the company of her relative,
she rides side-saddle to and fro
and her curls play with the wind!
Or when she, with her mother, falls prostrate in the
church,
and rosiness appears on their religious faces!
At such moments, I desire marital and legal delights
and I send after her, and her mother, my tears.
Supposing She Breaks Her Leg
The Beauty of Beauties broke her Member, and
became twice as beautiful,
And a man already deep in love became twice as
loving.
Composed by an untaugbt man in tbe midst of an
argument.
The Cockroach
Once upon a time there was a Cockroach,
A Cockroach from his childhood;
One day he found himself in a Glass
Filled to the brim with fly-eating.
(Oh my, what do you mean?)
That is, when on a summer day flies crawl into a glass,
fly-eating business begins
any fool can understand that.
Dont interrupt me, and youll see yourself!
Here we go again, from the top:
Once upon a time there was a Cockroach,
A Cockroach from his childhood;
One day he found himself in a Glass
Filled to the brim with fly-eating.
Chetre stihotvoreniya kapitana Lebiadkina
20 Liubov kapitaoa Lebiadkina
Liubvi playuscheye granata
Lopnula v grudi Ignata.
I vnov zaplakal gorkoy mukoy
Po Sevastopoliu bezrukiy.
Hot v Sevastopole ne bl,
I dazbe ne bezrukiy,
No kakov zhe rifm!
I porhayet zvezda na kone
V horovode drugih amazonok;
Ulbayetsa s loshadi mne
Aristokraticheskiy rebionok.
Sovershenstvu devits Tushinoy.
Milostivaya gosudarnya Yelizaveta Nikolayevna!
O, kak mila ona, Yelizaveta Tushina,
kogda s rodstvennikom
na damskom sedle letayet,
a lokon yeyo s vetrami igrayet,
ili kogda s materyu f tserkvi padayet nits,
i zritsa rumianets blagogoveynh lits!
Togda brachnh i zakonnh naslazbdeniy zhelayu
i fsled yey, vmeste s materyu, slezu posilayu.
V sluchaye, yesli b ona slomala nogu.
Krasa krasot slomala chlen i interesney vdvoye stala,
I vdvoye sdelalsia vliublion vliublionny uzh nemalo.
Sostavil neuchony za sporom.
21 Tarakan
Zhil na svete tarakan,
Tarakan ot detstva,
I potom popal v stakan,
Polny muhoyedstva.
Gospodi, shto takoye?
To yest, kogda letom v stakan nalezut muhi,
to proiskhodit muhoyedstvo,
fsiakiy durak poymiot,
ne perebivayte, v uvidite!
Pozhaluysta, snachala!
Zhil na svete tarakan,
Tarakan ot detstva,
I potom popal v stakan,
Polny muhoyedstva.
No, the Drum Did Beat
No, the drum did beat before the troubled troops
When we were burying a leader:
It was the Czars teeth clattering honorary ruffles
Over the dead singer.
Its such an honor, that even the closest friends
Are left out. At his head, and feet,
On the right and on the left, with arms at their sides,
Only the gendarmes mugs and chests can be seen.
Isnt it a wonder, even on the quietest of beds
To remain a kid under guard?
This honor looks like something, like something, like
something
It looks like too much of an honor indeed!
Behold, o my country, and see how, contrary to opinion,
The Monarch cares about a poet!
So homage-filled, homage-filled, homage-filled,
Damned too much homage!
Who was this, dragged out like a thief,
whod been shot by fellow thieves?
Atraitor? No. From the backdoor
The wisest man in Russia.
To Anna Akhmatova
O Muse of Weeping, the most beautiful of the Muses!
O reckless issue of a white night!
You send black blizzards to Russia,
And your screams pierce us like arrows.
And we start, and a hollow Oh!
Uttered by hundreds of thousands gives you an oath.
Anna Akbmatova! the name is a giant sigh,
And it falls into a depth that has no name.
We are crowned in that we tread the same land,
And the same sky is above us!
And those who are wounded by your deathly fate
Will be immortal descending to the bed of death.
Domes are gleaming in my singing town,
And a blind wanderer glorifies Holy Saviour
And I grant unto you my pealing town,
Akbmatova complete lvith my heart.
18 Net, bil baraban
Net, bil baraban pered smutnm polkom,
Kogda m vozhdia horonili:
To zub tsariov nad miortvm pevtsom
Pochotnuyu drob vvodili.
Takoy uzh pochot, shto blizhayshim druzyam
Net mesta, V izglavye, v iznozhye,
I sprava, i sleva ruchischi po shvam
Zhandarmskiye grudi i rozhi.
Ne divno li i na tishayshem iz lozh
Prebt podnadzorm malchishkoy?
Na shto-to, na shto-to, na shto-to pohozh
Pochot sey, pochotno da slishkom!
Gliadi mol, strana, kak, molve vopreki,
Monarh o poete pechotsa!
Pochotno pochotno pochotno arhi
Pochotno, pochotno do chortu!
Kogo zh eto tak tochno vor vora
Pristreliannogo vnosili?
Izmennika? Net. S prohodnogo dvora
Umneyshego muzha Rossii.
19 Anne Abmatovoy
O muza placha, prekrasneyshaya iz muz!
O t, shalnoye ischadiye nochi beloy!
T chonuyu naslaesh metel na Rus,
I vopli tvoi vonzayutsa v nas, kak strel.
I m sharahaemsia, i gluhoye: oh!
Stotsiachnoye tebe prisiagaet.
Anna Ahmatova! eto imia ogromny vzdoh,
I v glub on padayet, kotoraya bezmianna.
M koronovan tem, shto odnu s toboy
M zemliu topchem, shto nebo nad nami tozhe!
I tot, kto ranen smertelnoy tvoyey sudboy,
Uzbe bessmertnm na smertnoye skbodit lozhe.
F pevuchem grade moyom kupola goriat,
I Spasa svedovo slavit slepets brodiachiy
I ya dariu tebe svoy kolokolny grad,
Ahmatova! i serdtse svoyo v pridachu.
11
He then started a revolt
And escaping to foreign lands
From the Czars prison,
From tongs and tortures, from gallows and the
hangman;
While the people, ready to rise up
From under its deadly fate,
In Smolensk, and in Tashkent, and everywhere,
Eagerly awaited the student. Hey!
Yea, all waiting for him as one,
To follow him unswervingly,
To exterminate tile upper classes outright,
To kill tile Czars totally, too,
To make all property common,
And to take revenge forever
On Church, and Marriage, and Family,
All those crimes of the old regime! Hey!
Two Fables by Ivan Krylov
The Dragon-fly and the Ant
The carefree, hopping Dragon-fly
Sang songs all summer long,
Until at last she saw
Winter advancing at a fast pace.
The fields and meadows are barren,
And the days when every leaf
Offered her board and lodging
Are over and gone.
Yeah, they are gone! The cold winter
Brings poverty and starvation.
The Dragon-fly she sings no more.
No wonder: who would sing
With an empty stomach!
Frightened and distressed,
She crawls to the Ant and says,
Brother Ant, dont leave me to die!
Just give me a chance to survive:
Please feed me, and warm me
Until the springtime.
The Ant to her replies,
Sister, this sounds strange to me;
Did you work in summer at all?
Oh honey, I had other things to do!
Singing, frolicking in the soft grass
Day after day is such a joy,
And no wonder I went giddy
You mean, you Yes, I sang all summer long
Without a care.
So all you did was sing? Thats just swell!
Now go and dance!
I vosstanye nachinaya,
On bezhal v chuzhiye krai
Iz tsariova kazemata
Ot knuta, schiptsov i kata.
A narod, vosstat gotovy
Iz-pod uchasti surovoy,
Ot Smolenska do Tashkenta
S neterpenyem zhdal studenta. Eh!
Zhdal yevo on pogolovno,
Shtob idti besprekoslovno,
Poreshit vkonets boyarstvo,
poreshit sovsem i tsarstvo,
Sdelat obschimi imenya
I predat naveki mschenyu
Tserkvi, braki i semeystvo
Mira starovo zlodeystvo! Eh!
Compact Disc 30
Dve basni I. Krlova
1 Strekoza i Muravey
Poprgunya strekoza
Leto krasnoye propela;
Oglianutsa ne uspela,
Kak zima katit v glaza.
Pomertvelo chisto pole;
Net uzh dney teh sveilh bole,
Kak pod kazhd yey listkom
B gotov i stol, i dom.
Fsio proshlo; s zimoy holodnoy
Nuzhda, golod nastayot;
Strekoza uzh ne poyot;
I komu zhe v um poydiot
Na zheludok pet golodny!
Zloy toskoy udruchena,
K Muravyu polziot ona:
Ne ostav menia, kum miloy!
Day t mne sobratsa s siloy,
I do veshnih tolko dney
Prokormi i obogrey.
Kumushka, mne stranno eto:
Da rabotala l f leto?
Govorit yey Muravey.
Do togo l, golubchik blo?
V miahkih muravah u nas
Pesni, rezvost fsiakiy chas,
Tak shto golovu fskruzhlo
A tak t Ya bez dush
Leto tseloye fsio pela.
T fsio pela? Eto delo!
Tak poydi zhe, popliash!
The Cockroach he took up room,
The Flies they complained;
Our Glass is too much full,
They shouted up to Jupiter.
But, while they were screaming,
Nikifor came up,
A noblest old man he was
Well the piece is a bit unfinished, but in plain words, it
goes like this:
Nikifor snatches the glass and, ignoring the screams,
throws the whole story out into the garbage can, the Flies
complete with the Cockroach,
and that should have been done long before.
But mind you, lady, the Cockroach does not complain!
As to old Nikifor, he is an allegory of Nature.
A Costume Ball for the Benefit of Governesses
Hi, hello, governess!
Rejoice and celebrate!
Whether a straight girl, or a George Sandette,
Never mind, cheer up now!
You teach snivel-nosed kids
Their French ABCs,
And youre ready to wink even at a sacristan,
Because youd marry any male!
But in our times of Great Reform
even a sacristan wont marry you.
What you want is dough, cash, greenbacks,
Or back to those ABCs.
But today, when we have raised
Some cash at this dinner party,
And are sending you a dowry
From this hall where were having a ball
Be you a straight girl, or a George Sandette,
Never mind, cheer up now!
Youve got a dowry, governess,
So have not a care and celebrate!
A Luminous Personality
He was no gentleman by birth,
He grew up among the common people,
But, persecuted by Czarist vengeance,
And hateful envy of noble lords,
He doomed himself to suffering,
To punishment and torture and abuse
And he went out to the people to declare
Fraternity, Equality, and Freedom. Hey!
Mesto zanial tarakan,
Muhi vozroptali,
Polon ochen nash stakan,
K Yupiteru zakrichali.
No poka u nih shol krik,
Podoshol Nikifor,
Blagorodneyshiy starik
Tut u menia ne dokoncheno, no fsio ravno,
slovami
Nikifor beriot stakan i, nesmotria na krik,
vplioskivaet v lohan fsiu komediyu, i muh, i
tarakana,
shto davno nado blo sdelat.
No zamette, sudarynia, tarakan ne ropschet.
Shto zhe kasaetsa do Nikifora, to on izobrazhaet
prirodu.
22 Bal v polzu guvernantok
Zdravstvuy, zdravstvuy guvernantka!
Veselis i torzhestvuy,
Retrogradka i zhorzhzandka,
Fsio ravno teper likuy!
Uchish t detey soplivh
Po-frantsuzki bukvariu
I podmigivat gotova,
Stob vzial, hot ponmariu!
No v nash vek reform velikih
Ne vozmiot i ponomar:
Nado, barshnia, tolikih,
Ili snova za bukvar.
No teper, kogda piruya,
M sobrali kapital,
I pridanoye, tantsuya,
Shliom tebe iz etih zal.
Retrogradka i zhorzhzandka,
Vso ravno teper likuy!
Ti s pridanm, guvernantka,
Pliuy na fsio i torzhestvuy!
23 Svetiaya lichnost
On ne znatnoy bl porod,
On vozros sredi naroda,
No, gonimy mestyu tsarskoy,
Zlobnoy zavistyu boyarskoy,
On obriok sebia stradanyu,
Kazniam, ptkam, istiazanyu
I poshol veschat narodu
Bratstvo, ravenstvo, svobodu. Eh!
12
2 Osiol i Solovey
Osiol uvidel Solovya i govorit yemu:
Poslushay-ka, druzhsche!
Ti, skazvayut, pet velikiy masterische:
Hotel b ochen ya sam posudit, tvoyo uslshav
penye,
Veliko l podlinno tvoyo umenye?
Tut Solovey yavliat iskusstvo stal:
Na tsiachu ladov tianul, perelivalsia;
To nezhno on oslabeval
I tomnoy vdaleke svirelyu otdavalsia,
To melkoy drobyu vdrug po rosche rasspalsia.
Vnimalo fsio togda liubimtsu i pevtsu Avror;
Zatihli veterki, zamolkli ptichek hor,
I prilegli stada. Chut-chut dsha, pastuh im
liubovalsia
I tolko inogda, vnimaya solovyu, pastushke
ulbalsia.
Skonchal pevets. Osiol, ustavias vzemliu lbom,
Izriadno,-govorit, -skazat ne lozhno,
Tebia bez skuki slushat mozhno;
Azhal, shto neznakom
T s nashm petuhom;
Yescho b f bole navostrilsia,
Kogda b u nevo nemnoshko pouchilsia.
UsIsha sud takoy, moy bedny solovey
Fsporhnul i uletel za trideviat poley.
Izbavi Bog i nas ot etakih sudey.
Shest romansov na slova yaponskih poetov
3 Liubov
Day tolko solntsu za goru zayti,
K tebe ya skoro vydu!
Tiomnoy nochyu t podoydiosh ko mne,
Podobna utrenney zare,
Krasiva, kak tsvetok, yedva rastsvetshy,
I ruku nezhnuyu, goriachuyu ot strasti i liubvi k
tebe,
Ya polozhu na grud tvoyu.
Drug k drugu m prizhmiomsia;
Liozha, tselovatsa budem,
Ruki podlozhv pod golov vzamen podushek;
Biodra sblizim. O, kak liubliu ya,
Kak liubliu tebia ya strastno, nezhno, moya radost.
Kak tolko solntse za goru zaydiot, k tebe ya vydu.
Before the Suicide
Leaves fall down cheerlessly,
Thick fog veils the pond.
Wild geese cry, frightened,
Upon the holy Lake Iware.
Gloomy dreams oppress my head,
My heart is burdened.
A year from now, when wild geese cry again,
I shall not hear them.
An Immodest Glance
A green and slender willow
Had its waving trunk exposed,
When the wafting wind
Moved the branches aside.
And today, O my love,
I saw your legs,
When the wafting wind
Was playing with your kimono.
The First and the Last Time
I plucked your flower and you were mine.
I pressed you against my breast,
Pressed you to my heart, and we were one.
That night flew away, and I saw
That you were not with me any longer.
And only pain, and only pain remained.
You will have many more flowers,
Fragrant and wonderful,
But my time to pluck flowers is gone,
And I have no loved one in the dark of night.
And only pain, and only pain remains
Hopeless Love
Why do I love you, when you never,
Never will be mine?
It is not I who will caress you,
Not I who will fall asleep beside you,
Exhausted by your caresses.
Why, then, do I love you?
Death
I am dying
I am dying not knowing what love is.
She never loved me,
She did not wait for me impatiently
Whenever I left.
I am dying, for no one can live without love.
4 Pered samoubiystvom
Unlo spliutsa list.
Gustoy tuman prud zastilayet.
Gusi dikiye krichat napugano
Na ozere sviatom Ivare.
Sn mrachnye vitayut nad moyey glavoy,
Na serdtse tiazhest.
Cherez god, kogda razdastsa snova krik gusey,
Ya ne uslshu ih.
5 Neskromny vzgliad
U iv zelionoy i tonkoy
Obnazhlsia koleblemy stvol,
Kogda veyuschiy veter
V storonu vetvi otviol.
A sevodnia, o radost moya,
Ya nogi tvoi uvidal,
Kogda tvoim kimono
Veyuschiy veter igral.
6 F pervy i f posledniy raz
Ya sorval tvoy tsvetok, t moya.
Ya prizhal tebia k serdtsu,
K serdtsu i slilsia s toboy.
Kogda noch otletela, ya uvidel,
Shto tebia so mnoyu bolshe net.
Ostalas lish bol, lish bol.
Mnogo yescho budet u tebia tsvetov,
Blagouhannh i divnh,
No moyo vremia rvat tsvet proshlo,
I f tiomnoy nochi net u menia miloy.
Ostalas lish bol, lish bol
7 Beznadiozhnaya liubov
Zachem ya liubliu tebia, ved nikogda,
Nikogda t ne budesh moyey?
Ne ya budu laskat tebia,
Ne ya, istomlionny tvoimi laskami,
Usnu riadom s toboy.
Zachem zhe ya liubliu tebia?
8 Smert
Ya umirayu
Ya umirayu ne znaya liubvi.
Menia ona ne liubila,
Ona ne zhdala menia s neterpenyem,
Kogda ya uhodil.
Ya umirayu, potomu shto nelzia zht bez liubvi.
The Donkey and the Nightingale
A Donkey sees a Nightingale and says to him,
Hey, there, my friend,
They say youre a wonderful singer.
ld really like to listen to you and judge myself,
Is your talent truly as great as all that?
So the Nightingale began to show his skill:
He chanted and warbled his song in a thousand keys;
Now gently fading
And echoing afar, as would a languid flute,
Then suddenly scattering his finest trills over the grove.
All creatures listened to Auroras favourite singer;
The wind ceased to blow, the birds choirs became still,
The herds lay down. Scarcely breathing, a shepherd
adored him in wonder,
And, listening, only occasionally smiled at his
shepherdess.
The singer finished. The Donkey spoke, his brow to the
ground:
Not bad, he said, in all honesty,
I listened to you, and was not even bored.
Its a pity, though,
That you dont know our Rooster.
If you learned a bit from him,
You would sing even sweeter.
Hearing this verdict, poor Nightingale
Took wing and flew a thousand miles away.
O God! Preserve us from such judges!
Six Romances on Lyrics by Japanese Poets
Love
The moment the sun sets behind the mountain,
I will come out to you!
You will approach me in the dark of night
like a morning dawn,
beautiful as a newly blossoming flower,
and I will put my gentle hand, a hand hot with
passion out of love for you,
Ill put it upon your breast.
Well hug each other tight,
And, lying down, well kiss,
With our hands under our heads instead of cushions,
And bring our hips together. Oh how I love you,
How I love you, passionately and tenderly, my joy!
When the sun sets behind the mountain, lll come out to
you.
13
O meek and peaceful angel,
Softly say farewell to me.
Grow sad; either raise or cast down
Your tender eyes;
And your remembrance
For my soul will be a substitute
For Power, Pride, Aspiration
And Bravery of young days.
Stanzas
Whether I walk along noisy streets,
Or enter a crowded church,
Or sit among some wild youngsters,
I always give way to my musings.
I say, Now years have run by,
And we, as many as we are here,
AlI will go down under eternaI vaults,
And for some, the time is already at hand.
Whenever I see a Ione oak,
I muse, This patriarch of the woods
Will outlast my forgettable age,
Just as it has outlasted our fathers.
Whenever I caress a lovely child,
lm ready to think, Farewell!
lm making way for you;
Its time I vanished, while you blossom.
It is my habit to think in earnest
Of each new day and year,
Trying to guess the date
Of my inevitable death.
And where am I destined to die?
In a battle, while travelling, or in the waves?
Or will the nearby vale
Take in my dead-cold remains?
And though any pIace where to mold
Will be the same to my unfeeling body,
But still I would wish to lie in a grave
That is nearer my homeland.
And let young Life play
At the entrance to my tomb,
And let nonchalant Nature
Shine in its eternal beauty.
Angel krotkiy, bezmiatezhny,
Tiho molvi mne prosti,
Opechalsia: vzor svoy nezhny
Podmi il opusti;
I tvoyo vospominanye
Zamenit dushe moyey
Silu, gordost, upovanye
I otvagu yun dney.
12 Stanzi
Brozhu li ya vdol ulits shumnh,
Fhozhu l vo mnogoliudny hram,
Sizhu l mezh yunoshey bezumnh,
Ya predayus moim mechtam.
Ya govoriu: promchalis god,
I skolko zdes ne vidno nas,
Mi fse soydiom pod vechn svod
I chey-nibud uzh blizok chas.
Gliazhu l na dub uyedinionny,
Ya msliu: patriarh lesov
Perezhviot moy vek zabvenny,
Kak perezhl on vek ottsov.
Mladentsa l milovo laskayu,
Uzhe ya dumayu: prosti!
Tebe ya mesto ustupayu:
Mne vremia tlet, tebe tsvesti.
Den kazhdy, kazhduyu godinu
Privk ya dumoy provozhdat,
Griaduschey smerti godovschinu
Mezh ih starayas ugozhdat.
I gde mne smert poshliot sudbina?
V boyu li, v stranstvii, v volnah?
Ili sosedniaya dolina
Moy primet oh;adevshy prah?
I hot beschustvennomu telu
Ravno povsiudu istlevat,
No blizhe k milomu predelu
Mne fsio b hotelos pochivat.
I pust u grobovogo fhoda
Mladaya budet zhzn igrat
I ravnodushnaya priroda
Krasoyu vechnoyu siyat.
Four Romances on Words by Alexander Pushkin
Renaissance
A barbarous painter may stain a geniuss picture
With his lazy paintbrush,
And foolishly draw
His own lawless pattern over it.
But time goes on, and the wrong paint
Will peel off like worn scales,
And the geniuss masterpiece will emerge
In all its former beauty.
Likewise, delusions peel off
From my tormented soul,
Giving way to visions
Of earlier and purer days.
Weeping Bitterly, a Jealous Maiden Reproached a Young
Man
Weeping bitterly, a jealous maiden
Reproached a young man.
The lad suddenly felI asleep
Leaning against her shoulder.
The maid fell silent at once,
Cherishing his ethereal sleep,
And she smiled at him,
Shedding quiet tears.
Anticipation
Again I see dark clouds
Above me in silence;
Once again, envious Fate
Threatens me with distresses
Will I retain my contempt for Destiny?
Or will I surrender to it
The adamant, enduring spirit
Of my proud young days?
Worn out by my turbulent life,
I impassively await the tempest:
But I may yet be saved,
And find a new haven
But anticipating our parting,
That inevitable and frightful moment,
My angel, I hasten to squeeze
Your hand for the last time.
Chetre romansa na slova A.S. Pushkina
9 Vozrozhdenie
Hudozhnik varvar kistyu sonnoy
Kartinu geniya chernit
I svoy risunok bezzakonny
Nad ney bessmslenno chertit.
No kraski chuzhde s letami
Spadayut vethoy cheshuyoy;
Sozdanye geniya pred nami
Vhodit s prezhney krasotoy.
Tak ischezayut zabluzhdenya
S izmuchennoy dush moyey,
I voznikayut vney videnya
Pervonachalnh, chisth dney.
10 Yunoshu, gorko rdaya, revnivaya deva branila
Yunoshu, gorko rdaya,
Revnivaya deva branila;
Kney na plecho preklonion,
Yunosha vdrug zadremal.
Deva totchas umolkla,
Son yego liogkiy leleya,
I ulbalas yemu,
Tihie slioz liya.
11 Predchuvstviye
Snova tuchi nado mnoyu
Sobralisia v tishne;
Rok zavistlivy bedoyu
Ugrozhaet snova mne
Sohraniu l k sudbe prezrenye?
Ponesu l nafstrechu yey
Nepreklonnost i terpenye
Gordoy yunosti moyey?
Burnoy zhznyu utomlionny,
Ravnodushno buri zhdu:
Mozhet bt, yescho, spasionny,
Snova pristan ya naydu
No predchuvstvuya razluku,
Neizbezhny, grozny chas,
Szhat tvoyu, moy angel, ruku
Ya speshu v posledniy raz.
14
The Fools Songs
1.
That lord that counseled thee to give away thy land,
Come pIace him here by me, do thou for him stand:
The sweet and bitter fool will presently appear;
The one in motley here the other found out there.
2.
Fools had neer less grace in a year;
For wise men are grown foppish;
And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are so apish.
I have used it, nuncle, eer since
Thou madest thy daughters thy mothers;
For when thou gavst them the rod,
And puttst down thine own breeches,
Then they for sudden joy did weep,
And I for sorrow sing,
That such a king should play bo-peep,
And go the fool among.
3.
He that keeps nor crust nor crum,
Weary of all, shall want some.
4.
The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it had its head bit off by its young.
5.
Fathers that wear rags
Do make their children blind;
But fathers that wear bags
Shall see their children kind.
Fortune, that arrant whore,
Never turns the key to the poor.
15 Pesni Shuta
1.
Tot, kto reshlsia po kuskam stranu svoyu razdat,
Pust priobschitsa k durakam, on budet mne podstat
M stanem s nim ruka k ruke -dva kmglh duraka:
Odin vduratskom kolpake,dmgoy bez kolpaka!
2.
Dlia durakov pechalny den:
Vse umniki stran
Mozgi nadeli nabekren
I stali m ravn
Ya priuchilsia pet s teh por, kak t, Lir,
Sdelal svoih dochek svoimi mamashami,
Dal im vruki rozgi
I spustil s sebia shtanishki.
Oni zaplakali ot shchastya,
Aya zapel s toski,
Uznav, shto moy korol
Bez vlasti igrayet vduraki.
3.
HIebnye kroshki, chorstvye korki
Mshka golodnaya vspomnila v norke.
4.
Vskormil kukushku vorobey,
Bezdomnovo ptentsa.
Atot vozmi da i ubey
Priyomnovo ottsa!
5.
Ottsov sanovn i bogath
Laskayut dochki i ziatya,
Au kovo shtanY vzaplatah,
Togo ne zhaluyet semya.
Sudba korstnaja bludnitsa,
Ona s golodnm ne lozmtsa!
From the Music for Hamlet
Ophelias Song
Tomorrow is Saint Valentines day
All in the morning betime
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine:
Then up he rose, and donnd his clothes
And duppd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
By Gis, and by Saint Charity,
Alack, and fye for shame!
Young men will do t, if they come to t,
By cock they are to blame.
Quoth she, before you tumbled me,
You promised me to wed:
So would I ha done, by yonder sun,
An thou hadst not come to my bed.
King Lear Incidental music
Cordelias Ballad
There is a tall house on a cliff
Across the dark sea.
Birds have their nests on that cliff,
But the house is empty.
The hearth has been dead for a long, long time,
No voice can be heard
But for the wind, a boisterious guest
That troubles the quiet owls.
It brings a message from far away
That the lord has disappeared,
That Merlin has stolen him away,
Across the sea, beyond the cloud.
In a far-off green land
He rides a black ghost horse,
He is clad in armor of gold,
And he sees the house in his dreams.
The wind it flows, and it sings,
And weeps in his memory,
But no one responds,
For the tall house is empty.
Muzka k spektakliu Gamlet
13 Pesenka Ofelii
Zautra Valentinov den,
I s utrennim luchom
Ya Valentinoyu tvoyey
Zhdu pod tvoim oknom.
On vstal na zov, bl vmig gotov,
Zatvor s dveri snial,
Vpuskal k sebe on devu v dom,
Ne devu vpuskal.
Klianus Hristom, Sviatm Hristom,
Pozor, i sram, beda.
Uvseh muzhchin konets odin
Il net u nih stda.
Ved t menia poka ne smial,
Zhenoy hotel nazvat ,
I blo b tak, srazi nas vrag,
Ne liag t ko mne vkrovat .
Muzka k spektakliu Korol Lir
14 Ballada Kordelii
Za tiomnm morem na skale
Stoit vsokiy domo
Gnezdiatsa ptits na skale,
No pusto v dome tom.
Davno, davno potuh ochag,
Ne slshno golosov,
I tolko veter, buyny gost,
Trevozht tihih sov.
Prinios on vest izdaleka,
Shto gospodin ischez,
Shto za moria i oblaka
Yego unios Merlin.
V zelionoy dalney storone
Na chornom prizrachnom kone,
On skachet v zolotoy brone,
No vidit dom vo sne.
Letayet veter i poyot
I plachet on o niom,
Ne otklikayetsa nikto,
I pust vsokiy dom.
15
Six Romances to Verses of W. Raleigh, R. Burns
and W. Shakespeare
Sir Walter Raleigh to his Sonne (W. Raleigh)
Three things there be that prosper up apace
And flourish whilst they grow asunder far,
But on a day they meet all in one pIace,
And they meet they one another mar;
And they be these the wood, the weed, the wag.
The wood is that which makes the galiow tree,
The weed is that which strings the hangmans bag,
The wag, my pretty knave, betokenth thee.
Mark well, dear boy: whilst these assemble not,
Green Springs the tree, hemp grows, the wag is wild;
But when they meet, it makes the timber rot,
It frets the halter, and it chokes the child.
Then bless thee, and beware, and let us pray
We part not with thee at this meeting day.
Oh wert thou in the cauld blast (R. Burns)
Oh wert thou in the cauld blast,
On yonder lea, on yonder lea;
My plaidie to the angry airt,
ld shelter thee, ld shelter thee:
Or did misfortunes bitter storms
Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,
Thy field should be my bosom,
To share it a, to share it a?
Or were I in the wildest waste,
Sae black and bare, sae black and bare,
The desart were a paradise,
Ii thou wert there, if thou wert there.
Or were I monarch o the globe,
Wi thee to reign, wi thee to reign;
The brightest jewel in my crown,
Wad be my queen, wad be my queen.
Shest Romansov na slova W. Raleigh, R.
Burns i W. Shakespeare
16 Snu
Tri veschi yest , ne vedayuschih goria,
Poka sudba ih vmeste ne svela,
No nekiy den ih zastignet v sbore,
I v etot den im ne uyti ot zia.
Te veschi: roscha, porosI, podrostok;
Iz lesa v briovnah viselits most,
Iz konopli veriovki dlia zahliostok,
Povesa i podrostok eto t.
Zamet, druzhok, im vroz ne narezvitsa;
V soku trava i les, i sorvanets,
No pust soydutsa: skripnet polovitsa,
Strunoy veriovka i yuntsu konets.
Pomolimsia s toboy ob izbezhanye
Uchastiya v ih rokovom svidanye.
17 V poliakh pod snegom i dozhdiom
V poliah pod snegom i dozhdiom,
Moy mily drug, moy bedny drug,
Tebia ukrl b ya plaschom
Ot zimnih vyug, ot zimnih vyug.
Ayesli muka suzhdena
Tebe sudboy, tebe sudboy,
Gotov ya skorb tvoyu do dna
Delit s toboy, delit s toboy.
Puskay soydu vo mrachny dol,
Gde noch krugom, gde tma krugom,
Vo tme ya solntse b nashol
Stoboy vdvoyom, s toboy vdvoyom.
I yesli b dali mne vudel
Ves shar zemnoy, ves shar zemnoy,
Skakim b shchastyem ya vladel
Toboy odnoy, toboy odnoy.
6.
When priests are more in word than matter;
When brewers mar their malt with water;
When nobles are their tailors tutors;
No heretics burned, but wenches suitors;
When every case in law is right;
No squire in debt, nor no poor knight;
When slanders do not live in tongues;
Nor cutpurses come not to throngs;
When usurers till their gold in the field;
And bawds and whores do churches build;
Then shall the realm of Albion
Come to great confusion.
Then comes the time, who lives to see it,
That going shall be used with feet.
7.
A fox when one has caught her,
And such a daughter,
Should sure to the slaughter,
If my cap would buy a halter;
So the fool follows after.
8.
The cod-piece that will house,
Before the head has any,
The head and he shall louse;
So beggars marry many.
The man that makes his toe
What he his heart should make,
Shall of a corn cry woe,
And turn his sleep to wake.
9.
He that has and a little tiny wit,
With heigh, ho, the wind and the rain,
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
Though the rain it raineth every day.
10.
That, sir, which serves and seeks for gain,
And follows but for form,
Will pack, when it begins to rain,
And leave thee in the storm.
But I will tarry; the fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly:
The knave turns fool that runs away;
The fools no knave, perdy.
6.
Kogda otkazhetsa sviaschennik
Krivit dushoyu iz-za deneg
I perestanet pivovar
Vodoyu razbavliat tovar,
Kogda naskuchit kavaleram
Uchitsa u portnh maneram,
Kogda yeretikov monah
Szhgat ne stanet na kostrah,
Kogda sudya gresht ne budet
I bez prichin ne zasudit,
Kogda umolknet kleveta,
Zamok povesiv na usta,
Kogda bludnitsa hram postroit,
A rostovschik sunduk otkroyet,
Togda-to budet Albion
Do osnovanya potriasion,
Togda hodit m budem s vami
Vverh golovami, vniz nogami.
7.
Lisa-plutovka i dochka korolia
Odna b vam veriovka, odna b vam petlia!
Prodam kolpak, kupliu petliu,
Durak priyatel koroliu!
8.
Shtan nuzhn, dayu vam slovo,
No priyuti bashku sperva,
Il obovshveyet bez krova
Tvoya sedaya golova.
Vkom serdtse zhostkoye kak piatka,
Teh ne smutit chuzhaya bol,
No spat oni ne budut sladko,
Kogda natrut sebe mozol.
9.
Gey, go, gey, go,
Tot, kto v neschastye vladeyet soboy,
Molniya, grom i grad,
V buriu i v dozhd ne drozht pred sudboy,
Bud oni sutki podriad!
10.
Kto sluzht tolko dlia tovo,
Shtob izvlech dohod,
Tebia ostavit odnovo
Vo vremia nepogod.
No on s toboy tvoy verny shut,
Sluzhl on ne dlia denego
On zhalkiy shut, no on ne plut!
Durak, no ne moshennik!
16
Jenny (R. Burns)
Comin thro the rye, poor body,
Comin thro the rye,
She draiglt a her petticoatie
Comin thro the rye.
Chorus: Oh Jennys a weet, poor body,
Jennys seidom dry;
She draiglt a her petticoatie
Comin thro the rye
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro the rye
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry.
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro the glen
Gin a body kiss a body
Need the warld ken!
Chorus: Oh Jennys a weet, etc.
Sonnet LXVI (W. Shakespeare)
Tird with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behoId desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimmed in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplacd,
And maiden virtue rudeIy strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgracd,
And strength by limping sway disabIed,
And art made tongue-tied byauthority,
And folly (doctor-like) controlling skill,
And simple truth miscalld simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tird with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.
21. The Kings Campaign (after the nursery rhyme
The Grand Old Duke of York)
The King rode uphill leading forces, foot and horse;
The King walked downhill, this time without any foot
or horse.
The Counter-Plan Song
The morning cheers us with its freshness,
The river cheers us with its wind.
My curly one, are you not cheered
By the merry song of the hooter?
Wake up, get up, my curly one.
Workshops are dinging,
The country gets up in glory
To meet a new day.
19 Yenni
Probirayas do kalitki
Polem, vdol mezh,
Dzhenni vmokla do nitki
Vecherom vo rzh.
Pripev: Ochen holodno devchonke,
Byot devchonku drozh:
Zamochila fse yubchonki,
Idia cherez rozh.
Yesli kto-to zval kovo-to
Skvoz gustuyu rozh
I kovo-to obnial kto-to,
Shto s nevo vozmiosh?
I kakaya nam zabota,
Yesli u mezh
Tselovalsia s kem-to kto-to
Vecherom vo rzh!
Pripev: Ochen holodno devchonke
20 Sonnet LXVI
Izmuchas fsem, ya umeret hochu.
Toska smotret, kak mayetsa bedniak
I kak shutia zhviotsa bogachu,
I doveriat , i popadat vprosak;
I nabliudat, kak naglost lezet v svet
I chest devichya katitsa ko dnu;
I znat, shto hodu sovershenstvam net,
I videt moshch u nemoshchi v plenu,
I fspominat, shto msli zamknut rot,
I razum snosit gluposti hulu,
I priamodushye prostotoy slviot,
I dobrota prisluzhivayet zIu.
Izmuchas fsem, ne stal b zht i dnia,
Da drugu budet trudno bez menia.
21 Korolevskiy pokhod
Po sklonu vverh korol poviol polki svoih strelkov.
Po sklonu vniz korol soshol, no tolko bez polkov.
Compact Disc 31
1 Pesna o vstrechnom
Nas utro vstrechajet prohladoj,
nas vetrom vstrechajet reka,
Kudravaja, chto zh ty ne rada
Vesolomy penju gudka?
Ne spi, vstavaj, kudravaja,
V tsehah zvena,
Strana vstajot so slavoju
Na vstrechu dna.
Macphersons Farewell (R. Burns)
Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong,
The wretchs destinie!
Macphersons time will not be long,
On yonder gallows-tree.
Chorus: Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gaed he:
He playd a spring, and dancdit round
Below the gallows-tree.
O what a death but parting breath?
On many a bloody plain
lve dared his face, and in this place
I scorn him yet again!
Untie these bands from off my hands,
And bring to me my sword;
And theres no a man in all Scotland,
But Ill brave him at a word.
lve lived a life of sturt and strife
I die by treacherie:
It burns my heart I must depart
And not avenged be.
Now farewell, light, thou sunshine bright,
And all beneath the sky!
May coward shame distain his name,
The wretch that dares not die!
Chorus: Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gae'd he:
He play'd a spring, and danc'd it round
Below the gallows-tree.
18 Makferson pered kazniu
Tak veselo, otchayanno
Shol k viselitse ono
Fposledniy chas f posledniy plias
Pustilsia Makferson.
Pripev: Privet vam, tiurm korolia,
Gde zhzn vlachat rab!
Menia sevodnia zhdiot petlia
I gladkiye stolb.
Fpoliah voyn, sredi mechey,
Fstrechal ya smert ne raz,
No ne drozhal ya pered ney,
Ne drognu i seychas!
Razbeyte stal moih okov,
Vernite moy dospeh,
Pust vydut desiat smelchakov,
Ya odoleyu fseh!
Ya zhzn svoyu proviol v boyu,
Umru ne ot mecha.
Izmennik predal zhzn moyu
Veriovke palacha.
I pered smertyu ob odnom
Dusha moya grustit,
Shto za menia f krayu rodnom
Nikto ne otomstit.
Prosti, moy kray! Ves mir, proschay!
Menia poymali v set.
No zhalok tot, kto smerti zhdiot,
Ne smeya umeret!
Pripev: Tal veselo, otchayanno
Shol k viselitse ono
F posledniy chas f posledniy plias
Pustilsia Makferson.
17
The Dawn Is Rising
The dawn is coming, the sun is rising,
The people want your deed and toil.
The dawn is coming, and the sun rising
Over the world. Greet the dawn, my friend.
The dawn is growing, the sun is glowing,
The brave do not care for bounds.
March on, friends, spare not your breath
And sing the song of future victories.
Devotedly and bravely
Well dose our files of steel,
Well engage any battle
For the cause of the people.
Our banner is high,
Ours is youth, and ours is truth.
And the winged Victory always
Soars over our banners.
The Song of Peace
The wind of peace flaps the victorious colors,
These blood-stained banners.
Our Homelands light shows the way to the world,
And we are constantly on guard.
Our crops are blossoming
We have defended the spring.
Our strength is growing
Peace will win over War.
We are strong! Beware, you warmonger,
Dont forget how wars end today!
Common people from every land are on our side,
We may safely look forward to the future.
Our crops are blossoming
We have defended the spring.
Our strength is growing
Peace will win over War.
For Man to live free and rejoice,
We strengthen our Motherland.
People will find their happiness, because in our times
All roads lead to Communism.
Our crops are blossoming
We have defended the spring.
Our strength is growing
Peace will win over War.
3 Zara vstajot
Rassvet idot, zara vstajot,
Na podvig i trud zovot narod.
Rassvet idot i zara vstajot
Nad mirom. Drug, vstrechaj jejo prihod.
Rastot zara, gorit rassvet,
DIa smelyh nigde pregrady net.
Vperod, druzja, polnoj grudju
Zapevajte pesnu buduschih pobed.
Bezzavetno i smelo
Smknom svoi rady stalnyje,
Za narodnoje delo
Pojdom v boi lubyje.
Vysoko nashe znama,
I molodost, i pravda s nami,
I pobeda krylataja vsegda
Nad nashimi znamonami letit.
4 Pesna mira
Veter mira kolyshet znamona pobed,
Obagronnyje krovju znaamona.
Ozaril miru put nashej Rodiny svet,
My na strazhe stoim nepreklonno.
Nashi nivy tsvetut
My otstojali vesnu.
Nashi sily rastut
Mirpobedit vojnu.
My silny! Beregis, podzhigatel vojny,
Ne zabud, ehem konehajutsa vojny!
S nami ludi prostyje iz kazhdoj strany,
My v graduseheje smotrim spokojno.
Nashi nivy tsvetut
My otstojali vesnu.
Nashi sily rastut
Mirpobedit vojnu.
Chtob svobodno i radostno zhil chelovek,
Ukreplajem my nashu Otehiznu.
Ludi k sehastju pridut, potomu eto v nash vek
Vse dorogi vedut k kommunizmu.
Nashi nivy tsvetut
My otstojali vesnu.
Nashi sily rastut
Mirpobedit vojnu.
And joy is singing, limitless,
And the song is meeting you,
And people smile meeting you,
And even the sun rises like a country pIan.
It is so hot, it is so brave,
It cheers me up.
The country gets up in glory
To meet a new day.
The team will greet us with work,
And youll smile to friends,
With whom you share labor and care,
and The Counter PIan, and your life.
Behind the Narva Gate,
In thunder and in lights,
The country gets up in glory
To meet a new day.
And speak out your truth
In a most brilliant speech.
We are meeting new life,
And labor, and love.
Is it a sin to love, my curly one,
When, dinging loud,
The country gets up in glory
To meet a new day.
The Tender Girl Song
Ah my girlfriends, what have I done?
I cant live without my boy.
Everyone says I am brave in life,
But it seems I am shy in love;
Every time I see my loved one
I run to him fast,
But after we say hello, I cant
Say a single word more.
Ah you skylark, you little birdie,
Will you whisper to my love,
That my feelings are unthinkable,
They are brimming over.
Ah my girlfriends, ah my dear ones!
Happiness is within my hands reach!
Oh, why do I flitter by,
Only to feel troubled again!
l radost pojot, ne skonchaja,
l pesna na vstrechu idot,
l ludi smejutsa, vstrechaja,
l vstrechnoje solntse vstajot.
Goracheje i bravoje
Bodrit mena,
Strana vstajot so slavoju
Na vstrechu dna.
Brigada nas vstretit rabotoj,
l ty ulybnoshsa druzjam,
S kotorymi trud i zaboty,
l vstrechnyj, i zhizn popolam.
Za Narvskoju zastavoju,
V gromah, v ognah,
Strana vstajot so slavoju
Na vstrechu dna.
Takoju prekrasnoju rechju
O pravde svojej zajavi.
My zhizni vyhodim na vstrechu,
Navstrechu trudu i lubvi.
Lubit greshno l, kudravaja,
Kogda, zvena,
Strana vstajot so slavoju
Na vstrechu dna.
2 Devichja laskovaja
Oj, podruzhenki, chto ja delaju?
Mne bez milogo net zhitja.
Vse zovut mena v zhizni smeloju,
A b lubvi orobela ja.
Kak uvizhu vdali lubimogo,
Tak navstrechu k nemu begu,
A kak vstretimsa ne jedinogo
Slova vymolvit ne mogu.
Zhavoronochek, ptashka malaja,
Ty lubimomu peredaj,
Chto lubov moja nebyvalaja
Perepolnilas cherez kraj.
Oj, podruzhenki, oj, rodimyje,
Schastje, vot ono pod rukoj!
Tak zachem zhe porhaju mimo ja
I teraju opat pokoj!
18
We Had Kisses
We had kisses, and lips bitten to blood,
Eyelashes wetted by happy tears,
Joy unlimited, to infinity,
Where we were on the apex of eternity.
But you see, the ruler of my passion,
lm afraid this will not be remembered.
If days of trial come again,
If I ever have to put on my Army coat again,
I will remember the shy silence
And your eyes, dry and sad,
And, at the last moment,
Atouch of lips that are too severe.
Spring, Spring
Spring, o spring, the season of love,
How annoying is your advent for me,
With some flaccid commotion
In my soul, in my blood
My heart is so far from any enjoyment.
All that rejoices and gleams,
Brings me melancholy and languor.
Give me back snowstorms and blizzards
And the long dark of winters nights.
Satires (Pictures Of The Past)
To A Critic
When a poet describing a lady
Begins I was walking in a street. My corset pinched
my hips,
Pray dont take this l so directly,
Dont take the lady for the poet himself.
I will reveal the truth to you, as a friend:
The poet is a man, and even a bearded man.
The Awakening of Spring
Yesterday my tomcat looked at the calendar
And in a blink he raised his tail cane-style;
Then he rushed to the stairs as he used to do,
And wailed warmly and bacchanally:
Spring marriage! Civil marriage!
You pussycats, haste to the attic
And my cactus miracle wonder!
Flooded with tea- and coffee-dregs,
Has risen like a new Lazarus, quite simply,
And thrusts up from its pot mightier with every day.
7 Byli potselui
Byli potselui i guby do krovi,
Ot schastlivyh sloz resnitsy mokrye.
Radost bez granits, do beskonechnosti,
Gde my na vershine vechnosti.
Tolko znajesh, chuvstv moih zakonnitsa,
Ja bojus, chto eta ne zapomnitsa.
Kol pridot opat pora surovaja,
Kol shinel svoju odenu snova ja,
To zapomnu robkoje molchanie
I glaza tvoi, suhie i pechalnye.
I jescho v poslednee mgnovenie
Slishkom strogih gub prikosnovenie.
8 Vesna, vesna
Vesna, vesna, pora lubvi,
Kak tazhko mne tvojo javlenje,
Kakoje tomnoje volnenje
V mojej dushe, v mojej krovi
Kak chuzhdo serdtsu naslazhdenje
Vso, chto likujet i blestit,
Navodit skuku i tomlenje.
Otdajte mne meteI i vjugu
I zimnij dolgij mrak nochej.
Satiry (kartinki proshlogo)
9 Kritiku
Kogda poet, opisyvaja damu,
Nachnot: Ja shla po ulitse. V boka vpilsa korset,
Zdes ja ne ponimaj, konechno, pramo -
Chto, mol, pod damoju skryvajetsa poet.
Ja istinu tebe po druzheski otkroju:
Poet muzhchina i dazhe s borodoju.
10 Probuzhdenie vesny
Vchera moj kot vzglanul na kalendar
I hvost truboju podnal momentalno,
Potom podral na lestnitsu, kak vstar,
I zavopil teplo i vakkhanalno:
Vesennij brak! Grazhdanskij brak!
Speshite, koshki, na cherdak
I kaktus moj o, chudo iz chudes!
Zalityj chajem i kofejnoj guschej,
Kak novyj Lazar, vzal da i voskres
I s kazhdym dnom prot iz zemli vso pusche.
Two Songs to words by M. Svetlov
Lullaby
The engine is humming in the dead of night,
But let your sleep be quiet and sweet.
Searchlights they tell of danger,
We wont sleep, but you may sleep tight.
Do, do sleep tight. We Muscovites
Are on our duties in the night of fire.
We wont sleep, but you may dose your eyes
We are at watch, so sleep tight, my baby.
A day will come, and trumpets will sound flourish,
And fireworks will thunder over Moscow.
The days of our victory will come,
They will, and meanwhile sleep tight, baby.
The Little Lantem Song
Enemy airplanes were flying
over Moscow our home, over the Moskva River,
Then we lit our pocket lanterns
At our night watch.
Never-relieved sentry,
All night until the dawn,
My old friend, my lantern,
Burn on, burn on!
We remember the time of gloomy dusk,
We remember every hour of those nights.
The thin beam of the pocket lantern
Never failed during those nights.
Never-relieved sentry,
All night until the dawn,
My old friend, my lantern,
Burn on, burn on!
It did shine in every loft and attic
Over our quiet, hushed-up home town.
Let it light up again today,
As it used to do, in a girls hand.
Never-relieved sentry,
All night until the dawn,
My old friend, my lantern,
Burn on, burn on!
Dve pesni na slova M. Svetlova
5 Kolybelnaja
Gudit motor vmolchaniji nochnom.
No ty usni spokojnym, tihim snom.
Prozhektorov trevozhnyje ogni;
My ne usnom, a ty, dita, usni.
Usni, usni. V pylajuschej nochi
Nesut svoi dezhurstva moskvichi.
My ne usnom, a ty glaza somkni.
My na postu, dita mojo, usni.
Nastanet den, i truby zapojut,
I nad stolitsej zagremit salut.
Oni pridut, pobedy nashej dni,
Oni pridut, a ty usni, usni.
6 Pesna o Fonarike
Nad rodnoj Moskvoju, vdol Moskva-reki
Samoloty vrazheskije shli,
I togda karmannyje fonariki
Na nochnom dezhurstve my zazhgli.
Bessmennyj chasovoj,
Vse nochi do zari,
Moj staryj drug, fonarik moj,
Gori, gori, gori!
Pomnim vrema sumraka tumannogo,
The nochej my pomnim kazhdyj chas;
Uzkij luch fonarika karmannogo
Vnochi te ni razu ne pogas.
Bessmennyj chasovoj,
Vse nochi do zari,
Moj staryj drug, fonarik moj,
Gori, gori, gori!
Nad rodnoj pritihsheju stolitseju
On svetil na kazhdom cherdake.
Pust segodna snova zagoritsa on,
Kak byvalo, v devichjej ruke.
Bessmennyj chasovoj,
Vse nochi do zari,
Moj staryj drug, fonarik moj,
Gori, gori, gori!
19
lm like an owl upon the debris
Of smashed and scattered gods.
Ancestors who are not born yet
Are not among my brothers or enemies.
What I want is a bit of light
For me while lm alive;
And everyone will understand my desire,
Be it a dressmaker or a poet
As to descendants Let the descendants
Act according to their lot
And beat their heads against the wall,
Cursing the darkness they are in!
Confusion
She was a poetess,
And a poetess of a Balzacian age,
And he was just a rake,
Curly, ardent, and black-haired.
The rake came to the poetess.
Perfume breathed in the twilight.
On a sofa, like in a solemn Mass,
The poetess was snuflling her verses:
Oh, be quick to inflame my dozy passion
With fire-breathing caresses.
Dont be shy, and let your lips touch
The foam of thighs above the scarlet garter!
I am fresh like breathing of gillyflower
Oh, let us twine the ardencies of our bodies!
The continuation was such
That the curly black-haired one blushed.
He blushed, but recovered at once,
And thought, Fortune favors the brave!
One needs no parliament speeches of ministers here,
Its time to act, not to talk.
With the unrestrained force of a centaur
The rake hugged the poetess,
But a vulgar shriek: Mavra!
Chilled down the dashing torrent.
Pardon, he jumped up, you, yourself
But it is cold and honour in her eyes:
How dare you harass a decent lady
With your embraces, like a janitor?!
Ja kak filin na oblomkah
Perelomannyh bogov.
V nerodivshihsa potomka
Net mne bratjev i vragov.
Ja hochu nemnozhko sveta
DIa seba, poka ja zhiv;
Ot portnogo do poeta
Vsem ponaten moj prizyv
A potomki Pust potomki
Ispolnaja zhrebij svoj
I klana svoi potomki,
Lupat v stenku golovoj!
12 Nedorazumenie
Ona byla poetessa,
Poetessa balzakovskih let.
A on byl prosto povesa,
Kurchavyj i pylkij brunet.
Povesa prishol k poetesse.
V polumrake dyshali duhi,
Na sofe, kak v torzhestvennoj messe,
Poetessa gnusila stihi:
O, sumej ognedyshaschej laskoj
Vskolyhnut moju sonnuju strast.
K pene boder za aloj podvazkoj
Ta ne bojsa ustami pripast!
Ja svezha, kak dyhanje levkoja
O, spletom zhe istomnosti tel!
Prodolzhenie bylo takoje,
Chto kurchavyj brunet pokrasnel.
Pokrasnel, no opravilsa bystro
I podumal: byla ne byla!
Zdes ne dumskie rechi ministra,
Ne slova tut nuzhny, a dela.
S nesderzhannoj siloj kentavra
Poetessu povesa privIok,
No vizglivo-vulgarnoje: Mavra!
OhIadilo kipuchij potok.
Prostite vskochil on, vy sami
No v glazah jejo holod i chest:
Vy smeli k poradochnoj dame,
Kak dvornik, s objatjami lezt?!
Green noise lm amazed:
How many thoughts it inspires!
Already fervent janitors, swearing aloud,
Strike frozen dirt off the walkways.
Today, an Asian rag-picker called on me,
Re picked a warm muffler and race skis
Its spring, its spring, I sing like a minstrel,
Carry your winter trash to the pawnshop.
The sun is shining. By Jove, alls not so bad!
The springs azure has frightened off smoke and
soot,
Frost does not pinch anyone any more,
But, as in winter, many have nothing to eat.
Trees are waiting Water is rotting,
And drunks are seen more often than ever
O my Creator! Thanks for the spring!
(For I thought it would never come back.)
But let me run off to the quiet of woods
From the pressing news, cholera, and the capitalI
The spring wind is blowing outdoors
Oh hell, gimme someone to love!
Descendants
Our ancestors crawled into cages
And often whispered there between them:
Tough times, lads It seems our children
Will live better than we do.
The children grew up. They, too,
Crawled into cages in days of horror
And sighed, Our children
Will see the light when we are no more.
Today, just as always,
Our only consolation is,
That our children will see Mecca,
If not we.
Even the dates have been foretold:
Some say two hundred, some say five hundred years;
Until then, lie in sorrow
And moo like an idiot.
Milk and honey, neat and spruce,
The world is washed, and brushed, and nice
In two hundred years or so? To hell with it!
Am I Methuselah?
Zelonyj shum Ja porazhon:
Kak mnogo dum navodit on!
Uzhe s panelej smorzshujusa graz,
Rugajas, skalyvajut dvorniki lihie,
Uzhe ko mne zabrol segodna knaz,
Vzal loplyj sharf i lyzhi begovye
Vesna, vesna poju, kak bard,Nesite
zimnij hlam vlombard.
Sijajet solnyshko. Jej bogu, nichego!
Vesennaja lazur spugnula dym i kopo1,
Moroz uzhe ne schiplet nikogo,
No mnogim nechego, kak i zimoju, lopat
Derevja zhdut Gnijod Voda,
I Pjanyh bolshe, chem vsegda
Sozdatel moi! Spasibo za vesnu!
Ja dumal, ona na vozvratitsa
No daj sbezjhat v lesnuju tishinu
Ot zloby dns, holery I stolitsy
Vesennij veter za dvermi
V kogo b vlubitsa, chort vozmi?
11 Potomki
Nashi predki lezli v kleti
I sheptalis tam ne raz:
Tugo, brattsy Vidno, deti
Budut zhit voIgotnej nas.
Deti vyrosli. I eti
Lezli v kleti v groznyj chas
I vzdyhali: Nashi deti
Vstre1at solntse posle nas .
Nynche tak zhe, kak voveki,
Uteshenie odno:
Nashi deti budut v Mekke,
Jesli nam ne suzhdeno.
Dazhe sroki predskazali:
Kto -let dvesti, kto patsot,
A poka lezhi v pechali
I mychi, kak idiot.
Razukrashennye duli,
Mir umyt, prichosan, mil
Let chrez dvesti? Chorta v stule!
Razve ja Mafusail?
20
(Music figures are silent.)
Right? Adopted. The introduction on this subject-matter
will be delivered by Musicologist No.1, our supreme
consultant and musical critic, Comrade Firstman. Com-
rades, we are greeting our dear and beloved Great Com-
rade Firstman!
(Roaring lasting applause growing into ovation. Every-
one rises.)
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
(already thrilled)
Hail! Long live Great Firstman! Hail!
Hail! Long live Great Firstman! Hail!
(Everyone sits down)
FIRSTMAN
(reads looking at a piece of paper)
Comrades! Realistic music is written by peoples
composers, while formalistic music is written by anti-
peoples composers. May I ask why realistic music is
written by peoples composers, and formalistic music is
written by antipeoples composers? Realistic music,
comrades, is written by peoples composers just because
they, being realists by their nature, cannot, nay, cannot
help writing realistic music. While anti-peoples com-
posers, being formalists bytheir nature, cannot, nay,
cannot help writing formalistic music. Therefore, the
solution is for peoples composers to develop realistic
music, and for anti-peoples composers to stop their
more than doubtful experimenting in the domain of
formalistic music.
HOST
Right! Exactly! Comrades! Lets thank our Father, our
beloved Great Firstman for his historic speech, for his
presentation, addressing and coverage of important mat-
ters of the music trade.
(Roaring lasting applause growing into ovation. Every-
one rises.)
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Thank you, thank you for the historic speech! Thank
you, thank you for fatherly care!
(Everyone sits down.)
HOST
According to the plan that follows, floor shall be taken
by Musicologist No.2, who can and is capable of
vocalizing into the same bargain. Comrade Secondman
has the floor.
(Muzykalnyje dejateli molchat)
Pravilno? Prinato. Vstupitelnoje slovo na etu tema-
tiku skazhet muzykoved nomer odin, nash glavnyj
konsultant i muzykalnyj kritik tovarisch Jedinitsyn.
Poprivetstvuem, tovarischi, nashego dorogogo i lubi-
mogo velikogo tovarisha Jedinitsyna!
(Burnyje, prodolzhitelnyje aplodismenty, pere-
hodaschije v ovatsiju. Vse vstajut.)
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
(uzhe v vostorge)
Slava! Slava velikomu Jedinitsynu! Slava!
Slava! Slava velikomu Jedinitsynu! Slava!
(Vse sadatsa)
JEDINITSYN
(chitajet po bumazhke)
Tovarischi! Realisticheskuju musyku pishut narod-
nyje kompozitory, a formalisticheskuju muzyku
pishut antinarodnyje kompozitry. Sprashivajetsa,
pochemu realisticheskuju muzyku pishut narodnyje
kompozitory, aformalisticheskuju muzyku pishut an-
tinarodnyje kompozitory? Narodnyje kompozitory
pishut realisticheskuju muzyku potomu, tovarischi,
chto, javlajas po prirode realistami, oni ne mogut,
ne mogut ne pisat muzyku realisticheskuju. A anti-
narodnyje kompozitory, javlajas po prirode formal-
istami, ne mogut, ne mogut ne pisat muzyku
formalisticheskuju. Zadacha, sledovatelno,
zakluchajetsa v tom, chtoby narodnyje kompozi-
tory razvivali b muzyku realisticheskuju, a antinaro-
dnyje kompozitory prekratili by svojo boleje chem
somnitelnoje eksperimentirovanije v oblasti muzyki
formalisticheskoj.
VEDUSCHIJ
Pravilno! Verno! Tovarischi! Poblagodarim zhe
nashego rodnogo i lubimogo velikogo Jedinitsyna za
istoricheskuju rech, za jego vystuplenije,
obogaschenije i osveschenije vazhnyh voprosov
muzykalnogo dela.
(Burnyje, prodolzhitelnyje
aplodismenty, perehodaschije vovatsiju. Vse
vstajut.)
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
Spasibo, spasibo za istoricheskuju rech! Spasibo,
spasibo za otecheskuju zabotu!
(Vse sadatsa)
VEDUSCHIJ
Po sledujemomy zatem planu predostavim slovo mu-
zykovedu nomer dva, imejuschemy k tomu zhe voz-
mozhnost vokalizirovat. Predostavlaju slovo
tovarischu Dvojkinu.
Here enters prim Mavra. And the frightened guest
Retreats, his back to front.
In the antechamber, he long searched
For his cane with a perplexed look. ..
The ardent black-haired one
Walked down the stairs with a magnesia-white face:
He failed to grasp the New Poetry
And the poetess of a Balzacian age.
Kreutzer Sonata
The tenant is sitting on his suitcase
And pensively staring at the floor:
The chairs are the same, and the bed, and the table,
The same upholstery on the sofa,
The same stew for dinner -
But some new light is cast on everything
The calves of buxom Fiokla the washerwoman are
shining.
Her plump torso is bent over into the yard.
The soaped glasses are squealing
Like a chaotic, frolicsome chorus
And patches of blue heavens
Promise thousands of wonders.
The tenant is seated on his suitcase.
The window-glasses are washed. Its dull and quiet
again.
Fiokla, Fiokla, why are you silent?
You could as weil be resolute and vigorous:
Come up, grab his forelock
And bum him with your fiery springtime lips
The tenant and Fiokla on the sofa.
Oh, what a solemn moment!
Youre People, and lm an intellectual,
He tells her between kisses.
At last, here and now, alone,
Ill understand you, and you, me!
Anti-Formalist Peep-Show
HOST
Well now, comrades, how bout beginning, shall we?
The audience are not so many today, though. Indeed,
underestimation of the cultural maximum of the lectur-
ing propaganda still prevails here. But since, according
to the pIan of our House of Culture, we are having a
number of addresses today on Realism and Formalism
in Music, well get it through, this here subject-matter.
I mean, well, these here addresses I mean I mean well
get it all through.
Vot chinnaja Mavra. I zadom
Uhodit napugannyj gost.
V perednej rasterannym vzgladom
On dolgo iskal svoju trost
S litsom blednee magnezii
Shol s lestnitsy pylkij brunet:
Ne ponal on novoj poezii
I poetessy balzakovskih let.
13 Kreitserova sonata
Kvartirant sidit na chemodane
I zadumchivo rassmatrivaet poI:
Te zhe stulja, i krovat, i stol,
I takaja zhe obivka na divane,
I takoj zhe bigus na obed, -
No na vsom kakoj-to novyj svet
Bleschut ikry polnoj prachki Fokly.
Peregnulsa polnyj stan vo dvor.
Kak nestrojnyj, shalovlivyj hor,
Vereschat namylennye stokla,
I zaplaty golubyh nebes
Obeschajut tysachi chudes.
Kvartirant sidit na chemodane.
Stokla vymyty. Opat toska i tish.
Fokla, Fokla, chto zhe ty molchish?
Bud hot ty reshitelnoj i jarkoj:
Podojdi, vozmi jego za chub
I ozhgi ognom vesennih gub
Kvartirant I Fokla na divane.
O, kakoj torzhestvennyj moment!
Ty narod, a ja intelligent, -
Govorit on jej sredi lobzanij.
Nakonets-to, zdes, sejchas, vdvojom,
Ja teba, a ty mena pojmom!
14 Antiformalisticheskij rajok
VEDUSCHIJ
Nu kak, tovarischi, nachnom, chto li? Narodu u
nas, pravda, segodna malovato. Unas, pravda, escho
prevaliruet nedootsenka kulturnogo maksimuma lek-
tsionnoj propagandy. No poskolku po planu
nashego dvortsa kulturyu nas segodna sostoitsa
rad vystuplenij na temu: realizm i formalizm v
musyke, my jejo, etu temu, to jest, eti samyje vystu-
plenija provernom.
21
SECONDMAN
The lezginka in Caucasus operas must be simple, and
known too, brave, traditional, popular, and
Caucasian by all means. Its got to be real, always got to
be real, and only, yea, only real, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,
real. The lezginka in Caucasus operas must be simple,
and known too, brave, traditional,
popular, and Caucasian by all means. Its got to be real,
always got to be real, and only, yea, only real, yes, yes,
yes, yes, yes, real.
HOST
Here is a truly scientific speech! What an analysis! What
a depth! Comrade Thirdman has the floor.
THIRDMAN (collecting his thoughts)
Comrades, we must be like classics. We must have
everything the classics had. Yes! Glinka, Tchaikovsky,
Rimsky-Korsakov, you are musical and elegant. Glinka,
Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, you are melodious,
elegant, and sonorous. Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-
Korsakov, you touch several strings. How right it is,
how true it is! Our man is a very complicated organism.
Our man is a very complicated organism. Our man is
avery complicated organism. Our man is a very
complicated organism. A very complicated organism.
Therefore comrades, we need symphonies, poems,
quartets, sonatas, suites, quintets Suites, suitees, my
little lovely sonatas. Merry-o little quartets, my little
lovely cantatas. Hey Glinka, blink it, wink it, poem,
suite, symphony, seem so funnyl Hey Glinka, Zerjinka,
Tishinka, stink it, poem or suite, stinking cute But we
must always remember: alertness, alertness everywhere
and everyplace. Alertness, alertness always and in all
cases. Be on the alert every momentI Never tell nobody!
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Alertness, alertness everywhere and everyplace. Alert-
ness, alertness always and in all cases. Well be on the
alert every moment! Well never tell nobody!
THIRDMAN
The Great Chief taught us all, repeating incessantly,
Look here, look there, let all enemies tremble. Look
here, look there and stamp out enemies.
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Look here, look there, let enemies tremble in their
homes. Look here, look there and stamp out
enemies.
SECONDMAN
Comrades! In my speech, I do not mean to cause any
dissonance.
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
(laugh)
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
SECONDMAN (keeps on being funny)
Or atonality.
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
(laugh)
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
SECONDMAN
In respect of the ideas we have heard here. What we de-
mand from music, comrades, is beauty and
elegance. Does this sound strange to you? Is it so? Well,
of course, this seems strange to you. Strange seems this
to you, strange seems this to you Yes indeed, well,
you find it strange, strange you find it, strange you find
it, as if something is wrong in it. However, it is even so.
This is no slip of my tongue. We support beautiful, ele-
gant music. Music not melodious, music not aesthetic,
music not harmonious, its a its a dental drill ma-
chine! Or, or a musical gas chamber.
(Everyone roars with laughter, Secondman laughs too.)
O let us love all thats beautiful, charming, and elegant,
let us love all thats aesthetic, harmonious, melodious,
authorized, polyphonic, popular, and classical! More-
over, comrades, I have to tell you that operas set in the
Caucasus must contain the genuine lezginka dance, must
contain the genuine lezginka. The lezginka in Caucasus
operas must be simple, and known too, brave, tradi-
tional, popular, and Caucasian by all means. It must be
real, must always be real, and only, yea, only real, yes,
yes, yes, yes, yes, real.
(Music figures and figuresses exclaim bravely,
Caucasianstyle, thus showing their full solidarity with
the inspiring directions of Comrade A. A. Secondman.)
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Ahs-sah!
DVOJKIN
V kavkazskih operah lezginka prostoj dolzhna byt i
izvestnoj, lihoj, obychnoj, popularnoj i obazatelno
kavkazskoj. Ona dolzhna byt nastojaschej, vsegda
dolzhna byt nastojaschej, i tolko, tolko nasto-
jaschej, da, da, da, da, da nastojaschej. V kavkazskih
operah lezginka prostoj dolzhna byt i izvestnoj,
lihoj, obychnoj, popularnoj i obazatelno
kavkazskoj. Ona dolzhna byt nastojaschej, vsegda
dolzhna byt nastojaschej, i tolko, tolko
nastojaschej, da, da, da, da, da nastojaschej.
VEDUSCHIJ
Vot podlinno nauchnoje vystuplenije! Kakoj analiz!
Kakaja glubina! Slovo imejet tovarisch Trojkin.
TROJKIN (sobirajas s myslami)
Tovarischi! My dolzhny byt kak klassiki. U nas vso
dolzhno byt, kak u klassikov. Da! Glinka,
Chajkovskij, Rimskij-Korsakov, vy muzykalny i
izaschny. Glinka, Chajkovskij, Rimskij-Korsakov, vy
melodichny, izaschny, zvuchny. Glinka, Chajkovskij,
Rirnskij Korsakov, vy zadevajete neskolko strun.
Kak eta pravilno, kak eto verno! Nash chelovek
ochen slozhnyj organizm. Nash chelovek ochen
slozhnyj organizm. Nash chelovek ochen slozhnyj
organizm. Nash chelovek ochen slozhnyj organizm.
Ochen slozhnyj organizm. Poetomu, tovarischi, nam
nuzhny sirnfonii, poemy, kvartety, sonaty, suity,
kvintety Suity, suitki, sonatki moi. Razvesolyje
kvartetiki, kantatiki moi. Eh, Glinka, kalinka, ma-
linka moja, razsirnfonia, poemka, suitka moja. Eh,
Glinka, Dzerzhinka, Tishinka moja, razkhrenovaja
poemka, suitka moja No nuzhno pomnit vsegda:
bditelnost, bditenost vsegda, vezde. Bditelnost,
bditelnost vsegda vo vsom. Postojanno vsudu bdi!
Nikomu ne govori!
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
Bditelnost, bditenost vsegda, vezde. Bditelnost,
bditelnost vsegda vo vsom. Postojanno vsudu
bdite! Nichego ne govorite!
TROJKIN
Velikij vozhd nas vseh uchil i besprestanno govoril:
Smotrite zdes, smotrite tam, pust budet strashno
vsem vragam. Smotri tuda, smotri suda i vykor-
chovyvaj vraga.
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
Smotrite zdes, smotrite tam, pust vrag trepeschet po
domam. Smotri tuda, smotri suda i vykorchovyvaj
vraga.
DVOJKIN
Tovarischi! Svoim vystuplenijem ja ne imeju vvidu
vnosit dissonansy.
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
(smeh)
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
DVOJKIN (prodolzhajet ostrit)
Ili atonalnost.
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
(smeh)
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
DVOJKIN
V te mysli, kotoryje my zdes slyhali. My, tovarischi,
trebujem ot muzyki krasoty i izaschestva. Vam eta
stranno? Da? Nu, konechno vam eta stranno.
Strannym varo eta kazhetsa, strannym varo eta
kazhetsa Da, nu, konechno, vam stranno eto,
strannym vam eta kazhetsa, budto zdes chto-to ne
tak. Amezhdu tem eta tak. Ja ne ogovorilsa. My
stoim za krasivuju, izaschnuju muzyku. Muzyka ne
melodichnaja, muzyka ne estetichnaja, muzyka ne
garmonichnaja, muzyka ne izaschnaja eto, eto
bormashina! Ili, ili muzykalnaja dushegubka.
(Obschij hohot, Dvojkin tozhe smejotsa)
Vozlubim zhe prekrasnoje, krasivoje, izaschnoje,
vozlubim estetichnoje, garmonichnoje, melodich-
noje, zakonnoje, polifonnoje, narodnoje, klassiches-
koje! Krome togo, tovarischi, ja dolzhen vam
soobschit. Chto v kavkazskih operah dolzhna byt
nastojaschaja lezginka, dolzhna byt nastojaschaja
lezginka. V kavkazskih operah lezginka prostoj
dolzhna byt i izvestnoj, lihoj, obychnoj, popularnoj
i obazatelno kavkazskoj. Ona dolzhna byt nastoja-
schej, vsegda dolzhna byt nastojaschej, i tolko,
tolko nastojaschej, da, da, da, da, da nastojaschej.
(Muzykalnyje dejateli i dejatelnitsy liho, po-
kavkazski, vosklitsajut, tem samym demonstriruja
svoju polnuju solidarnost s vdohnovlajuschimi
ukazanijami tovarischa A.A.Dvojkina.)
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
As-sa!
22
Caring For Mum And Auntie
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us an appIe to heal the little eyes!
Bye
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us a chicken to heal the little teeth!
Bye
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us a duck to heal the little chest!
Bye
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us a goose to heal the little tummy!
Bye
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us sunflower seeds to heal the little pate!
Bye
Bye, bye, bye! Go to the village Tateh!
Bring us a rabbit to heal the little fingers!
Bye bye
Lullaby
My sonny is the best in the world
The light in the darkness.
Your father is in Siberia, chained,
the Tsar keeps him in prison there. Sleep tight, lu-lu, lu-lu.
Rocking your cradle,
Mummy sheds tears.
Growing up, youll understand
How her heart aches.
Your father is in far Siberia,
lm here in need.
Meanwhile, sleep sweetly,
Ah lu-lu, lu-lu.
My sorrow is blacker than night,
Sleep while lm awake.
Sleep my darling, sleep my sonny,
Ah lu-lu, lu-lu.
2 Zabotlivyje mama i tota
Baj, baj, baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam jablachko, chtob ne bolet gIazochkam!
Baj
Baj, baj, baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam kurochku, chtob ne bolet zubochkam!
Baj
Baj, baj, baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam utochku, chtob ne bolet grudochke!
Baj
Baj, baj, baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam gusochku, chtob ne bolet puzochku!
Baj
Baj, baj, baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam semechek, chtob ne bolet temechku!
Baj
Baj, baj baj, V selo, tatuna. pojezzhaj!
Privezi nam zajchika, chtob ne bolet palchikam!
Baj Baj
3 Kalybelnaja
Moj synok vseh krashe vmire
aganok vo tme.
Tvoj atets vtsepah v Sibiri,
derzhit tsar jego v turme. Spi, lu-lu, lu-lu.
Kalybel tvaju kachaja,
mama slosy ljot.
Sam pojmosh ty, padrastaja,
chto jej sertse zhzhot.
Tvoj atets v Sibiri dalnej,
ja nuzhdu terplu.
Spi pakuda bespechalno,
a, lu-lu, lu-lu
Skorb moja chernee nochi,
spi, a ja ne splu.
Spi, haroshij, spi, synochek,
spi, lu-lu, lu-lu
THIRDMAN
Alertness, alertness always and everywhere. Alertness,
alertness always and in everything. Cut short any at-
tempt to bring bourgeois ideology to our youth. This
way youll save our ideas, in all truth. Well and if any-
one takes on bourgeois ideas, well lock them up for
very long. To labor camps, and treat them really strong.
Lock up, lock up!
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Yea, yea, yea, yea, lock up, lock up, and send them all to
labor camps.
THIRDMAN
The Great Chief taught us all, repeating incessantly,
Look here, look there, let all enemies tremble. Look
here, look there and stamp out enemies.
MUSIC FIGURES AND FIGURESSES
Look here, look there, let enemies tremble in their
homes. Look here, look there and stamp out
enemies. Dance (to the tune of Look here, the dancers
look here. To the tune of Look there the dancers look
there. The expression of the dancers faces must be such
that our ideology enemies should fall down scared to
death.)
From Jewish Folk Poetry
Lament For A Dead Baby
Its sun and rain, its bright and dark.
Fog has come down, the moon is blurred.
Who was born?
A boy, a boy.
What was his name?
Moyshele, Moyshele.
Where did they rock him?
In a cradle.
How did they feed him?
With bread and onions.
Where did they bury him?
In a grave.
Oy, the boys in the grave, in the grave is Moyshele,
in the grave. Oy!
TROJKIN
Bditelnost, bditenost vsegda, vezde. Bditelnost,
bditelnost vsegda vo vsom. Ne davat luboj popy-
tke proniknovenija burzhuaznoj ideologiji vnashu
molodozh. Etim ty nashi idei ne sberezhosh. Nu, a
jesli burzhuaznyje idei ktonibud vosprimet, na dolgo
teh budem my sazhat. V lagera usilennogo rezhima
pomeschat. Sazhat, sazhat!
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
Da, da, da, da, sazhat, sazhat i v lagera vseh
napravlat.
TROJKIN
Velikij vozhd nas vseh uchil i besprestanno govoril:
Smotrite zdes, smotrite tam, pust budet strashno
vsem vragam. Smotri tuda, smotri suda i vykor-
chovyvaj vraga.
MUZYKALNYJE DEJATELI I DEJATELNITSY
Smotrite zdes, smotrite tam, pust vrag trepeschet po
domam. Smotri tuda, smotri suda i vykorchovyvaj
vraga.Tanets (na motive Smotrite zdes tantsuju-
schije smotrat zdes. Na motive Smotrite tam
tantsujuschije smotrat tam. Vyrazhenije lits u tant-
sujuschih dolzhno byt takoje, chtoby nashi idejnyje
vragi popadali ot straha.)
Compact Disc 32
Iz jevrejskoj narodnoj poezii
1 Plach ab umershem mladentse
Sontse i dozhdik, sijanje i mgIa.
Tuman apustilsa, pamerkla luna.
Kago radila ana?
Malchika, malchika.
Kaknazvali?
Mojshele, Mojshele.
A v chom kachali Mojshele?
V Iulke.
A chem karmili?
Hlebom da lukom.
Agde skharanili?
V magile.
Oj, malchik v magile, v magile Mojshele, v magile. Oj!
23
Poverty Song
The roof is sleeping tight
Up there, under its straw.
The baby is sleeping in its cradle
Naked, without diapers.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating straw from the roof.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating straw from the roof, oy!
The cradle is in the attic,
A little spider is webbing my bad luck in it.
It is sucking my joy
Leaving me nothing but want.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating straw from the roof.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating strawfrom the roof, oy!
Theres a rooster in the attic
With a scarlet crest.
Hey wife, go borrow a slice
Of stale bread for our children.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating straw from the roof.
Hop, hop, up, up!
The goat is eating straw from the roof, oy!
Winter
My Sheindl is in bed
And our sick child is with her.
Not a chip of wood in our hut,
And the wind is roaring outside.
The cold and the wind are back,
They cannot be endured in silence.
So cry children, weep children!
Winter is back again.
7 Pesna o nuzhde
Krysha spit na cherdake
pod salomoj sladkim snom.
V kalybelke spit dita
bez pelonok, nagishom.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi, oj!
Kalybel na cherdake,
pauchok v nej tkot bedu.
Radast on moju sasot,
mne ostaviv lish nuzhdy.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi, oj!
Petushok na cherdake,
jarko-krasnyj grebeshok.
Oj, zhena, zaimi dla detok
hleba chornogo kusok.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi.
Gop, gop, vyshe, vyshe!
Jest kaza salomu s kryshi, oj!
8 Zima
Lezhit moja Shejndl v kravati,
i s neju rebonok balnoj.
Ni sjchepki vnetoplenoj hate,
a veter gudit za stenoj.
Vernulis i stuzha i veter,
net sily terpet i molchat.
Krichite zhe, plachte zhe, deti,
zima varatilas opat.
Before A Long Separation
Oy Abram, how can I go on without you?
Me without you, you without me how will we go on
separated?
Do you remember us standing in the gate,
And the secret you told me?
Oy oy, Rivochka, let me kiss your mouth!
Oy Abram, how can we go on?
Me without you, you without me like a door without
a handle!
Do you remember us strolling as a couple?
What did you tell me then on the boulevard?
Oy oy, Rivochka, let me kiss your mouth!
Oy Abram, how can I go on without you?
Me without you, you without me how will we go on
without happiness?
Do you remember me wearing that red skirt?
Oy, I was so beautiful those days!
Oy oy, Rivochka, let me kiss your mouth!
Warning
Listen Hassia!
You may not date, you should not date,
Beware dating any man!
Strolling with men until the dawn
Means bitter tears afterwards, Hassia!
Listen! Hassia!
Father Abandoned
Ehle the ragpicker has put on his gown.
They say his daughter went away to live with Police
Commissioner.
Tsirele my daughter, come back to your father.
I will give you a dowry of fancy dresses,
I myself will buy you earrings and necklaces
And find you a nice handsome boy to marry!
Tsirele my daughter!
I need none of your dresses or rings,
And I will marry nobody but Commissioner.
Please Commissioner, tell this old Jew
To get out of here quickly!
Tsirele my daughter! Come, come back to me!
Tsirele my daughter!
4 Pered dolgoj razlukoj
Oj, Abram, kak bez teba mne zhit!
Ja bez teba, ty bez mena kak nam v razIuke zhit?
A pomnish, v vorotah so mnoj stojala
chto po sekretu ty mne skazala?
Oj, Oj, Rivochka, daj tvoj rotik, devochka!
OL Abram, kak nam zhit teper?
Ja bez teba, ty bez mena OL kak bez ruchki dver!
Apomnish, gulali s taboj my vpare?
chto mne skazala ty na bulvare?
Oj, Oj, Rivochka, daj tvoj rotik, devochka!
OL Abram, kak bez teba mne zhit!
Ja bez teba, ty bez mena kak nam bez shchastja
zhit?
Ty pomnish, ja krasuju jubku nasila?
Oj, kak tagda ja byla krasiva!
Oj, Oj, Rivochka, daj tvoj rotik, devochka!
5 Predosterezhenie
Slushaj, Hasa!
Nelza gulat, ne smej gulat ,
s lubym gulat opasajsa, opasajsa, opasajsa!
Pajdosh gulat, do utra gulat,
oj, patom naplacheshsa,
Hasa! Slushaj! Hasa!
6 Broshennyj otets
Ele, starjovshik, nadel halat.
K pristavu dochka ushla, gavarat.
Tsirele, dochka, vernis k atsu.
dam tebe platjev naradnyh k ventsu.
Sergi i koltsa kuplu tebe sam,
i na pridachu krasavchika, krasavchika dam.
Tsirele, dochka!
Ne nado mne naradav, ne nado mne kalets,
lish s gapadinom pristavom pajdu ja pod venets.
Gaspadin pristav, prashu vas, skoreje
ganite vsheju starovo jevreja.
Tsirele, dochka, vernis ko mne, vernis
Tsirele, dochka!
24
Oy lu! Oy lu-lu, lu-lu, lu-lu!
I am happy in my collective village.
I say, my life is ampIe!
My pipe, you must sing
Merrier and merrier!
Happiness
I bravely took my husbands arm,
Though I am old, just as my man is.
I took him out to the theatre,
We bought two seats in the stalls.
Sitting there untillate at night,
We were enjoying mirthful dreams:
Such a luxury allowed
To a Jewish shoemakers wife.
And I wish to tell everyone in this country
About my joyful and bright fortune:
Our sons have become doctors, doctors,
And the star is shining above our heads!
Our sons have become doctors, doctors,
And the star is shining above our heads! Oy!
Suite to Words by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Truth
There are truths in sayings of old days,
Like this: he who can, never wants to.
Lord, Thou hast perceived Lies babbling,
And hast given the babblers what they deserve.
As for me, I am Thy servant; my labors Thine,
Like beams are the suns though Thy wrath foretells
All that my ardor longs to achieve,
And all my efforts are therefore needless.
Me thought Thy greatness would have me
Not as an echo for chambers,
But as a cutting edge of justice and weight of wrath.
But Heaven is indifferent to earthly merits
And it is as fruitless to expect its award,
As to expect fruit from a barren tree.
Oj, lu! Oj, lu-lu, lu-lu, lu-lu!
Ja vsvajom kalhoze shchasliva.
Slyshish, zhisn maja palna!
Veseleje, veseleje,
dudochka ty pet dolzhna!
11 Shchastje
Ja muzha smelo pod ruku vzala,
pust ja stara, i star moj kavaler.
Jego s saboj vteatr pavela,
i vzali lva bileta my v parter.
Do poznej nochi s muzhem sida tam,
vso predavalis radasnym mechtam,
Kakimi blagami okruzhena
jevrejskago sapozhnika zhena.
I vsej strane hachu pavedat ja
pro radasnyj i svetlyj zhrebij moj:
vrachami, vrachami stali nashi synavja
zvezda garit nad nashej galavoj!
Vrachami, vrachami stali nashi synavja zvezda
garit nad nashej galavoj! Oj!
Suita na slova Mikelandgello Buararroti
12 Istina
Jest istiny v rechenjah stariny,
I vot ona: kto mozhet, tot ne hochet.
Ty vnal, gospod, tomu, kto lozh strekochet,
I boltuny toboj nagrazhdeny;
Ja zh tvoj sluga: moi trudy dany tebe,
Kak solntsu luch, hot i prorochit tvoj gnev
Vso to, chto pyl moj sdelat prochit,
I vso moi staranja ne nuzhny.
Ja dumal, chto vozmot tvojo velichje
Mena k sebe ne ehom dla palat,
A lezviem suda i girej gneva.
No jest k zemnym zaslugam bezrazlichje
Na nebesah i zhdat ot nih nagrad,
Chto ozhidat plodov s suhogo dreva.
Good Life
Dear friends, I never sang songs
About wide open fields in those dark days.
Fields blossomed, but not for me,
Dew sparkled, but not for me.
Years ago, I lived in a basement,
In damp darkness, tormented by poverty.
And sad songs of my misery and torments
Were heard from that basement.
You merry collective farm river, run cheerfully,
Give my greetings to my friends.
Tell them my home is in a collective farm now,
And a blossoming tree is near my window.
Now, fields are ripening for me,
They feed me with milk and honey.
I am happy, so tell my brothers
That I will make songs to the collective fields!
A Girls Song
On the meadow by the forest
Which is always so thoughtful,
We graze the collective farm cattle
From morning till night.
So lm sitting on a hillside
With my little pipe.
I cannot help rejoicing
In my countrys beauty.
The trees are in bright green,
They are graceful and stately,
And the crops in the fields
Are full of charm.
Oy lu! Oy lu-lu, lu-lu, lu-lu!
A tree branch smiles at me,
A wheat spike winks at me.
A great joy flashes in my heart
Like a bright sparkle.
Sing now, my artless pipe!
Its so easy for us to sing together!
Hills and valleys can hear
Our merry song.
But lets never weep, my pipe!
Forget the sorrow of old.
Let your tunes fly far,
Over these cheerful vistas.
9 Haroshaja zhizn
A pole prastornom, druzja daragije,
pesen ne pel ja vgody gluhije.
Ne dla mena pala rastsvetali,
ne dla mena rasinki stekali.
V tesnom padvale va tme syroj
zhil ja kagda-to, izmuchen nuzhdoj.
I grusnaja pesna neslas iz padvala
o gore, o muke majej nebyvaloj.
Kalhoznaja rechka, struis veselee;
druzjam peredaj moj paklon paskoree.
Skazhi, chto v kalhoze teper moj dom,
tsvetushchee derevo stait pod oknom.
Teper dla mena pala rastsvetajut,
mena malakom i modom pitajut.
Ja shchastliv, a ty rasskazhi majim brtjam:
kalhoznym palam budu pesni slagat ja!
10 Pesna devushki
Na luzhajke, vozle lesa,
chto zadumchiv tak vsegda,
my pasom s utra do nochi
kalhoznyje stada.
I sizhu ja na prigorke,
s dudochkoj sizhu svajej.
Ne magu ja nagladetsa
na krasu strany majej.
V jarkoj zeleni derevja
I krasivy i strajny,
a v palah zvetut kalosja,
prelesti palny!
Oj, lu! Oj, lu-lu, lu-lu, lu-lu!
To mne vetka ulybnotsa,
kalasok vdrug padmignot, -
chustvo radosti velikoj
v sertse iskraju sverknot.
Poj zhe, dudochka prastaja!
Tak lehko nam pet vdvajom!
Slyshat gory i daliny,
kak my radasno pajom.
Tolko, dudochka, ne plakat!
Poshluju zabud pechal.
I puskaj tvai napevy
mchatsa v laskovuju dal.
25
Wrath
Here they make swords and helmets out of chalices,
They sell Christs blood by the ounce;
Thorn used for shields, and Holy Cross, for lances;
Still the lips of Christ are sealed with patient silence.
Let Him descend to our Bethlehems,
Or spill His blood again so that it would reach heaven;
Because those butchers see Rome as a wild forest,
And we keep Mercy behind a locked door.
I see no threat from luxurys encumbrance,
lve long had nothing here for me to do;
I fear rich apparels like Moor fears Medusa;
But if God has dressed poverty in glory,
What is that bondage that awaits us
By other lot, and under other colors?
Dante
Descending from heaven, in human flesh, he saw
Hell, that pIace of redemption,
And appeared alive to be contemplated by God,
And disclosed to us all the wisdom he had gained.
The beaming star, whose radiation lights
The land I was destined to be born in -
He is not to expect a reward from the world,
But from Thou who created the whole universe.
I am speaking of Dante now;
The fierce populace dont need works of his Art,
For they hold small even a superior genius.
If I were like him! Oh, if I were destined
For his deeds and the sorrow of his exile,
I would never have wished a better lotI
To the Exiled
He seems to be honored, but small honor it is.
His greatness has blinded our sight.
Should we blame commoners for their low gauge,
When our praise is trivial too!
For our sake he descended to the den of evil,
And Gods kingdom was displayed to him;
But, while heaven opened him its door,
Homeland viciously locked the door on him.
The ungrateful one! For thine own ruin
Thou lasted tortures of thy son;
Thus perfection is forever revenged by meanness.
Tis one example out of a legion!
Never has an exile been more villainous,
Never has the world seen a better man.
Morning
There is nothing so joyful as the merry pastime
For flowers to touch that lovely head,
The gold of her plaits,
And kiss every spot of her without exception!
Its such a delight for her dress
To hug her torso and extend down in a wave;
Its such a pleasure for the golden net
To embrace her visage!
Even more tenderly, the weaving of that fancy band,
Gleaming with its embroidered pattern,
Closes around the young breasts.
And the clean sash, gently meandering,
Seems to be whispering, lll never part with her
O how much is here for my hands to do.
Love
Say, Love, is it true that my eyes
Really see the desired beauty,
Or it is just my creative daydream
That has chosen some chance looks as its support?
You should know! It was you who, in a plot with those
looks,
Has deprived me of my sleep. Let it be!
My lips cherish each sigh,
And my soul is overflown with irresistible fire.
You do see real beauty,
But its shine is burning, growing and growing,
When it is ascending to your soul through your sight,
There to acquire divine purity,
And likeness of its Eternal Creator
This is why your eyesight is enchanted.
Separation
Dare I, my treasure,
Exist without you, in lasting tortures,
If you are deaf to pleas to mollify the separation?
I do not keep in my sad heart any more
Outcries, nor sighs, nor sobs.
What can I show you, Madonna? Yoke of suffering?
Or my death which is now so nigh?
But, to prevent Fate from expelling later
My loyal vassalage out of your memory
I am leaving you my heart as a pledge.
16 Gnev
Zdes delajut iz chash mechi I shlemy
I krov Hristovu prodajut na ves;
Na schit zdes torn, na kopja krest ischez,
Usta zh Hristovy terpelivo nemy.
Pust on niskhodit v nashi Vitleemy
Il snova bryznet krovju do nebes,
Zatem, chto dushegubam Rim chto les,
I miloserdje derzhim na zamke my.
Mne ne grozat roskoshestva obuzy,
Ved dla mena davno uzh net zdes del;
Ja mantii strashus, kak Mavr Meduzy;
No jesli bednost slavoj Bog odel,
kakie zh nam togda gotovit uzy
Pod znamenem inym inoj udel?
17 Dante
Spustivshis s neba, v tlennoj ploti, on
Uvidel ad, obitel iskuplenja,
I zhiv predstal dla bozhja litsezrenja,
I nam povedal vso, chem umudron.
Luchistaja zvezda, chjim ozaron
Sijanjem kraj, mne dannyj dla rozhdenja,
Jejo ne ot mira zhdat voznagrazhdenja,
No ot teba, kem mir byl sotvoron.
Ja govoru o Dante, o Dante: ne nuzhny
Ozloblennoj tolpe jego sozdanja,
Ved dla nejo i vysshyj genij mal.
Bud ja kak on! O, bud mne suzhdeny
Jego dela I skorb jego izgnanja,
la b luchshej doli v mire ne zhelal!
18 Izgnanniku
Kak budto chtim, a vso zhe chest mala.
Jego velichje vzor nash oslepilo.
Chto chem korit za nizkoje merilo.
Kogda pusta i nasha pohvala!
On radi nas soshol v obitel zIa;
Gospodne tsarstvo lik jemu javilo;
No dver, chto dazhe nebo ne zakrylo,
Pred Dante otchizna zlobno zaperla.
Neblagodamaja! Sebe na gore
Ty dlila muki syna svoego;
Tak sovershenstvu nizost mstit ot veka.
Odin primer iz the, kotoryh more!
Kak net podlej izgnanija jego,
Tak mir ne znal i vyshe cheloveka.
13 Utro
Net radostej vesologo zanatja:
Po zlatu kos, tsvetam napereboj
Soprikasatsa s miloj golovoj
I lnut lobzanjem vsudu bez izjatja!
I skolko naslazhdenija dla platja
Szhimat jej stan i nispadat volnoj;
I kak otradno setke zolotoj
Jejo lanity zakluchat vobjatja!
Jescho nezhnej naradnoj lenty vaz,
Blesta uzornoj vyshivkoj svoeju,
Smykajetsa vkrug persej molodyh.
A chistyj pojas, laskovo vijas,
Kak budto shepchet: Ne rasstanus s neju
O, skolko dela zdes dla ruk moih.
14 Lubov
Skazhi, Lubov, voistinu li vzoru
Zhelannaja predstala krasota,
ll to moja tvoraschaja mechta
Sluchajnyj lik sebe vzala v oporu?
Tebe l ne znat? Ved s nim po ugovoru
Ty sna mena lishila. Pust!
Usta lelejut kazhdyj vzdoh,
I zalita dusha ognom, ne znajuschim otporu.
Ty istinnuju vidish krasotu,
No blesk jejo gorit, vso razrastajas,
Kogda skvoz vzor k dushe voskhodit on;
Tam obretaja bozhju chistotu,
Bessmaertnomu tvortsu upodoblajas,
Vot pochemu tvoj vzglad zavorozhon.
15 Razluka
Derznu l, sokrovische mojo,
Suschestvovat bez vas, sebe na muku,
Raz gluhi vy k molbam smagchit razluku?
Unylym serdtsem bolshe ne taju
Ni vozglasov, ni vzdohov, ni rydanij.
Chto vam javit, madonna, gnot stradanij
I smert uzh nedalokuju moju;
No daby rok potom mojo sluzhenje
Izgnat iz vashej pamati ne mog, -
Ja ostavlaju serdtse vam v zalog.
26
Eternity
So Fate has granted me untimely sleep,
But lm not dead, though buried in a grave;
lm still alive in thee, whose laments I can hear,
Because true friends reflect each others image.
I seem to be dead, but, to soothe the world,
I live as a thousand souls in the hearts
Of all those who love; therefore, I am no dust,
And am not subject to deathly decay.
The Ballad of Cordelia
On a cliff behind the dark sea
stands a high house.
The birds are nesting in the cliff,
but this house is standing empty,
but this house is standing empty.
The oven has gone out long, long ago,
no voice can be heard, and only the wind,
a violent guest, shivers the silent owls.
He brings the news from far away,
that the master has vanished, that Merlin
has taken him over the seas and clouds.
On a distant, green shore
upon a black, dreadful steed
he gallops in golden armor,
but in his dreams he sees the house.
The wind flies, thunders away, and laments
but nobody answers
and the high house
is standing empty.
Ten Fools Songs
1. He, who decides
to divide his country into two parts
shall also become a fool,
and find his place with me.
We shall stand there hand in hand
two complete idiots:
the one with a foors cap,
the other without!
22 Bessmertie
Zdes rok poslal bezvremennyj mne son,
No ja ne mortv, hot i opuschen v zemlu:
Ja zhiv vtebe, chjim setovanjam vnemlu,
Zatem, chto vdruge drug otobrazhon.
la slovno b mortv, no miru v uteshenje
la tysachami dush zhivu v serdtsah
Vseh lubaschih, i, znachit, ja ne prah,
I smertnoe mena ne tronet tlene.
Compact Disc 40
2 Die Ballade der Cordelia
Auf einem Felsen hinter dem dunklen Meer
steht ein hohes Haus.
Es nisten die Vgel auf dem Felsen,
aber dieses Haus, es ist leer,
aber dieses Haus, es ist leer.
Lngst, lngst ist der Herd verlscht,
man hrt keine Stimmen, und nur der Wind,
der heftige Gast, erschttert die schweigsamen Eulen.
Er bringt die Nachricht von fern,
da der Herr verschwand, da Merlin
ihn ber das Meer und die Wolken hin mitnahm.
An einem fernen, grnen Ufer
auf einem schwarzen, schaurigen Pferd
galoppiert er in goldener Rstung,
im Traum aber sieht er das Haus.
Es fliegt der Wind, braust los und klagt daber,
aber niemand gibt Antwort,
und das hohe Haus,
es ist leer.
6 Narrenlieder
1. Der, der sich entscheidet
sein Land in zwei Teile zu teilen,
er soll auch zu den Narren gehren,
er wird mir unterkommen.
Wir werden Hand in Hand stehen
zwei ausgemachte Idioten:
der eine mit Narrenkappe,
der andere ohne!
Artistry
When my hard hammer transforms a rock
Into images of human beings,
It would never do the work
If not for the master who aims the hit.
But Gods hammer has produced an impact
That conveys grace to the world;
That hammer is the forerunner of all hammers,
And is a live model for them all.
The higher is the hands stroke oer the anvil.
The harder is the blow; so I, too,
See it raised over me in the utmost heaven.
I will stay idle like a primeval boulder,
Until the Lords hammersmith and he alone!
Assists me with an ampIe masterstroke.
Night
This night here, that is sleeping so peacefully
Before you, is a creation of an angel.
And though shes made of stone, she can breathe
And will speak as soon as shes awakened.
Tis sweet to sleep, een sweeter to be a stone,
When round me there is shame and crime alone.
Theres some relief in it when you cant feel, nor see,
So pray be silent, friend, yea, why awaken me?
Death
Feeling my death een now, if not its date and time,
I see my life is speeding up its pace.
And still, my body aches for fleshly joy,
While the soul of mine prefers death to vice.
The world is blind, and eyes perceive no message,
A shameful one, from the evils rule;
There is no hope, and darkness covers all,
And Lie prevails, Truth casting down its look.
Now when, O Lord, will it at last come forth
What is longed for by those loyal? In delays
Faith withers up, and the souls oppressed;
Why should we need the light of Thy salvation,
When death does render us much faster, and forever,
Among the filth he finds when he comes by?
19 Tvorchestvo
Kogda skalu moj zhostkij molotok
V oblichija ludej preobrazhaet, -
Bez mastera, kotoryj napravlaet
Jego udar, on delu b ne pomog.
No bozhij molot iz seba izvlok
Razmah, chto miru prelest soobschaet;
Vse moloty tot molot predveschaet,
I v nom odnom im vsem zhivoj urok.
Chem vyshe vzmah ruki nad nakovalnej,
Tem tazhelej udar: tak zaneson
I nado mnoj on k vysam podnebesnym;
Mne glyboju kosnet pervonachalnoj,
Poka kuznets gospoden, tolko on! Ne
posobit udarom polnovesnym.
20 Noch
Vot eta noch, chto tak spokojno spit
Pered toboju, angela sozdanje.
Ona iz kamna, no v nej jest dyhanje:
Lish razbudi, ona zagovorit.
Mne sladko spat, a pusche kamnem byt,
Kogda krugom pozor i prestuplenje:
Ne chuvstvovat, ne videt oblegchenje,
Umolkni zh, drug, k chemu mena budit?
21 Smert
Uzh chuja smert, hot i ne znaja sroka,
Ja vizhu: zhizn vso ubystraet shag.
No telu jescho zhalko plotskih blag,
Dushe zhe smert zhelannee poroka.
Mir vslepote: postydnogo uroka
Iz vlasti zia ne izvlekaet zrak,
Nadezhdy net, i vso objemlet mrak.
I lozh tsarit, i pravda prachet oko,
Kogda zh, gospod, nastupit to,
Chego zhdut vernye tebe? Oslabevaet
V otsrochkah vera, dushu davit gnot;
Na chto nam svet spasenja tvoego,
Raz smert bystrej i navsegda javlaet
Nas vsramote, vkotoroj zastajot?
27
8. One does need trousers, on that I give you my word,
but first of all a roof over ones head,
for without shelter, your grey head will become
louse-ridden.
In such a heart, as hard as a rock,
stirs not the pain of others,
but you shall not sleep sweetly, when you
close your beady eyes.
9. Hey, ho, hey, ho!
He who has no luck
Lightning, thunder and hail
in storm and in the elements
he trembles not before his fate,
may it last through day and night!
10. He who only stands in his service,
to rake in a fortune,
he will leave you behind in bad weather.
But he remains with you, your faithful fool,
and obeys not the call of money,
he truly is a poor fool,
but he is not a knave!
A fool, but not a knave!
8. Hosen braucht man, daraufgebe ich mein Wort,
aber zuerst ein Dach ber dem Kopf,
sonst verlaust ohne Schutz dein graues Haupt.
An ein solches Herz, hart wie die Ferse,
rhrt nicht der Schmerz der anderen,
aber sie werden nicht s schlafen.
wenn sie ihr Hhnerauge drckt.
9. Hey, ho, hey, ho!
Der, der kein Glck besitzt
Blitz, Donner und Hagel
Im Sturm und im Gewitter
Zittert er nicht vor dem Schicksal,
mge es auch Tag und Nacht audauern!
10. Wer nur im Dienst dessen steht,
Da er ein Vermgen einnimmt,
der Lt dich allein im Unwetter zurck.
Aber er bleibt bei dir, dein treuer Hofnarr,
er gehorcht nicht dem Geld,
er ist ein armsaliger Narr,
aber er ist kein Schuft!
Ein Narr, aber kein Schuft!
Translation from the Russian: Georg Kury
2. A sorrowful day for fools:
All the countrys wise men
have lost all reason
and are now the same as me.
They began to weep for joy,
and I for sadness, knowing,
that my King mimes the anarchy of fools.
Spoken text:
I learned to sing at the same time
as you, King Lear, made daughters for
the mothers,
put a rod in their hands
and let your trousers down.
3. Crumbs of bread, dry rinds,
the wee hungry mouse,
remembers the rind.
4. I raised the cuckoo as a sparrow,
the homeless bird,
and suddenly he killed his foster-father.
5. Daughters and sons-in law are always nice
to wealthy, worthy fatthers,
but those who wear patched trousers,
can expect no sympathy from the family.
Fate is a money-hungry whore,
who does not lie down with the hungry.
6. When it is clear to the clergy,
that a soul becomes blackened by wealth.
and the brewer stops thinning
his wares with water,
when the cavaliers have had enough
of learning manners from the tailor,
when the heretic monk does not
stand at the stake to burn,
when justice is no longer banished;
and not sentenced without blame,
when the slander is silenced,
a lock fixed upon the mouth,
then will Albion be shaken to its foundations,
then we shall go with you,
our heads in the air, and our feet on the ground!
7. Lisa is a rogue and a daughter to the King,
for you a rope, a noose!
I shall sell my fools cap and buy a noose,
the fool a friend of the King!
2. Fr Narre nein trauriger Tag:
Alle klugen Kpfe des Landes
haben den Verstand verloren
und werden mir gleich.
Sie begannen loszuheulen vor Glck,
aber ich aus Trauer, wisssend,
da mein Knig der Anarchie den Narren mimt.
Sprechtext:
Ich habe zu der Zeit singen gelernt,
als Du, King Lear, fr die Mtter die
Tochter machtest,
ihnen eine Rute in die Hand gabst
und die Hosen herunterlieest.
3. Brotkrmel, trockene Rinden,
das hungrige Muschen,
es gedachte der Rinde.
4. Ich zog den Kuckuck als Spatzen auf,
den heimatlosen Vogel,
und pltzlich ttet der den Pflegevater.
5. Tchter und Schwiegershne sind lieb
zu reichen wrdevollen Vtern,
aber wer die Hosen geflickt hat,
fr den hat die Familie kein Mitleid.
Das Schicksal ist eine gewinnschtige Hure,
es legt sich nicht zu den Hungrigen.
6. Wenn es dem Geistlichen klar wird,
da die Seele wegen des Geldes schwarz wird,
und der Bierbrauer aufhrt mit Wasser
seine Ware zu verdnnen,
wenn es die Kavaliere satt haben,
bei Schneidern die Manieren zu lernen,
wenn der ketzerische Mnch nicht
auf dem Scheiterhaufen zur Verbrennung steht,
wenn das Recht nicht verstoen wird,
und ohne Schuld nicht verurteilt wird,
wenn die Verleumdung verstummt,
ein Schlo am Mund angebracht wird,
dann wird Albion in den Grundmauern erschttert
werden,
dann werden wir mit euch gehen,
den Kopf nach oben, mit den Fen am Boden!
7. Lisa ist eine Schelmin und die Tochter des Knigs,
fr euch ein Strick, eine Schlinge!
Die Narrenkappe verkaufe ich und kaufe eine
Schlinge,
der Narr ein Freund des Knigs!
28
BORIS
What are you singing for, have you nothing else to do?
KATERINA
What can I do?
BORIS
Why ever did we take the likes of you
into our house?
I kept saying to my son:
dont marry Katerina,
but he wouldnt listen.
Fine sort of wife:
over four years married
and still not produced a child!
KATERINA
Its not my fault, its not my fault.
BORIS
What!
KATERINA
Its not my fault, its not my fault.
BORIS
Whose is it then?
KATERINA
Zinoviy is incapable
of getting a child into my womb.
BORIS
So thats it!
It all depends on the woman
what sort of wife a man gets.
Now if a fine woman
had loved him
and embraced him,
a child would soon have arrived.
But youre as cold as a fish,
you dont encourage his embraces,
you dont encourage his embraces.
Weve no heir to leave our fortune to,
nor our renowned reputation as a merchant.
Youd like to hook some youngster
and make off with him and jeer at your husband.
No, dont try that on, the fence is high,
the dogs are loose, the workers trusty
and Im always on the alert.
Get the poison ready for the rats,
theyve eaten all the flour again.
(Exit.)
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Chev poysh, dyla teby drugvo nyet?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
A shto dylat?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
I zachm teby my
vzyli v dom takyu?
Govoril ya snu:
nye zhenis na Katerina,
nye poslshalsa.
Khorosh zhen:
pyty god zmuzhem,
a rebynochka yeshch nye rodil!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye moy vin, nye moy vin.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye moy vin, nye moy vin
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Chya zhe!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye mzhet Zinviy Borisovich
polozhitv nutr moy rebynochka.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Vot kak!
Vsyo ot bby zavisit,
kakya bba popadytsa.
Lyubila b yev
khorshaya bba.
Laskla by,
i rebynochek vmig by rodilsa by.
A ty, kak rba kholdnaya,
nye stareshsa lski dobitsa.
Nye stareshsa lski dobitsa.
Nyet u nas naslydnika kapitlu
i kupycheskomu slvnomu imeni.
Rda by kakvo-nibd mlodtsa podtsepit,
da udrt s nim, nad mzhem nasmekhyas.
Nyet, shalish, vysk zabr,
sobki spshcheny, rabtniki vern,
i ya vsyo vrmya nachek.
4 Prigotv otrvu dlya krys,
opat muk vsyu poyli.
Act 1
Scene 1
(Katerina is lying on her bed yawning.)
KATERINA
Oh, I dont feel like sleep any more, but Ill try.
(tries to sleep)
No, I cant sleep.
Of course, I slept all night, then got up
and drank tea with my husband,
then went back to bed.
After all, theres nothing else to do.
O Lord, how boring it is!
It was better when I was single,
although we were poor,
at least there was some freedom.
But now, this depressions enough to make you hang
yourself.
I am a merchants wife,
married to the eminent merchant
Zinoviy Borisovich Ismailov.
The ant drags along its straw,
the cow gives her milk,
the farm-labourers pour out the flour,
but I alone
have nothing to do,
I alone am depressed,
to me alone life is unkind,
me, the merchants wife.
(Enter Boris.)
BORIS
Will there be mushrooms today?
KATERINA
Yes, there will.
BORIS
There will?
You know, Im very fond of mushrooms,
especially with buck wheat gruel.
KATERINA
Whether the suns shining,
or a storm is raging,
its all the same to me now.
Oh!
Compact Disc 47
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk
District Op.29
Act 1
Scene 1
EKATERINA LVOVNA
1 Akh, nye spitsa blshe, poprbuyu.
Nyet, nye spitsa,
ponytno, noch spal, vstla,
chyu s mzhem napilas.
Opyt legl.
Vyed dylat blshe nychevo.
Akh, bzhe moy, kakya skka!
2 V dyvkakh lchshe blo,
khot i bydno zhili,
no svobda byl.
A tepyrtosk, khot vyshaysa.
Ya kupchikha,
suprga imenitovo kupts
Zinviya Borisovicha Izmylova.
Muravey tasket solminku,
korva dayt molok,
batraki krupchtku ssypyut,
tlko mnye odny
dylat nychevo,
tlko ya odn toskyu,
tlko mnye odny svyet nye mil
kupchikhe.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
3 Gribki sevdnya bdut?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Bdut.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Bdut?
Smotri, ya chen lyubly gribki
da s kshitsey, s kshitsey.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Svytit li sntse,
ili groz bushet
mnye tepyr vsyo ravn
akh!
29
SERGEY
At the Kalganovs.
BORIS
Why did they throw you out?
(Enter a labourer.)
COACHMAN
The horses are ready.
(Boris breaks off his conversation with Sergey.)
BORIS
Well, it cant be helped.
Say goodbye to your wife.
ZINOVIY (takes leave of his wife)
Goodbye, Katerina.
(to his father)
Tell her to remain my obedient wife.
BORIS
Swear an oath! An oath!
Get an oath from her
that shell remain faithful to you.
ZINOVIY
Whatever for?
Im not going for long, after all.
BORIS
You never know,
do it just in case;
young wives are all the same
Sil vous plat, rendez vous,
sauce provenale
ZINOVIY
Yes.
BORIS
Get me?
ZINOVIY
Yes.
BORIS
Watch out someone doesnt
seduce her.
ZINOVIY
Yes.
SERGEY
U Kalgnovykh.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
A za shto teby prognli?
COACHMAN
Lshadi gotvy.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nu, dylat nychevo.
Proshchysa s zheny.
ZINOVIY
6 Proshchy, Katerina.
Skazhi, shtob slshalas meny.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Klytvu! Klytvu!
Klytvu s ney vozmi.
Shto vyrnoy teby ostnetsa.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Da zachm zhe?
Ya vyed nye nadlgo.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Mlo li shto,
na vsyky slchay;
molodyye zhny tov
Silvupl, randev,
sous provansal
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Aha!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Ponimesh?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Aha!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Kak by yey tov
kto-nibd nye obolstil.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Aha!
KATERINA
Youre a rat yourself!
You should have the poison!
(Prepares the rat poison. Enter Zinoviy, Boris, a
messenger and other servants, including Sergey.)
ZINOVIY (to the mill-hand)
Speak up!
MILL-HAND
The dam at the mill has burst
and theres an enormous breach.
What shall we do now, eh!
ZINOVIY
As if we hadnt enough work already.
Ill have to go myself.
BORIS
Go, then!
Without the master nothingll get done.
People cant be relied on!
SERVANTS
Ha, ha, ha!
BORIS
What are you sniggering about?
Your master has to go away
and you dont show any sign
of grief or regret!
LABOURERS
We do!
Why are you leaving us, master,
why? why?
To whom would you abandon us?
To whom? To whom?
Without the master life will be dreary,
dreary, dull and joyless,
home without you is not like home;
work without you is not like work.
Not like work, not like work.
Pleasures without you are no real pleasures.
Return as quickly as you can!
Be quick!
(Zinoviy leads Sergey up to Boris.)
ZINOVIY
Look, father:
heres the new labourer I hired today.
BORIS
All right.
Where did you work before?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sam ty krysa!
Teby by otrvy toy!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
5 Govori!
MILL-HAND
Plotinu-to na mylnitse provlo,
i prrva-to takya ogromdnaya.
Kak tepyr byt, a?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
A rabty kak na zlo mngo.
Pridytsa ykhat samom.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Poezzhy!
Byez khozyyskovo glza nelzy.
Nard nenadyzhny!
SERVANTS
Ha, ha, ha!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto peresmyeivaetes?
Khozyin uezzhet,
a vy ni grsti, ni toski
nye chstvuete!
LABOURERS
Chstvuem!
Zachm zhe ty uezzhesh khozyin,
zachm? Zachm?
Na kov ty nas pokidesh?
Na kov? Na kov?
Byez khozyina bdet skshno,
skshno, tosklivo, bezrdostno,
dom byez teby nye dom;
rabta byez teby nye rabta.
Nye rabta, nye rabta.
Vesylye byez teby nye vesylye.
Vozvrashchysa kak mzhno skoryy!
Skoryy!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Vot ppa, posmotri:
nvovo rabtnika sevdnya nnyal.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Ldno.
Rnshe gdye sluzhil?
30
Scene 2
(In the yard Zinoviys servants are fooling around. They
have put Aksinya in an open-ended butt and wont let
her out.)
AKSINYA
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
Oh, you shameless creature, hey, dont pinch,
oh, youre hurting! Oh, youre hurting!
Keep your hands off,
you shameless brute, hands off!
You filthy brute, filthy brute,
get your hands off!
Get away, you brute!
Oh! You swine! Oh! Oh!
Swine, swine, swine, swine!
Oh, you swine, oh, you swine!
Oh! Oh! Youre hurting, youre hurting.
SHABBY PEASANT
Just like a nightingale!
Come on, lets feel her, lets feel her,
squeeze harder! Again!
What boobs, oh what boobs,
oh lovely, lovely, lovely boobs!
Oh, how smooth they are!
Harder ! Harder! Harder! Harder!
Ha, ha, ha
PORTER
A sow is singing like a nightingale.
Have a good feel all over!
What a nose shes got, what a nose,
big enough for seven!
Thats the sort of leg
you could make into chops!
Ha, ha, ha!
LABOURERS
What a pretty voice, what a pretty voice.
What a pretty voice!
What a pretty voice
Ha, ha, ha
What a pretty voice,
what a pretty voice.
What a pretty voice,
ha, ha, ha
What a pretty voice!
Ha, ha, ha
Scene 2
AKSINYA
9 Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
Ay, besstshy, oy, nye shchipli,
ay! blno, ay! blno,
ish ty kud polyz,
besstzhy chort, kud polyz?
Parshivy chort, parshivy chort,
nye lyez!
Akh chort, poshl.
Ay! Svloch! Ay! Ay!
Svloch, svloch, svloch, svloch!
Akh! ty svloch, akh ty svloch!
Ay! Ay! Blno, blno!
SHABBY PEASANT
Prymo solvushka.
A nu, poshchpay, a nu poshchpay
prizhmi! Yeshch!
Vot tak vmya, nu i vmya,
ay vmya, ay vmya, ay vmya!
Ay gldkoe!
Zhmi! Zhmi! Zhmi! Zhmi!
Ha, ha, ha!
PORTER
Sviny solovym zalivetsa.
Lovche poshr, shar!
Vot tak nos, nu i nos,
Bog semerm nyos!
Iz taky nzhki
dylayut kotlyty.
Ha, ha, ha!
LABOURERS
Nu i golosk, nu i golosk,
nu i golosk!
Nu i golosk
Ha, ha, ha!
Nu i golosk.
Nu i golosk.
Nu i golosk,
ha, ha, ha!
Nu i golosk!
Ha, ha, ha!
BORIS
Katerina,
swear on the sacred icon,
that youll be faithful to your husband.
KATERINA
I swear!
BORIS
Well, thats all.
Goodbye, Zinoviy.
Say goodbye to your wife.
ZINOVIY
Goodbye, Katerina darling!
Goodbye!
BORIS
Not like that!
On your knees! On your knees! Come on!
Hes off on a long journey spare an extra tear
On your way, then!
(Exeunt all except Aksinya, Katerina, Sergey and Boris)
AKSINYA (to Sergey)
Why are you standing there?
Why did you stay behind?
(Exit Sergey.)
(to Katerina)
That new labourer,
hes a dreadful woman-chaser,
name any female whos taken his fancy,
hell get her into trouble,
hes got it all: hes tall
and handsome, with a good figure.
He used to work at the Kalganovs;
started carrying on with the mistress
and got fired for it.
BORIS (to Katerina)
Why arent you crying?
Your husbands gone, after all.
What a wife: says goodbye to her husband
and cant even shed a single tear!
Interlude
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Katerina,
poklyanis na svyaty ikne,
shto mzhu bdesh vyrnoy.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Klyans!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nu, tepyr vsyo.
Proshchy, Zinviy.
S zheny prostis.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Proshchy, Katerinushka!
Proshchy!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nye tak!
V ngi! V ngi! Nu!
Dlniye prvody, lishniye slyzy
Poezzhy!
AKSINYA
7 Chev vstal?
Chev ostanovilsa?
Rabtnik nvy,
devichr okaynny,
kakyu khchesh bbu
do grekh dovedyt.
Vsyem vzyal: i rstom,
i litsm, i krasotyu.
On przhde u Kalgnovykh sluzhil;
s smoy khozyykoy sptalsa,
za to i vgnali.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto nye plchesh?
Muzh vyed uykhal.
Nu i zhen: mzha provodila,
a sam khot slezinku prolil.
8 Interlude
31
SERGEY
Look out! Stop! Hold on to her!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
What a pretty voice!
Hold still, Aksinya,
get hold of her, Seryozhka!
AKSINYA
Get him off me!
SERGEY
Well now! Stand still!
AKSINYA
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
LABOURERS
What a pretty voice!
SERGEY
Stop, woman!
AKSINYA
Oh, hell catch me!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
Squeeze her, squeeze her,
squeeze her, squeeze her.
SERGEY
Stop, woman, stop!
AKSINYA
Oh!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
Hell make us die of laughing,
die of laughing.
SERGEY
Stop!
AKSINYA
Swine!
LABOURERS
Well split our sides with laughing,
split our sides!
SERGEY
A! Oh! Oh! Oh!
SERGEY
A nu! Posty Zaderzhite!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
Nu i golosk
derzhis, Aksinya,
lovi, Seryzhka!
AKSINYA
Uymite vy yev.
SERGEY
A nu! Posty!
AKSINYA
Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
LABOURERS
Nu i golosk.
SERGEY
Stoy, bba!
AKSINYA
Ay, dognit.
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
Nazhimy! Nazhimy!
Nazhimy! Nazhimy!
SERGEY
Stoy, bba, stoy!
AKSINYA
Ay!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
Umoril, on nas so smykhu,
umoril, umoril.
SERGEY
Posty!
AKSINYA
Svloch!
LABOURERS
Nasmeshil on nas do smyrti,
nasmeshil, nasmeshil!
SERGEY
A! Ay! Ay! Ay!
STEWARD
Aha! Shes plump, oh, shes plump,
lets have another go!
And another
Ho, ho, ho!
What luscious arms!
What nice plump legs,
what luscious arms,
what nice plump legs!
Ha, ha, ha
SERGEY
Let me get hold of her arm,
ho, ho, heres a nice smooth place,
plump and smooth and warm!
Shes a fine piece of woman,
as smooth as silk,
oh lord, oh lord, how fine!
But her face is all pimply.
Ha, ha, ha!
PORTER
Lets have a suck.
SHABBY PEASANT
Well? Well? Well?
Ha, ha, ha!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha
What a pretty voice.
Ha, ha, ha!
AKSINYA
Oh, you swine,
my breasts covered in bruises!
The shameless brute,
hes pinched my breast all over;
what a rascal,
hes torn my skirt to pieces.
PORTER AND STEWARD
Rip his trousers, Aksyusha!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
SERGEY
Come on now, let go!
AKSINYA
Help! He pinched me!
Oh! Oh!
STEWARD
Oho! Zhiru to, zhiru,
yeshch, tak, tak!
A yeshch
Ho, ho, ho!
Vot tak rchki!
Vot tak nzhki,
vot tak rchki,
vot tak nzhki!
Ha, ha, ha!
SERGEY
Dyte mnye za rchku poderzhtsa,
ho-ho, gldkoe, tlstoe,
gldkoe, typloe.
Khorosh, khorosh,
tchno krov s molokm,
yey-bgu, yey-bgu khorosh.
A rzha v pryshchkh.
Ha, ha, ha!
PORTER
Razreshite posost.
SHABBY PEASANT
Nu? Nu? Nu?
Ha, ha, ha!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha
Nu i golosk.
Ha, ha, ha!
AKSINYA
Akh, ty svloch,
vsya grud v sinyakkh!
Kaky besstdnik,
vsyu grud isshchipl;
kaky nasmyshnik,
vsyu ybku porvl.
PORTER AND STEWARD
A ty shtan kosi, Aksysha!
LABOURER
Ha, ha, ha!
SERGEY
A nu, pusti.
AKSINYA
Karal! Zashchipl!
Ay! Ay!
32
KATERINA
You men certainly
think a lot of yourselves;
do you think youre the only ones
who are strong and brave,
the only ones with any wisdom?
Havent you heard about the times
when women kept the whole family
from starving?
And how in wartime
women gave the enemy a beating?
There have been times when women
sacrificed their lives
for their husbands or sweethearts,
but this means nothing to you.
Well, Ill give you a good thrashing
to show you
what a womans good for.
SERGEY
Well then, madam, allow me to take your hand,
if that is so.
(Katerina gives Sergey her hand. Sergey squeezes it.)
KATERINA
Youre hurting, let go,
its my ring
SERGEY
Your wedding rings digging into you.
KATERINA
Let go, let go, let go!
SERGEY
Just hang on a bit longer.
KATERINA
Youre hurting, let go!
(Katerina pushes Sergey away and he falls.)
SHABBY PEASANT (excitedly)
Hey look, shes given him a good push!
(Sergey gets up, rubbing his bruises.)
SERGEY
Ive a suggestion to make to you.
KATERINA
Well?
SERGEY
Lets try a bit of wrestling.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Mngo vy, muzhiki,
o seby vozmechtli;
dmaete, vy i silny,
tlko vy i khrabr
tlko vy i umm vshli?
A kak bby iny raz
vsyu semy kormyt,
nye znesh?
A kak bby pory
na voyn vragv bili?
Iny raz bby
za muzhy da za milykh svoikh
zhizn svoy otdavli,
a teby vsyo to nipochm.
Vot vozm i pokoloch,
shtby znal
na shto bba prigdna.
SERGEY
11 A nu-s, pozvlte rku-s,
ysli eto vyrno.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Blno, pusti,
kolts
SERGEY
Obruchlnoe kolychko dvit.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Pusti, pusti, pusti!
SERGEY
Poterpite yeshch malost.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Blno, pusti!
SHABBY PEASANT
Vish ty, kak tolkanla.
SERGEY
Predlozhnye u meny k vam yest.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nu?
SERGEY
Pobortsa s vmi.
AKSINYA
Let go, let go, let go, let go!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
(Enter Katerina.)
SHABBY PEASANT
Heres the mistress!
AKSINYA
Oh!
KATERINA (to Aksinya)
Whats the matter with you?
AKSINYA
Theyve torn my skirt to pieces.
KATERINA
Let the woman go;
so you enjoy mocking a woman?
SERGEY
Who else can we make fun of?
KATERINA
So a womans only there
for you to make fun of, is she?
SERGEY
What other reason is there?
AKSINYA (to Sergey)
Oh you swine!
SERGEY
Now, now, now!
AKSINYA
Pusti, pusti, pusti, pusti!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
SHABBY PEASANT
10 Brynya!
AKSINYA
Ay!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto s tobyu?
AKSINYA
Ybku vsyu porvli.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Otpustite bbu;
rdy nad bboy poizdevtsa!
SERGEY
Da nad kyem i smeytsa-to nam?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shtozh vam bba
dlya smykha dan, shto li?
SERGEY
A na kaky zhe yeshch predmyt?
AKSINYA
Akh ty svloch!
SERGEY
Nu, nu, nu!
33
Scene 3
(Katerinas bedroom)
KATERINA
Time for bed. The day is over,
time for bed, time for bed.
Ive no one to talk to,
oh, how boring it is, how boring,
just walls and doors with locks on them.
(Enter Boris.)
BORIS
Katerina!
KATERINA
Yes?
BORIS
Time for bed.
KATERINA
Its still quite early.
BORIS
Nonsense!
What have you got to do?
Your husbands not here,
no need to waste the candle.
KATERINA
All right, Ill go to bed.
(Exit Boris. Katerina undresses.)
The foal runs after the filly,
the tom-cat seeks the female,
the dove hastens to his mate,
but no one hurries to me.
The wind caresses the birch-tree
and the sun warms it with his heat,
for everyone theres a smile from somewhere,
but no one will come to me,
no one will put his hand round my waist,
no one will press his lips to mine.
No one will stroke my white breast,
no one will tire me out with his passionate embraces.
The days go by in a joyless procession,
my life will flash past without a smile.
No one, no one will ever come to me,
no one will come to me.
(Katerina undresses completely and lies down on the
bed. A knock is heard at the door.)
Whos there? Whos that knocking?
SERGEY (outside the door)
Please dont be afraid.
Its me.
Scene 3
EKATERINA LVOVNA
13 Spat por. Dyen proshl,
spat por, spat por.
Slva nye s kyem skazt mnye,
akh, kak skshno; skshno mnye,
styny, dvyri i zamki na dverykh.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Katerina!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Spat por.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Rno yeshch.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Pustyaki,
shto dylat teby?
Mzha nytu,
nychevo zrya zhech svech.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ldno, ozhs.
14 Zherebynok k koblke torpitsa,
ktik prsitsa k kshechke,
a glub k golbke stremitsa,
i tlko ko mnye nikt nye speshit.
Beryzku vyter lasket,
i teplm svoim gryet slnyshko.
Vsyem shto-nibd ulybetsa,
tlko ko mnye nikt nye pridyt,
nikt stan moy ruky nye obnimet,
nikt gby k moim nye prizhmyt.
Nikt moy bylluyu grud nye pogldit,
nikt strstnoy laskoy meny nye istomit.
Prokhdyat moi dni bezrdostnyye,
promelknyt moy zhizn byez ulbki.
Nikt, nikt ko mnye nye pridyt.
Nikt ko mnye nye pridyt.
15 Kto to, kto, kto stuchit?
SERGEY
Nye izvlte pugtsa.
Eto ya.
KATERINA
All right, lets try.
SERGEY
Out of the way, everybody!
(Sergey and Katerina wrestle.)
KATERINA
Why have you stopped?
SERGEY
I forgot
With you in my arms Im thinking
What about it,
Ive plenty of strength in me!
(Sergey throws Katerina to the ground.)
KATERINA
Let go, let go, let go!
Oh, Seryozha, let go!
(Enter Boris.)
BORIS
Whats all this?
(Katerina gets up.)
KATERINA
I was just passing by
and caught my foot in a sack.
And fell;
he tried to help me up
and fell down too.
SHABBY PEASANT
Thats exactly what happened.
BORIS (to the labourers)
What are you standing around for?
Whos going to do your work for you?
What do you think youre paid for?
Spongers, loafers, drunkards!
(to Sergey)
Get out, dont hang around.
(to Katerina)
Fry me some mushrooms.
Just you wait, when your husband gets back,
Ill tell him everything.
Interlude
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shtozh, poprbuem.
SERGEY
Rasstupis, nard!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto zhe ty ostanovilsa?
SERGEY
Zabl
Derzh vas v rukkh i dmayu
Da chev tut,
vo mnye sily mngo!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Pusti, pusti, pusti!
Akh, Seryzha, pusti!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto to?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Prokhodila mimo,
zatsepila nogy za meshk,
upla;
on khotel podnyt,
i sam upl.
SHABBY PEASANT
On tochno.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Chev stoite?
Rabtat kto za vas bdet?
Za shto vam dyngi pltyat?
Tuneydtsy, lezhebki, pynitsy!
Stupy, shto vstal?
Gribkv podzhr.
Vot pogodi, priydet muzh,
vsyo rasskazh.
12 Interlude
34
SERGEY
No wonder!
KATERINA
If only I had a child!
SERGEY
Yes, but even a child,
if youll allow me to put it like this,
comes as a result of something,
not just of its own accord.
Now lets suppose you did have a bit
on the side,
like all the other women do
in your position youd find it
pretty well impossible to meet him.
Say he was someone here
in this very house?
Do you think I dont understand?
Ive been in service for years
and seen enough of womens lot.
KATERINA
Yes
All right, Sergey, go away now.
SERGEY
Ill be on my way.
KATERINA
Goodbye.
(Sergey does not leave.)
SERGEY
That was a good wrestle we had,
youre certainly strong
KATERINA
Well, why bring that up?
SERGEY
Allow me to say,
it was the happiest moment in my life,
would you like to try again?
KATERINA
Dont you dare!
SERGEY
Or lets get hold of each other.
(He embraces Katerina.)
SERGEY
Kak nye skucht!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ysli b rebynochek rodilsa.
SERGEY
Da vyed i rebynochek,
pozvlte mnye vam dolozhit,
tzhe vyed ot chev-nibd byvet,
a nye sam po seby.
Nu, skzhem, byl by u vas predmyt
so storon
tak, kak vsye drugie dylayut
Da vam v vshem polozhnii
videtsa s nim pochti nevozmzhno.
Rzve byl by on zdyes
v tom dme?
Ya, dmaete, nye ponimyu?
Sklko lyet u khozhyev zhiv,
naglyadylsa na zhnskuyu dlyu.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Da
Nu shtozh, Sergy, ukhodi.
SERGEY
16 Ya poyd.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Proshchy.
SERGEY
Khorosh vy togd so mnoy borlisa,
silishcha u vas
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nu, shtozh vspomint.
SERGEY
Pomiluyte,
smy schastlivy mig v moyy zhizni.
Nye khotite l yeshch?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nyet, shto ty!
SERGEY
A to skhvtimsa.
KATERINA
Who?
SERGEY
Sergey.
KATERINA
Sergey? What is it?
What do you want here at night?
SERGEY
Just a small matter, open the door!
KATERINA
What small matter?
SERGEY
Open the door, then Ill tell you.
(Katerina opens the door. Enter Sergey.)
KATERINA
Well, what is it?
SERGEY
Ive come to ask if I can borrow a book
KATERINA
What book?
SERGEY
to have a read.
KATERINA
Sergey, I havent any books.
I cant read anyway
and my husband doesnt read books.
SERGEY
Im dying of boredom.
KATERINA
Well, why dont you get married?
SERGEY
Who to?
A daughter of the house would never have me
and Ive no use for common girls;
theyre so ill-educated
and Im a man of fine feelings;
thats why Im bored.
KATERINA
Im bored too.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kto?
SERGEY
Sergy.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sergy? Zachm?
Shto teby ndo da nchu?
SERGEY
Deltse yest, otvorite!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kake dyeltse?
SERGEY
Otvorite, togd skazh.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nu, shto teby?
SERGEY
Prishl k vam knizhku poprosit
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kakyu knizhku?
SERGEY
pochitt.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nytu u meny, Sergy, nikakikh knizhek.
Sam ya negrmotnaya,
a muzh nye knig chitet.
SERGEY
Skka odolevet.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shtozh ty nye zhnishsa?
SERGEY
Na kom?
Khozyyskaya doch za meny nye poydyt.
A prostkh mnye nye ndo;
neobrazvannost vsyo,
a ya chelovyk chustvitelny;
vot i skuchyu.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
I ya skuchyu.
35
SERGEY
I cant go anywhere away from here.
KATERINA
The old man will lock the doors.
SERGEY
To a lover windows can be a doorway.
Come, my Katya!
KATERINA
Darling!
SERGEY
Nikud ya otsda nye poyd.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Svykor dvyri zapryt.
SERGEY
Dbromu mlodtsu i kna dvyer.
A nu, Ktya!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Mily!
KATERINA
Let go, Sergey, let go!
What are you thinking of?
Let go!
The old man might come back
and see us;
let go, Sergey!
SERGEY
Anyway, Im stronger than you.
KATERINA
Sergey, you mustnt.
What are you doing? Im afraid.
SERGEY
My dearest!
KATERINA
What are you doing?
Darling, let go, darling,
I dont wa
SERGEY
Oh, Katya, my dearest love!
KATERINA
Go away, for Gods sake,
Im a married woman.
SERGEY
You mustnt speak of that.
KATERINA
I have no husband
but you alone.
BORIS (off-stage)
Katerina
KATERINA
The old man
BORIS
are you in bed?
KATERINA
Im just going.
BORIS
Well, all right.
KATERINA
Go, quick.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Pusti, Sergy, pusti!
Shto ty vdumal?
Pusti!
Prodyt svykor,
mzhet uvdet;
pusti, Sergy.
SERGEY
Ya vsyo-taki silnyy.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sergy, nye ndo.
Shto ty? Ya boys.
SERGEY
Zhizn moy!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto ty dylaesh?
Mily, pusti, mily.
Ya nye kho
SERGEY
Akh, Ktya, rdost ty moy!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Uydi ty, rdi bga,
ya mzhnyaya zhen.
SERGEY
Nye ndo ob tom.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nyet u meny mzha
tlko ty odin.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Katerina
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Svykor
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
legl?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Lozhs.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nu to-to.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Idi.
36
SERGEY
Goodbye, Katya, goodbye!
(Sergey climbs out of the window and down the drain-
pipe.)
BORIS
Whats all this?
I can hear somebodys voice;
better have a look.
KATERINA
Wait a bit longer.
SERGEY
Its getting light.
KATERINA
The nights always used to drag on, endlessly,
but now these last seven nights
that weve spent together
have flown by as though on wings.
BORIS
Heres treachery, treachery!
Katerinas betraying her husband
and has found a lover.
Who is he?
Youre too late, Boris Timofeyevich!
Ah, hell, what a scandal,
God in heaven!
SERGEY
Its true, when youre with a lover,
time passes more quickly.
Goodbye, Katya!
BORIS
What a scoundrel!
KATERINA
Goodbye, Seryozha!
SERGEY
Katya!
BORIS
Its Sergey, that new labourer,
the swine.
Hes the thief
All right, just you wait.
KATERINA
Seryozha, goodbye, goodbye!
SERGEY
19 Proshchy, Ktya, proshchy!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Eto shto take?
Glos kaky-to;
ndo posmotryt.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Podozhd yeschch.
SERGEY
Svetet.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Przhde nchi tyanlis dlgo, dlgo,
a tepyr ti syem nochy,
shto my s tobyu vmyste provdim,
letyt, kak na krlyakh.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Izmyna, izmyna,
Katerina mzhu izmenyet,
molodts otyskla.
Kto zh on?
Opozdl Boris Timofyvich;
akh chort, srmy-to sklko,
gspodi bzhe moy!
SERGEY
Izvystno, vrmya v lyubvi
prokhdit bystrye.
Proshchy, Ktya!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Ish dyvol!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Proshchy, Seryzha!
SERGEY
Ktya!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Sergy, nvy rabtnik,
svloch.
Vot kto vor
Nu ldno, pogod.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha, proshchy, proshchy!
Act 2
Scene 4
(Boris is walking through the courtyard carrying a
lantern.)
BORIS
Thats what old age means:
you cant sleep.
Youre all the time thinking burglars
are on the prowl;
I wander around to see if theres a burglar anywhere.
When I was young I couldnt sleep either,
but for a different reason!
I used to hang around under the windows of other
mens wives,
singing songs, talking whatever nonsense came into
my head,
sometimes even climbed through the windows;
Ive had a good life,
Ill say so!
Zinoviy doesnt take after me:
cant even respect his own wife,
if I were his age,
how Id
Ay!
Id get her and
He, he, he!
(He notices a light shining in Katerinas room.)
Theres a light in the window.
Seems she cant sleep;
of course, shes a young woman;
hot-blooded too
and theres no one to console her.
Ah!
Now if I were younger,
just ten years or so,
what Id do!
Shed have it hot from me;
hot, yes, by God, so hot,
itd even be good enough for her!
A healthy woman like that
and no man around, no man,
no man, no man,
no man, no man around;
no man, no man at all.
No man, no man,
no man, no man;
its dull for a woman without a man,
Ill go and see her, yes I will!
(At the window Katerina and Sergey are saying
farewell.)
Act 2
Scene 4
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
17 Shto znchit strost:
nye spitsa.
Vsyo chditsa, bdto vry
khotyt ogrbit;
khozh, smotry, nyet li vra.
Byl mlod tzhe nye spal,
no po drugy prichine!
18 Pod knami u chuzhikh zhon pokhzhival,
pysni pyel, vral, shto v glovu pridyt,
a inogd i v kna zabirlsa;
khorosh prozhl zhizn,
yeshch by ya.
Zinviy nye v meny:
dzhe zhen uvazhit nye mzhet,
mnye by yev god,
vot by ya,
ekh!
Ya b yey
He, he, he!
Svyet v okny.
Nye spitsa yey navyrno;
izvystno, zhnshchina molodya;
krov, znchit, igret,
a uteshtsa nye s kyem.
Ekh!
Bud ya pomolzhe,
khot lyet na desytok
Togd, togd!
Zhrko blo b yey ot meny;
zhrko, zhrko, yey-bgu zhrko
on sam dovlna bdet!
Takya zdorvaya,
a muzhik, a muzhik nyet i nyet;
a muzhik, a muzhik,
a muzhik, a muzhik nyet i nyet;
nyet muzuhik, nyet muzhik, nyet i nyet;
nyet muzhik, nyet muzhik,
nyet muzhik, nyet muzhik;
byez muzhik skshno bbe,
poyd k nyey, posty.
37
KATERINA
Whats all this? Im asleep!
BORIS (to Katerina)
Asleep? Asleep?
No so long ago
you came to the window
and counted the stars as you waited for dawn.
Look, Katerina, Ive caught a thief;
now Im going to thrash him.
Come on! Lets start!
(Boris flogs Sergey.)
Look, Katerina,
what an entertaining sight:
Ive drawn blood,
Ive drawn blood,
right, lets give him some more,
just to entertain ourselves, to entertain ourselves.
KATERINA
Let him go, I tell you,
let him go!
BORIS
Youve got plenty of blood, my friend,
no wonder youre so lecherous.
KATERINA
Open the door!
Open the door!
Its locked!
Open up, open up!
BORIS
Well get rid of some of that blood for you,
youll soon feel less energetic, you scoundrel, you villain!
Why dont you cry out, blast you,
trying to show off in front of a woman?
Ill get a scream out of you!
Take that, and that, and that!
Again, again, again, again!
KATERINA
All you people there!
Help me, someone!
Oh! let him go;
whoever opens the door for me
will be rewarded with my love.
Ill jump out of the window!
Come on! Quickly!
SHABBY PEASANT (to Katerina)
Just coming, just coming
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto take? Ya splyu!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Spish? Spish!
A nye tak davn
ty k okn podkhodla,
zyvzdy schitla, voskhd zhdal.
Glyan, Katerina, vra poyml;
tepyr drat yev bdu.
A nu! Nachnym!
Smotr, Katerina,
zanytnoye zrlishche:
krov vystupet,
krov vystupet,
a nu, yeshch,
dlya plezru, dlya plezru, dlya plezru.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Otpustte yev, to ya, ya
Otpust!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Krovyy, brat, u teby mngo,
potom i v blud pustlsa.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Dvyer u meny otkryte!
Dvyer u meny otkryte!
Na klyuch zapert!
Oktkryte, otkryte!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
A my krovyy teby ubvim,
zhvo ty smirishsa, negodyy, kholy!
Shto zh ty nye krichish, dyvol,
pyred bboy khchesh khorokhritsa?
Ya iz teby krik vybyu!
A nu, a nu, a nu!
Yeshch, yeshch, yeshch, yeshch!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Lydi! Lydi!
Kto-nibd, pomogte!
Akh! Otpustte;
kto mnye dvyer otkret,
tom lyubv moy podary.
Broshs v okn!
Lydi! Poskoryy!
SHABBY PEASANT
Seychs, seychs
SERGEY
Katya, goodbye, goodbye!
(Sergey comes out. Boris seizes him by the collar.)
BORIS
Stop! Where have you been?
SERGEY
Wherever it was, Im not there now.
BORIS
So thats it, of all our treasures he had to choose the best:
hes spent the night with my sons wife.
Hey, everybody! Hey!
SERGEY
Dont shout like that!
BORIS
Ill shout if I want,
Im the boss around here!
Come here, everybody! Ive caught a thief!
(The labourers run in half-dressed.)
SERGEY
Well, what do you want of me now?
BORIS
I want to give you five hundred lashes.
SERVANTS AND LABOURERS
Lord have mercy!
BORIS (to the porter)
Give me the whip!
Come on, look lively!
Take his shirt off!
(The porter runs off for the whip.)
SHABBY PEASANT
Well, mate, you asked for it
And youre certainly going to get it
(Shabby peasant strips off Sergeys shirt.)
PORTER
Are you going to flog him yourself, master,
or get someone else to do it?
BORIS
Ill do it myself!
Katerina! Katerina!
Katerina! Katerina!
Katerina! Katerina!
(Katerina appears at the window.)
SERGEY
Ktya, proshchy, proshchy!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Stoy! gdye byl?
SERGEY
Tam, gdye byl, meny uzh nyet.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Vna, iz vsyekh bogtstv kake vbral
u nevystki nochevl.
Ey, lydi! Ey!
SERGEY
Da nye krich ty!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Khoch kricht,
ya zdyes khozyin!
Lydi, sud! Vra poyml!
SERGEY
Shto zh ty ot meny seychs zhelesh?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Zhelyu ya teby pyatst pletyy zakatit.
SERVANT AND LABOURERS
Gspodi, pomluy!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Davy nagayku!
Nu, zhivyy!
Snimy s nev rubkhu!
SHABBY PEASANT
Ekh, brat, toveto smoe
Odn slvo tov
PORTER
Sam li bdesh bit, khozyin,
ili kom povelish?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Sam!
Katerina! Katerina!
Katerina! Katerina!
Katerina! Katerina!
38
PORTER
Sergeys been locked in the store-room, heres the key.
BORIS
Go quickly to the mill
and find Zinoviy Borisovich.
Tell him to come home as quickly as he can,
tell him theres trouble at home.
(Exit porter. Katerina returns.)
KATERINA (aside)
Ive put in some poison.
The old manll snuff it
from rat poison!
(Boris eats the mushrooms.)
BORIS
Theyre delicious mushrooms,
youre really an expert, Katerina,
at preparing mushrooms.
Go along and get dressed,
youre wandering around the yard
almost naked.
Go on
No, stop!
My insides on fire
Bring somewater.
KATERINA
I wont.
BORIS
What? What did you say?
How dare you
KATERINA
I do dare!
BORIS
You dare
KATERINA
I dare!
BORIS
You slut!
(He raises his hand threateningly at Katerina, then falls
to the ground.)
KATERINA
Well!
BORIS
Whats the matter with me?
PORTER
21 V kladovyu Sergya zperli, vot klyuch.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Skach na mylnitsu,
otyshch Zinviya Borsovicha.
Skazh, shtby skoryye vozvrashchlsa domy.
Skazh: grekh dma sluchlsa.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Podsypala ydu,
sdkhnet stark,
ot krysinoy otrvy.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Gribk vksnyye,
mastertsa ty, Katerina,
gribk gotvit.
Pod odynsa,
vyed ty chut nye glaya
po dvor khdish.
Id
Stoy!
Zhzhot meny vnutri
Vodyprines.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye prines.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto? Kak ty skazla?
Ty smyyesh
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Smyyu!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Smyyesh
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Smyyu!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shlykha!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nu!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Shto so mnoy?
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
BORIS
Shut up, stay put!
KATERINA
Youll not stop me, youll not stop me!
(She climbs down the drainpipe and hults herself at
Boris. The servants seize her and hold her.)
You brute! You brute! I wont let you!
Let goyou monster,
let go, let go,
let go, let me go!
Let me go!
Let go, let go, let go,
let go, let go, let go,
let go, let go!
BORIS
Hang on to her!
Why are you standing there like a statue, not saying
anything?
Dont show off in front of a woman!
So you wont speak? You wont speak?
Just yell, then Ill stop!
Now! Now! Now! Now! Now!
Now! Now!
(stops flogging)
Im tired out.
PORTER
Would you like me to carry on, master?
BORIS
No, thatll do,
we cant do too much at once,
or hell peg out.
Take him off to the store-room,
well flog him again tomorrow.
(Sergey is carried away and Katerina is released.)
BORIS (to Katerina)
Well, what now?
Thats really made me hungry.
Is there anything left from supper?
Hey there! Are you deaf?
KATERINA
There are some mushrooms left.
BORIS
Just the thing!
Bring me some mushrooms.
(Exit Katerina.)
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Molcht, ni s myesta!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye uderzhte, nye uderzhte!
Zvyer! Zvyer! Nye pozvlyu!
PustIzverg,
pustte, pustte,
pustte, otpustte!
Otpustte!
Pustte, pustte, pustte,
pustte, pustte, pustte,
pustte, pustte!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Derzhite yey!
Shto zh ty molchsh, kak statuy?
Nye khorokhrsya pyred bboy!
Molchish? Molchish?
Zakrich, togd perestnu!
Nu! Nu! Nu! Nu! Nu!
Nu! Nu!
20 Ustl.
PORTER
Prikzhete mnye postegt?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nyet, khvtit,
zarz mngo nelzy.
Yeshch sdkhnet.
Otnesite v kladovyu,
zvtra snva drat bdem.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nu shto?
Progolodlsa ya.
Nye ostlos li chev ot zhina?
Nu! teby ya govory?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gribk ostlis.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Eto dylo,
davy sud gribki.
39
BORIS
No, its better here.
The sun will soon be rising,
put me down here.
The keys
SECOND FOREMAN
What?
BORIS
Get the keys.
Shes a trollop
SECOND FOREMAN
He must be raving!
THIRD FOREMAN
Yes, hes certainly raving.
SECOND FOREMAN
Must mean hes really bad.
THIRD FOREMAN
He looks bad.
SECOND FOREMAN
Maybe hes going to die.
THIRD FOREMAN
Yes, he is
SECOND FOREMAN
Thats what Im saying, hes going to die.
(Enter first foreman and the priest.)
PRIEST
Whos dying around here?
FIRST FOREMAN
This chap.
PRIEST
Ah! In the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Nyet, zdyes lchshe.
Slnyshko skro vydet,
polozhte sud.
Klyuch
SECOND FOREMAN
Shto?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Klyuch otnimte.
Potaskkha
SECOND FOREMAN
Brydit, vyrno?
THIRD FOREMAN
Nu, tak i yest, brydit.
SECOND FOREMAN
Znchit, uzh sovsym plokh.
THRID FOREMAN
Vidt plokh.
SECOND FOREMAN
Mzhet byt, umryt.
THIRD FOREMAN
Umryt.
SECOND FOREMAN
Ya pro to i govory, umryt.
PRIEST
Gdye tut umiryut?
FIRST FOREMAN
Tut.
PRIEST
A! Vo imya ots i syna i svyatgo dkha
KATERINA
Well, you had mushrooms late at night
Lots of people die after eating them.
BORIS
Call the priest, Katerina dear,
call the priest, maybe its true
that death is approaching.
How it burnsburns
burns like fire.
My life has been long
and my sins many.
Bring the priest here, the priest!
God, O God! Its so painful
So painful
KATERINA
Where are the store-room keys?
(She searches Boris, takes the keys and goes out.)
BORIS
I cant breathe
(In the distance is heard the singing of the foremen
coming to work. Their voices get nearer and nearer.)
LABOURERS
See, the dawn is breaking,
see, the dawn is breaking. Hey!
The sky is getting lighter,
the sky is getting lighter. Hey!
Mustnt waste time like this,
hey, to work, and quickly, fellows. Hey!
The barns await us, thats for sure.
The barns await us, thats for sure. Hey!
And the flour that feeds us waits,
and the flour that feeds us waits. Hey!
Our masters fierce and cruel
just like a crocodile. Hey!
(Enter labourers.)
BORIS
One of you run
and fetch the priest
Im in a bad way.
FIRST FOREMAN
In a moment
SECOND FOREMAN
Maybe youd like us
to carry you into the house?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gribkv, znchit, n noch poyli
Mngie, mngie ikh poyvshi pomiryut.
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Zov pop, Katernushka milaya,
zov pop, mzhet i vprvdu
smyert moy prikhdit.
Zhzhotzhzhot
Zhzhot tchno pozhr.
Ya mngo pzhil,
mngo greshl.
Pop sud, pop sud.
Bzhe bzhe, kakya bol
Kakya bol
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gdye klyuch ot kladovy?
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Dshno
LABOURERS
22 Vidno, skro uzh zary,
vidno, skro uzh zary. Ekh!
Nybo prosvtelylo,
nybo prosvtelylo. Ekh!
Nycha trtit vrmya zrya,
ey, skoryye, za dylo. Ekh!
Nas ambry vyrno zhdut.
Nas ambry vyrno zhdut. Ekh!
Zhdyot muk kormlitsa,
zhdyot muk kormlitsa, ekh!
Nash khozyin zol i lyut
tchno krokodlitsa. Ekh!
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Kto-nibd odin
za popm sbygayte
Khdo mnye.
FIRST FOREMAN
Odn seknd
SECOND FOREMAN
Mzhet, v dom
prikzhete snest?
40
Scene 5
(Katerinas bedroom. Katerina and Sergey are lying in
bed. Sergey is asleep.)
KATERINA
Sergey, Seryozha!
Hes still asleep.
SERGEY (waking up)
What?
KATERINA
Wake up!
SERGEY
What do you want?
KATERINA
Wake up!
SERGEY
Well?
KATERINA
Kiss me!
(Sergey kisses her.)
Not like that, not like that;
kiss me so it hurts my lips
and the blood rushes to my head
and the icons fall from their shelves.
(Sergey kisses her.)
Oh! Seryozha!
SERGEY
Katya, our love is nearing its end.
KATERINA
Why?
SERGEY
Zinoviy Borisych will be coming back,
your lawful husband,
how do you think Im going to feel,
seeing you go to bed
with your lawful husband?
KATERINA
That wont happen.
Compact Disc 48
Scene 5
EKATERINA LVOVNA
1 Sergy, Seryzha!
Vsyo spit
SERGEY
A?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Prosns!
SERGEY
Chev teby?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Prosns!
SERGEY
Nu?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Potsely meny!
Nye tak, nye tak;
potsely, shtby bolno gubm blo,
shtby krov k golovy prilla,
shtob ikny s kita posypalis.
Akh! Seryzha!
SERGEY
2 Ktya, prikhdit konyts lyubvi nshey.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Pochem?
SERGEY
Priydet Zinviy Borsych,
zaknny tvoy suprg,
kak zhe mnye byt?
Smotrt, kak ty s zaknnym mzhem
spat lozhishsa?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Etovo nye bdet.
BORIS (to the priest)
Father, hear my confession.
My sins are many.
But you must know this:
mine is not a natural death,
rats die like this,
and the rat poison,
is a white powder
(Enter Katerina.)
(pointing to Katerina)
It was her! It was her!
(falls back senseless)
PRIEST
Hes dead.
FOREMEN
Amen.
KATERINA
Oh, Boris Timofeyevich,
why have you left us?
To whom have you abandoned
Zinoviy and me?
What will Zinoviy and I
do now without you?
PRIEST (to Katerina)
Why should it happen to him?
He was still a strong old boy.
KATERINA
Hed eaten mushrooms at night, you know,
a lot of people die after eating them.
PRIEST
Thats so.
Oh, these mushrooms and cold soups are too much,
as Nikolay Vasilyich Gogol said,
that great writer of our Russian land.
Yes indeed, people get strange ideas when theyre dying.
Boris Timofeyevich said
that he was dying like a rat;
only that cant be right;
a rat dies,
but a human being passes away.
Strange
But that doesnt stop us saying a requiem for him.
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace
Interlude
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
23 Btya, ispovydatsa.
Grekhv u meny mngo.
I pritm znay:
nye sprsta ya umiryu,
tkzhe vot krysy dkhli,
a sndobe ot krys,
bylenky taky poroshk
On! On!
PRIEST
Knchilsa.
FOREMEN
Amn.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
24 Akh, Bors Timofyevich,
zachm ty ot nas ushl?
Na kov ty nas
s Zinviem Borsovichem poknul?
Shto my s Zinoviem Borsovichem
dylat byez teby tepyr bdem?
PRIEST
S chev b yem,
yeshch krpky byl starichk.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gribkv znchit, nchu poyl;
mngie, mngie, ikh poyvshi, pomiryut.
PRIEST
I tchno.
Okh, uzh ti mnye gribk da botvnyi,
kak skazl Nikoly Vasilich Gogol,
velky pisatel zeml rsskoy.
Da, chudnyye mysli pyred smyrtiyu prikhdyat.
Boris Timofyevich govorl,
shto on kak krsa izdykhet;
tolko nye mzhet tovo byt:
krysa dkhnet,
a chelovyk prestavlyetsa.
Chudn
Odnko panikhdku nye meshet otsluzht.
Nyne otpushcheshi rba tvoev, vladyko
25 Interlude
41
KATERINA
You cant frighten me; look at me
sleeping with Sergey.
GHOST OF BORIS
My eyes cannot see;
look, in my eyes
is but emptiness and fire.
Katerina, Katerina,
a curse on you forever!
KATERINA
Oh, Sergey, wake up!
(Sergey wakes up.)
SERGEY
Well? What do you want?
KATERINA
Sergey, Seryozha, look and see,
the fearful ghost of Boris Timofeyich standing there.
(Sergey cannot see the ghost.)
SERGEY
Nonsense, theres no one there,
calm down, Katya.
KATERINA
Im scared, Seryozha, kiss me, kiss me,
kiss me; darling, dearest one,
press me closer to your heart!
(The ghost disappears, Katerina and Sergey fall asleep.
Later Katerina wakes up and rouses Sergey.)
(in a whisper)
Listen, Sergey, Sergey!
SERGEY
Well?
KATERINA
Can you hear it?
SERGEY
What?
KATERINA
Someones walking softly, softly.
SERGEY
Its your imagination again.
KATERINA
No, no.
The dogs didnt bark,
so its someone they know;
can you hear? Someones coming.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye zapugesh, smotr,
kak ya s Sergyem splyu.
GHOST OF BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Glaz moi nye vdyat;
smotri, v glazkh mokh
pustot i ogn.
Katerna, Katerna,
bud vychno proklyta!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh, Sergy, prosnis!
SERGEY
5 Nu? Chev teby?
KATERINA
Sergy, Seryzha, posmotr, vdish,
strshny stot Boris Timofyich.
SERGEY
Puste, nikov tam nyet,
uspokysya, Ktya.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Strshno, Seryzha, tsely, tsely,
tsely meny; mly, dorogy,
krepche prizhm meny k syerdtsu!
6 Slshay, Sergy, Sergy!
SERGEY
Nu?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Slyshish?
SERGEY
Shto take?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kto-to khdit tkho, tkho.
SERGEY
Teby opyt mershchitsa.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nyet, nyet.
Sobki nye lyali,
svoy kto-nibd;
slshish? Idyt kto-to.
SERGEY
Katerina Lvovna, Katenka,
Im not like other men,
who dont care about anything,
so long as theyve got a womans soft body to caress.
Im a sensitive person, you know,
I can feel what love is.
Oh why did I fall in love with you
and burn with passion just for you?
Can it really be an honour for you,
an eminent merchants wife,
to be my mistress?
Oh Katya, what Id give to become
your husband in Gods eyes!
As it is,
we can meet only at night
and in daylight were afraid
to show our faces to the world.
KATERINA
Dont upset yourself, Sergey,
Ill make you a merchant
and well live together properly.
SERGEY
How will you manage that?
KATERINA
Thats not your worry.
Its your business to kiss me hard,
like this.
(Sergey kisses her, then falls asleep.)
KATERINA
Hes asleep again.
Oh Sergey, can you really sleep,
when your lovers lips are so close?
Oh, Sergey, Ill not fear anyone,
Ill make you my husband,
Ill not be afraid of anyone.
Boris Timofeyich tried to interfere
and hes gone: dead, buried and forgotten,
only I remember him at nights.
His fearful face often appears before me.
(The ghost of Boris appears.)
There he is in the corner!
GHOST OF BORIS
Katerina Lvovna, you murderess!
Ive come to find out
how you and Sergey are keeping
my sons bed warm.
SERGEY
Katerna Lvovna, Ktenka,
ya nye kak drugie prchie,
kotrym vsyo bezrazlchno,
lish by sldkim zhnskim tylom polkomitsa.
Vyed ya deliktny,
ya chstvuyu, shto take lyubv.
Akh, zachm ya teby polyubl,
k teby li lyubvyu mnye pylt,
i rzve to pocht dlya tebya,
imenitoy kupchkhi,
moyy polyubvnitsey byt?
Akh, Ktya, ya b khotyl pyred bgom
stat tvoim suprgom!
A tak shto,
i vidimsa my tlko nchu,
a pri slnyshke bomsa
pokaztsa lydyam na glaz.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
3 Nye pechlsa, Sergy,
sdylayu teby kuptsm,
i zhit s toby kak slyduet stnu.
SERGEY
Kak zhe to ty sdylaesh?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye tvoy zabta.
Tvoy dylo tselovt meny krpko,
vot tak.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
4 Opyt usnl.
Ekh, Sergy, rzve mzhno spat,
kogd lybyashchie gby tak blzko?
Akh, Sergy, nikov nye poboys,
sdylayu teby svoim mzhem,
nikov nye ustrahs.
Khotyl Boris Timofyich pomesht,
i nyet yev: mer, pokhornen, zabyt,
tolko ya vspominyu o nyom po nochm.
Chsto yavlyetsa on ko mnye strshny.
Vot on v ugl.
GHOST OF BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH
Katerna Lvvna, ubytsa!
Ya prishl posmotryt,
kak ty s Sergyem sogrevesh
postyl moev syna.
42
KATERINA
Yes, I have.
ZINOVIY
I see! Well, thats fine then,
but how did my dad die?
KATERINA
Well, he just died; we gave him a good funeral.
ZINOVIY
And why is the bed
made up for two?
KATERINA
I was expecting you any time.
ZINOVIY
Thanks for that anyway.
(noticing Sergeys belt)
And what might that thing be?
KATERINA
Where?
ZINOVIY
Here!
From what I can make out,
its a mans belt.
KATERINA
I found it in the garden
and fastened my skirt with it.
ZINOVIY
Weve been hearing some things
about your skirts,
about your skirts.
KATERINA
What have you heard then?
ZINOVIY
Weve heard a lot about your affairs
KATERINA
What have you heard?
ZINOVIY
Weve heard everything.
KATERINA
What have you heard?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Dma.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Tak! Khorosh, nu ldno,
kak zhe ppenka-to mer?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Tak mer, i pokhoronli s chstyu.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
A pochem postyl
na dvokh prigotvlena?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Vas vsyo dozhidlas.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
I na tom spasbo.
A to shto za predmyt?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gdye?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Tut!
Sklko mnye izvystno,
eto muzhsky poyask.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
V sad nashl
i ybku im povyazla.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
My ke-shto slykhli
o vshikh ybkakh,
o vshikh ybkakh.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto zhe vy slykhli?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Slykhli my ob amrakh vshikh mngo
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto slykhli?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Vsyo slykhli.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Shto slykhli?
SERGEY
Yes, I can.
KATERINA
Hide somewhere,
its Zinoviy Borisych, my husband.
(Sergey whistles.)
SERGEY
Now were really in the soup!
KATERINA
Hide quick, hide!
(Sergey hides.)
Hes listening at the door, the swine,
just you wait!
ZINOVIY (outside the door)
Katerina!
KATERINA
Whos there?
ZINOVIY
Open the door!
KATERINA
I cant make it out
Whos there?
ZINOVIY
Its me
KATERINA
Who?
ZINOVIY
Me, cant you hear?
KATERINA
I cant make it out.
ZINOVIY
Look, its me, Zinoviy Borisovich.
(Katerina opens the door. Enter Zinoviy.)
And how are you getting on?
KATERINA
I havent been going to any theatres,
nor to any balls either.
ZINOVIY (noticing Sergeys trousers)
So youve been at home all the time?
SERGEY
Slyshu.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sprychsa gdnye-nibd,
eto Zinviy Borsych, moy muzh.
SERGEY
Vot teby bbushka i Yryev dyen!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Prychsa, prychsa!
U dvyri podslshivaet, svloch,
nu, podozhd!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
7 Katerna!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kto tam?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Otvoryy!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye razber
Kto tam?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Ya
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kto?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Ya, rzve nye slshish?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye razber.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Nu ya, Zinviy Borsovich.
Kak zhivyte, mzhete?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Po tetram nye khdim,
po balm tzhe smoe.
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Tak znchit dma vsyo sidyli?
43
KATERINA
Oh! oh!
Sergey, Sergey,
hes beating me!
Come out and protect me!
ZINOVIY
Whos this Sergey?
Who is it? Where is he?
Whos this Sergey?
(Enter Sergey. Katerina rushes to him and kisses him.)
KATERINA
Sergey, my dearest love!
ZINOVIY
Murder! Come here, everybody!
(He runs to the window.)
KATERINA
You wont get away!
(Katerina catches up with Zinoviy, pushes him to the
floor and begins to strangle him. Sergey runs up and
holds Zinoviy on the floor. Zinoviy struggles.)
ZINOVIY
Iknew itall
KATERINA
Hold him tighter, Sergey!
ZINOVIY
You swine! Help!
Oh, theyre strangling me!
(weakly)
Get a priest
SERGEY
Ill give you priest all right!
(Sergey hits Zinoviy over the head with a heavy
candlestick.)
KATERINA
Hes choking
(Zinoviy dies.)
SERGEY
Well, thats the end of that
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ay! Ay!
Sergy, Sergy,
byut meny!
Vykhod, zashchit!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Kaky Sergy?
Kto to? Gdye?
kaky Sergy?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sergy, lyubv moy!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Ubivyut! Lydi, sud!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye uydysh!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Yavsyovsyo
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Derzh yev, Seryzha, krpche!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Svlochi, na pmoshch!
Oy, dusht!
Pop
SERGEY
Vot teby pop!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Khript
SERGEY
8 Tepyr shabsh
ZINOVIY
Weve heard it all, weve heard it all,
weve heard it all, just everything!
KATERINA
I dont like people talking to me
in that insolent way.
Kindly explain
what affairs youre talking about.
You know absolutely nothing about it,
Im the one who knows it all.
I wont allow you or anyone else
to talk to me about my affairs.
Its not for you to judge me.
Hands off, you disgusting, pathetic creature;
I cant even call you a husband,
youre as lifeless as a lump of wood,
a feeble weakling and as cold as a fish.
You disgust me.
Ugh, you pathetic tradesman!
ZINOVIY
Look here, Katerina,
thats very fine language coming from you,
just like youd read in books!
Whats it all about?
Where have you got such insolent manners from?
There must be some truth in the rumour
that youve been unfaithful to me.
Just you wait, Katerina,
Ill get to the bottom of it, never fear,
just you wait, Katerina,
Ill get to the bottom of it and then Ill give you
sheer hell,
absolute, sheer hell.
Ill beat the living daylights out of you.
I am your husband before God and the Tsar.
I am responsible for the familys honour.
I demand the truth!
KATERINA
What goodll that do you?
ZINOVIY
I demand the truth!
KATERINA
I dont even want to talk to you,
after all youre nothing more than a pathetic tradesman,
youd never understand anything!
(Zinoviy beats Katerina with the belt.)
ZINOVIY
Take that, and that, and another!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Vsyo slykhli, vsyo slykhli,
vsyo slykhli, vsyo, vsyo, vsyo!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ya nye lyubly, kogd so mnyu
govoryt nakhlno.
Obyasnte mnye vy,
o kakkh takkh amrakh govorite?
Vy nichev nye znete sovsym,
a ya vsyo znyu.
Nye pozvlyu govort so mnyu
o mokh amrakh vam i prchim,
nye vam meny sudt,
nye lyez protvny, zhlky:
dzhe nye mog skazt shto muzh,
a prsto pyen, brevn,
khly, slby, kak rba kholdny.
Ty protven mnye.
Akh ty zhlky kpchik!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Smotri, Katerna,
blno ty rechsta stla,
govorsh, kak pshesh;
shto take?
Pochem take nglyye zamshki u teby?
Nye drom govoryt,
shto izmenla ty mnye.
Pogodte, Katerna,
vsyo uznyu, vsyo uznyu,
pogodte, Katerna,
vsyo uznyu i nakazh teby
ya zhestko, blno,
blno, blno, blno,
blno vysek teby.
Ya muzh tvoy pyred bgom i tsarym.
Ya otvechyu za chest semy.
Skazhi mnye prvdu.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Dlya chev?
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Skazh mnye prvdu!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye khoch i govort ya,
vsyo ravn vyed zhlky kpchik,
nichev ty nye poymysh!
ZINOVIY BORISOVICH
Nu-ka, nu-ka, poluch!
44
Act 3
Scene 6
(Katerina is standing near the cellar and gazing towards
it. Enter Sergey. Both are dressed in fine clothes.)
SERGEY
Why are you standing there?
What are you staring at?
KATERINA
But, Seryozha, Zinoviy Borisych is lying there,
thats where we buried him.
SERGEY
Not so loud!
KATERINA
When I think of it
I feel afraid, Seryozha!
SERGEY
Dont be afraid of the dead,
its the living you should fear.
KATERINA
I know that.
SERGEY
Then if you know it,
whats the point of standing there?
People will notice.
KATERINA
All right.
Seryozha, todays our wedding day,
its time to go to the church.
Everything will be all right.
SERGEY
Its time to go to the church.
KATERINA
Lets go quickly,
today is our day
and tomorrow and always.
(Exit Katerina and Sergey. Enter the shabby peasant,
drunk.)
Act 3
Scene 6
SERGEY
9 Shto ty tut stosh?
Shto smtrish?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha, vyed tut lezht Zinviy Borsych,
tut yev my zakopli.
SERGEY
Tshe!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kak vspmnyu,
strshno mnye, Seryzha!
SERGEY
Myrtvykh nye bysa,
strashs zhivykh.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Znyu.
SERGEY
A ysli znesh,
tak nychevo tut stoyt,
lydi zamytyat.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ldno.
Seryzha, sevdnya svdba nsha,
por nam v tsrkov.
Vsyo bdet khorosh.
SERGEY
Por nam v tsrkov.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Ydem skoryy,
sevdnya nash dyen
i zvtra, i vsegd.
KATERINA
Take him to the cellar.
Ill light the way.
(Sergey lifts Zinoviys body on to his shoulders and car-
ries it into the cellar. Katerina lights the way with a can-
dle. When they come to the cellar, Sergey rolls away
some stones and puts Zinoviys body in the hole.)
SERGEY
Lets have some light, Katya.
KATERINA
Hurry up, oh do hurry up!
(Sergey replaces the stones.)
SERGEY
Just finishing.
Thats allits done
KATERINA
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.
(They kiss.)
SERGEY
Katya
KATERINA
Now you are my husband.
(Katerina and Sergey stand locked in an embrace.)
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nesi v pgreb.
Ya bdu svett.
SERGEY
Svet, Ktya.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Skoryy, skoryye.
SERGEY
Seychs konchyu.
Vsyoknchil
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Tsely, tsely, tsely meny.
SERGEY
Ktya
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Tepyr ty moy muzh.
45
A corpse!
The corpse of Zinoviy Borisovich,
the corpse, the corpse of Zinoviy Borisovich.
Oh! Oh!
Get the police!
(runs away in horror)
Interlude
Scene 7
(At the police station. The sergeant and the policemen
2024 men are sitting around idly and despondently.)
SERGEANT
The police were formed, so we are told,
when the Pharaohs ruled in days of old,
how then in our enlightened civilisation
can men exist without a police station?
SERGEANT AND POLICEMEN
But for all our application
we receive but tribulation,
they pay us most unfairly
and good bribes are offered rarely.
SERGEANT
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
POLICEMEN
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
SERGEANT
Sun and moon in turn give light,
the stars they twinkle but at night.
POLICEMEN
Hey!
SERGEANT
But a policemans always on the job,
come rain or tempest, drought or fog.
SERGEANT AND POLICEMEN
But for all our application
we receive but tribulation,
they pay us most unfairly
and good bribes are offered rarely.
SERGEANT
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
Trup!
Trup Zinviya Borisovicha,
trup, trup Zinviya Borisovicha,
ay! ay!
V politsiyu!
11 Interlude
Scene 7
SERGEANT
12 Szdan politsysky byl vo vrmya on,
dzhe u egiptyan byli farany.
Kak zhe v prosveshchnny nyneshniy nash vyek
zhit byez politsyskikh mzhet chelovyk?
SERGEANT AND POLICEMEN
No za vsye svo starniya
vidim my odn stradniya,
nshe zhlovanye skdno,
brat zhe vzytki chen trdno.
SERGEANT
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by, ekh! vodtse.
POLICEMEN
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by vodtse.
SERGEANT
Snste i lun drug drga zamenyyut,
zvyzdy dazhe tye nochmi lish siyyut.
POLICEMEN
Ekh!
SERGEANT
A gorodovy bessmynno na post
v vydro i nenste, v zsukhu i mglu.
SERGEANT AND POLICEMEN
No za vsye svo starniya
vidim my odn stradniya,
nshe zhlovanye skdno,
brat zhe vzytki chen trdno.
SERGEANT
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by, ekh, vodtse!
SHABBY PEASANT
Once a lady friend of mine
crazy was on drinking wine, hic!
Then I had a kindly mate,
wine and vodka he drank straight, hic!
And as for my godfather dear,
his only interest was in beer, hic!
Hic! Hic! Hic!
That whole family of mine
couldnt last a day without good wine, hic!
Why should they then outstrip me?
I drink vodka enough for three, hic! hic!
I can drink the whole day through,
nights and days and evenings too,
summer, spring and winter deep,
drink until I fall asleep, hic!
I shall drink for evermore,
Im a jolly sort, for sure, hic!
Hic! Hic! Hic!
Singings fine when theres something to drink,
but when theres nothing to drink,
then theres nothing to sing about.
And why is there nothing to drink?
Because Im broke.
Ive got an unlucky star,
other people have got lucky stars.
That Sergey he had absolutely nothing
and now he can swim in vodka.
Why did she choose Sergey for her husband
and not me?
Whats he got that I havent?
Arms, legs, head, belly all in the right place.
Ive just got an unlucky star.
I like to have a good swig!
Heres the cellar,
the mistress often stands near it
and keeps on staring, just staring
Must be some good wine in there
She stares and stares and stares
Well, Ill just have a look.
Ah, there must really be some good wines in there!
(He breaks the lock and enters the cellar, then quickly
runs out again, holding his nose.)
Ugh, what a pong!
Ugh, ugh, ugh! What a pong!
What a frightful, frightful pong!
What could cause such a pong?
Has all the food gone bad?
(goes into the cellar again)
Ill have a look
God, what a pong!
Oh!
(Noticing Zinoviys body in the cellar, the shabby peas-
ant runs out in horror.)
SHABBY PEASANT
10 U meny byl kum,
pit lyubla byez um, ukh!
U meny byl mily svat,
na vin i vdku, khvat, ukh!
Krystny btya tzhe byl,
khorosh pokynik pil, ukh!
Ukh! Ukh! Ukh!
Byez vin moy rodny
nye mogl prozhit i dnya, ukh!
Nu, a chem ya khzhe ikh?
Dyu vdku za troikh, ukh! ukh!
Nachinyu pit s utr,
nchi, dni i vecher,
zimu, leto i vesn,
pyu pokda nye zasn, ukh!
Bdu pit ya tsly vyek,
ya dushvny chelovyk. Ukh!
Ukh! Ukh! Ukh!
Khorosh pyet, kogd yest shto pit,
a kogd nychevo pit,
togd, nychevo pyet.
A pochem nychevo pit?
Potom shto dyneg nyet.
Planida u meny takya,
a u drugvo byvet planida khorshaya.
Vot Sergy tzhe byl gol i nishch,
a tepyr mzhet v vdke kuptsa.
Pochem nye meny, a Sergya
v muzhy sebye beryt?
A chem ya khzhe?
Rki, ngi, golov, zhivt, vsyo na myste,
vot tlko planidy nyet.
Zhelyu vypit!
Pgreb zdyes,
a khozyyka chsto stoit kolo pgreba,
i smtrit, smtrit
Dolzhn byt, v nyom khorshie vina
Smtrit, smtrit, smtrit
Posmotry i ya.
Ukh, kake tam navyrnoe yest vina!
Oy, kakya von!
Oy, oy, oy! kakya von!
Vonyyut, vonyyut, vonyyut!
Shto zhe to tak vonyet?
Neuzhli vsye zaksky protkhli?
Posmotry
Bzhe, kakya von!
Ay!
46
POLICEMEN
A! I! O! U! Y!
Ho, ho, ho!
SERGEANT
Ho, ho, ho!
POLICEMAN
He says, your honour, he doesnt believe in God.
TEACHER
God doesexist
SERGEANT
(to the teacher)
Shut up!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
POLICEMAN
And he talks about frogs
SERGEANT
What frogs?
TEACHER
I started wondering
why only man should possess a soul
and why frogs shouldnt have one too.
So I took a frog and examined it.
SERGEANT
Well?
TEACHER
It has a soul,
only a very small one and its not immortal
SERGEANT
Lock him up!
TEACHER
Sorry, God does exist, God does exist!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
(The policemen take the teacher away and then
return.)
POLICEMEN
A! I! O! U! Y!
Ho, ho, ho!
SERGEANT
Ho, ho, ho!
POLICEMAN
On v bga, vshe blagordie, nye vyruet.
TEACHER
Bog-toyest
SERGEANT
Molcht!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
POLICEMAN
I pro lyagshek
SERGEANT
Kakikh lyagshek?
TEACHER
Stal ya dmat,
tchno odn chelovyk obladet dushy,
nyet li yey u lyagshek.
Vzyal lyagshku, isslydoval.
SERGEANT
Nu?
TEACHER
I yest dush,
tkma mlaya i nye bessmyrtnaya
SERGEANT
Vzyat!
TEACHER
Prostte, yest bog, yest bog.
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
POLICEMEN
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
SERGEANT
Thats why a sergeant vigil keeps all night
and why his aspect is a dreadful sight,
to cause in nihilists fear and agitation,
preserving peace and quiet for the nation.
But for all our application
we receive but tribulation,
they pay us most unfairly
and good bribes are offered rarely!
POLICEMEN
Hey! And for all, hey, our, hey, application, hey,
hey, we receive, hey, but, hey, tribulation, hey!
Hey! They pay us, hey, hey, most unfairly, hey,
and good, hey, bribes, hey, hey, are offered, hey,
rarely!
SERGEANT
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
POLICEMEN
Where could we make the extra bob,
if we didnt fiddle on the job?
SERGEANT
Theres a real feast now at the Ismailovs,
that hussys getting married
and she hasnt invited me.
Ill get even with her,
for getting married without the authorities.
Ill get even with her,
for getting married without the authorities.
POLICEMEN
Thats right, well all get even with her!
SERGEANT
If only we had a pretext,
although a pretext can always be found.
POLICEMEN
Thats right, one can always be found.
(A policeman enters leading a teacher. The teacher
looks scared. The policeman and the sergeant jump to
their feet and start looking interested.)
POLICEMAN
Ive caught a socialist.
POLICEMEN
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by vodtse!
SERGEANT
Dlya tov kvartlny bdrstvuet nochmi,
dlya tov povdit grznymi ochmi,
shtob na nigilstov strkhu nagonyt,
shtby blagopristynost vsydu sokhranyt,
i za vsye svoi starniya
vdim my odni stradniya,
nshe zhlovanye skdno,
brat zhe vzytki chen trdno!
POLICEMEN
Ekh! za vsye, ekh, svoi, ekh, starniya, ekh,
ekh, vdim, ekh, my odn, ekh, stradniya, ekh!
Ekh! Nshe zhlovanye ekh, ekh, skdno, ekh,
brat zhe, ekh, vzytki, ekh ekh, chen, ekh,
trdno!
SERGEANT
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by, ekh, vodtse!
POLICEMEN
Gdye by, kak by pozhivtsa
nam by v mtnoy by vodtse!
SERGEANT
13 U Izmalovoy seychs pir gory,
venchetsa pdlaya,
a meny nye priglasla.
Ya yey pripmnyu,
kak byez nachlstva venchtsa.
Ya yey pripmnyu,
kak byez nachlstva venchtsa.
POLICEMEN
Tak tchno, my vsye pripmnim!
SERGEANT
Byl by tlko prichna,
khoty prichna vsyegd naydytsa.
POLICEMEN
Tak tchno, vsyegd naydytsa.
POLICEMAN
Ya sotsialsta poyml.
47
POLICEMEN
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,
then well have no cause to worry,
wont get blamed for inattention
in a serious situation!
SERGEANT
Quicker, quicker, quicker, quicker,
we might get free food and liquor,
stuff ourselves until were sick,
so well hurry, hurry quick!
POLICEMEN
Quicker, quicker, quicker, quicker,
we might get free food and liquor,
stuff ourselves until were sick,
so well hurry, hurry quick!
Interlude
Scene 8
(In the garden the tables are set out to form three sides
of a rectangle; the guests, already drunk, are celebrating
the wedding of Katerina and Sergey. The bridal pair are
in the centre. The feast is coming to an end. Nearby is
the cellar, where Zinoviys body lies. Katerina is very
restless and on edge. The guests are toasting the bridal
pair.)
GUESTS
Long live the happy pair,
Katerina and Sergey, long life to you!
Long live the happy pair,
may they live long in love and harmony!
Long live the happy pair,
Katerina and Sergey, long life to you!
We wish you health and happiness
and a life of harmony.
Long life!
PRIEST
Give her a kiss! Give her a kiss!
GUESTS
Give her a kiss! Give her a kiss!
(Katerina and Sergey kiss.)
GUESTS
Ha, ha, ha!
PRIEST
Thats fine! Kiss her again!
GUESTS
Give her a kiss! Give her a kiss!
(They kiss again.)
POLICEMEN
Skro, skro, skro, skro,
shtby nye bylo ukra,
v potaknyi, v neradynyi,
v bespolyznom promedlynyi!
SERGEANT
Zhvo, zhvo, zhvo, zhvo,
tam predvditsa nazhva,
vsye my mzhem podkormtsa,
bdem, bdem toroptsa!
POLICEMEN
Zhvo, zhvo, zhvo, zhvo,
tam predvditsa nazhva,
vsye my smzhem podkormtsa,
bdem, bdem toroptsa!
15 Interlude
Scene 8
GUESTS
16 Slva suprgam,
Katerine Lvvne i Sergyu Filppychu, slva!
Slva suprgam,
suprgam slva, sovyt da lyubv!
Slva suprgam,
Katerine Lvvne i Sergyu Filppychu, slva!
Zhelem vam dobr i schstye
i soglsnoy zhzni,
slva.
PRIEST
Grko! Grko!
GUESTS
Grko! Grko!
GUESTS
Ha, ha, ha!
PRIEST
Khorosh! Grko!
GUESTS
Grko! Grko!
SERGEANT
Thats that.
(Silence again and an air of boredom.)
The police were formed, so we are told
But theres a real feast now at the Ismailovs.
POLICEMEN
Ah!
SERGEANT
Thats where wed get something good,
only weve no excuse for going! Ah!
(Enter shabby peasant.)
SHABBY PEASANT
Your honour!
SERGEANT
What do you want?
SHABBY PEASANT
Somethings happened
SERGEANT
Whats happened?
SHABBY PEASANT
At the Ismailovs
SERGEANT
At the Ismailovs? Ho, ho!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
SHABBY PEASANT
Theres a corpse in the cellar
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
(The policemen and the sergeant get up and cheerfully
set off.)
SERGEANT
What a godsend!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
SERGEANT
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,
then well have no cause to worry,
wont get blamed for inattention
in a serious situation!
SERGEANT
To-to.
Szdan politsysky byl vo vrmya on
A u Izmylovoy-to pir goryu.
POLICEMEN
Ekh!
SERGEANT
Vot gdye by byl pozhiva khorshya,
vot tlko nytu prichny. Ekh!
SHABBY PEASANT
14 Vshe blagorodie!
SERGEANT
Chev teby?
SHABBY PEASANT
Sluchlos
SERGEANT
Shto sluchlos?
SHABBY PEASANT
U Izmylovykh
SERGEANT
U Izmylovykh? Ho, ho!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
SHABBY PEASANT
Trup v pgrebe
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
SERGEANT
Prisll gospd!
POLICEMEN
Ho, ho, ho!
SERGEANT
Skro, skro, skro, skro,
shtby nye bylo ukra,
v potaknyi, v neradynyi,
v bespolyznom promedlynyi!
48
PRIEST
Give her a kiss!
SERGEY
Whats the matter?
GUESTS
He, he, he!
KATERINA
The locks broken.
SERGEY
Well?
KATERINA
Thats where Zinoviy is,
look, its terrifying. Oh!
When they all go home
well make a run for it!
SERGEY
It cant be.
Its true, its broken;
hush, hush.
PRIEST
Who is fairer than the sun in the sky.
Who is fairer
Where are the happy pair,
having it off together?
Bit early isnt it, its not yet night, he, he, he!
GUESTS
Long life!
KATERINA (to the guests)
Help yourselves, please.
GUESTS
Katerina Lvovna is fairer than the sun in the sky!
(They fall asleep.)
PRIEST
Who is fairer than the sun in the sky, eh?
DRUNKEN GUEST
Give her a kiss!
(The guests are asleep. Katerina and Sergey are very
agitated.)
KATERINA
Sergey, we must escape,
someones broken the lock,
they must have seen the body there.
PRIEST
Grko!
SERGEY
17 Shto take?
GUESTS
He, he, he!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Zamk srvan.
SERGEY
Nu?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Tam Zinviy Borsych,
smotr, strshno. Oy!
Kogd uydt,
my ubezhm, spasymsa!
SERGEY
Nye mzhet byt,
vyrno, slman;
tishe, tishe.
PRIEST
Kto krshe sntsa v nybe,
kto krshe
Gdye zhe suprgi,
shumkayutsa?
Rno, yeshch nye noch, he, he, he!
GUESTS
Slva!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kshayte, prosh vas.
GUESTS
Katerna Lvvna krshe sntsa v nybe!
PRIEST
Kto krshe sntsa v nybe, a?
DRUNKEN GUEST
Grko!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sergy, ndo bezht,
kto-to vzloml zamk,
navyrnoe videl tam trup.
KATERINA
Dear friends,
help yourselves, please!
GUESTS
Thank you, thank you.
PRIEST
Who is fairer than the sun in the sky,
who is fairer than the sun in the sky?
Eh!
GUESTS
Is there none fairer than the sun in the sky,
is there none fairer than the sun in the sky?
Yes there is!
PRIEST
Indeed there is!
Indeed there is one fairer than the sun in the sky,
there is! There is!
Indeed there is one fairer than the sun in the sky!
Who is it?
GUESTS
We know of none fairer than the sun in the sky,
we know of none fairer than the sun in the sky!
PRIEST
Katerina Lvovna is fairer than the sun in the sky,
mmahreally lovely!
Mmher hand
Give her a kiss!
GUESTS
Give her a kiss, give her a kiss!
PRIEST
He, he, he!
Have they gone all shy?
GUESTS
He, he, he!
(The guests are drunk and almost asleep.)
Long live Katerina Lvovna,
shes fairer than the sun in the sky, long may she live!
PRIEST
Give her a kiss!
(Katerina notices that the lock on the cellar door is bro-
ken.)
KATERINA
Oh!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Gsti doroge,
kshayte, prosh vas!
GUESTS
Spasbo, spasbo.
PRIEST
Kto krshe sntsa v nybe,
kto krshe sntsa v nybe?
A?
GUESTS
Nikov nyet krshe sntsa v nybe,
nikov nyet krshe sntsa v nybe?
Da!
PRIEST
An yest!
An yest krshe sntsa v nybe!
Yest! Yest!
An, yest krshe sntsa v nybe!
Kto?
GUESTS
My nye znem krshe sntsa v nybe,
my nye znem krshe sntsa v nybe nikov!
PRIEST
Katerna Lvvna krshe sntsa v nybe,
mmevesm prelystna!
Mmrchku
Grko!
GUESTS
Grko, grko!
PRIEST
He, he, he!
Zastydlis?
GUESTS
He, he, he!
Katerna Lvvna slva,
shto krshe sntsa v nybe, slva!
PRIEST
Grko!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh!
49
SERGEY
A kak zhe khozyystvo?
Torgvlya?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Brsit vsyo pridytsa.
Vozmym vsye dyngi,
na nshu zhizn khvtit,
mzhet byt uspyyem.
Id za dengmi skoryy,
nelzy mydlit ni minty!
Nu gdye zh on? Gdye zh on?
SERGEY
Id, id!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
18 Shto take?
Pzdno!
Akh, Sergy, pogbli my
SERGEY
Pochem pogbli, bezhm!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nykuda!
SERGEY
Kto tam?
POLICEMEN
Politsiya!
SERGEANT
Zdrstvuyte!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Zdrstvuyte!
SERGEANT
Vy nas nye priglasli,
pobryzgovali?
A vot my smi prishl!
Dyltse vyshlo odn!
Da, gostyy-to sklko!
Vin, nebs, mngo vpito!
Da? Dyltse takovo rda,
da odnim slvom, dyltse!
SERGEY
What about the household?
And the business?
KATERINA
Well have to drop everything.
Lets take all the money,
itll be enough for us to live on;
we might just have time.
Go and get the money quickly,
theres not a moment to lose!
(Sergey runs into the house.)
Oh, wheres he got to, wheres he got to?
SERGEY
Coming, coming!
(Sergey returns. Katerina hears footsteps and sees the
policemen approaching, led by the sergeant. Katerina is
distraught and rushes about the stage trying to escape.)
KATERINA
Whats this?
Its too late
Oh, Sergey, were done for
SERGEY
What do you mean, done for? Lets run for it!
KATERINA
Wherever to?
(A knock is heard at the gate.)
SERGEY
Whos there?
POLICEMEN
The police!
(The gate opens. Enter the police.)
SERGEANT
How do you do?
KATERINA (outwardly calm)
How do you do?
SERGEANT
You didnt invite us,
arent we good enough for you?
But here we are anyway!
A little matter has arisen!
So, what a lot of guests!
Looks as if a lot of wines been drunk!
Hasnt it? Theres a little matter of a certain kind,
to put it bluntly, theres a little matter!
(Katerina embraces Sergey.)
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye tyanite, nye tyanite,
vyazhite, vyazhite,
akh, Sergy, prost,
prost meny Seryzha!
Seryzha!
SERGEANT
A nu, davy, zavyzyvay! Zhivo!
SERGEY
Pust, svloch!
POLICEMEN
Derzh, derzhiderzh, derzh!
SERGEY
Pust! Pust! Pust!
SERGEANT
Vryosh! Nye uydysh!
Nye uydysh!
Raz! Raz! Raz! Raz!
POLICEMEN
Vryosh! Ha, ha, ha!
Tak yev! Tak yev! Tak yev!
Tak yev! Tak yev! Tak yev!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Nye smyey!
Mye smyey!
SERGEANT
Krpche derzhte!
Vedte v ostrg!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh, Sergy, prost meny,
prost.
KATERINA
Dont keep beating about the bush,
put the handcuffs on, then!
Oh, Sergey, forgive me,
forgive me, Seryozha!
Seryozha!
(She holds out her hands to the policemen. They
handcuff her.)
SERGEANT
Get the handcuffs on! Look sharp!
(Sergey tried to escape.)
SERGEY
Let me go, you swine!
POLICEMEN
Get him, get him, get him, get him!
(They immediately get hold of him. He resists and they
beat him. Katerina in handcuffs rushes to defend Sergey.
They are both securely handcuffed.)
SERGEY
Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!
SERGEANT
No you dont! You wont get away!
You wont get away!
Take that, and that, and that, and that!
POLICEMEN
No you dont! Ha, ha, ha!
Thats what he needs, just what he needs!
Thats what he needs, just what he needs!
KATERINA
Dont you dare!
Dont you dare!
SERGEANT
Keep a tight hold of him!
Off to prison with him!
(He is led away.)
KATERINA
Oh, Sergey, forgive me,
forgive me.
50
Act 4
Scene 8
OLD CONVICT
19 Vyrsty odn za drugy
dlnnoy polzt verentsey,
spal utomtelny znoy,
Sntse za step sadtsa.
Ekh, ty, put, tsepymi vskpanny,
put v Sibr, kostmi zasyyanny,
ptom, krvyu put tot vspenny,
smyrtnym stnom put ovyyanny!
Akh!
CONVICTS
Ekh, ty put, tsepymi vskpanny,
put v Sibr, kostmi zasyyanny,
ptom, krvyu put tot vspenny,
smyrtnym stnom put ovyyanny!
OLD CONVICT
Noch otdokhnym i opyt,
s pyrvymi sntsa luchmi,
bdem my vyrsty schitt,
myrno zveny kandalmi.
Ekh, vy stepi neobytnyye,
dni i nchi beskonychnyye,
nshi dmy bezotrdnyye
i zhandrmy besserdychnyye.
CONVICTS
Ey vy, step neobytnyye,
dni i nchi beskonychnyye,
nshi dmy bezotrdnyye
i zhandrmy besserdychnyye!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
20 Stepnych! Propust meny,
vot dvugrivenny, vdki kpish,
Stepnych!
SENTRY
Oy bby! Oy, bby!
Bludlvy nard!
Nu, uzh ldno, stupy!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Spasbo!
Seryzha! Khorshy moy!
Nakonyts-to!
Vyed tsly dyen s toby nye vdelas.
Seryzha!
bol v nogkh proshl,
i ustlost, i gre
Vsyo zabylos,
raz ty so mnyu,
Seryzha, Seryzha!
SERGEY
A grekh tzhe zabyla?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kaky grekh, Seryzha?
SERGEY
A kto do ktorgi meny dovyl,
zabyla?
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha!
SERGEY
Otoyd!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha!
Akh, prost meny, Seryzha.
SERGEY
Udy, ty zhizn moy sgubla!
Uydi!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh, prost meny,
prost meny, Seryzha!
Bzhe moy, kakya mka,
Seryzha!
SERGEY
Tzhe kupchkha!
Prsto svloch.
Act 4
Scene 8
(It is evening. The convicts are settling down for the
night. The women are separated from the men. Amongst
the women are Katerina and a pretty young convict
called Sonyetka. Amongst the men is Sergey. All the
convicts are in fetters. Sentries are posted everywhere.)
OLD CONVICT
Verst after verst, one by one,
creeps by in an endless procession,
the heat of the day now is done,
the sun on the steppes is now setting.
Ah, road, where the chains have been dragging,
where bones of the dead are still lying,
where blood and sweat have been flowing,
to the echoes of groans of the dying!
Ah!
CONVICTS
Ah, road, where the chains have been dragging,
where bones of the dead are still lying,
where blood and sweat have been flowing,
to the echoes of groans of the dying!
OLD CONVICT
We shall rest when the days work is done,
but the first rays of sunrise will find us
counting the versts one by one,
our fetters still clanging behind us.
Ah, steppes, you are so endless,
days and nights so countless,
the thoughts we think so cheerless
and the guards we have so heartless!
CONVICTS
Ah, steppes, you are so endless,
days and nights so countless,
the thoughts we think so cheerless
and the guards we have so heartless!
(Katerina goes up to the sentry who is separating the
women from the men.)
KATERINA
Stepanych! Let me go through,
heres twenty kopecks to buy some vodka,
Stepanych!
SENTRY
Oh, women! Women!
What a lecherous lot!
Oh well, all right then, go along!
KATERINA
Thank you!
(She makes her way over to Sergey.)
Seryozha! My dearest!
(She snuggles up to Sergey. Sergey maintains a sullen
silence.)
At last!
Ive gone the whole day without seeing you.
Seryozha!
Even the pain in my legs has gone
and the tiredness and the anguish
Everythings forgotten,
once Im with you,
Seryozha, Seryozha!
SERGEY
Have you also forgotten the wrong youve done?
KATERINA
What wrong, Seryozha?
SERGEY
Whose fault is it Im a convict,
have you forgotten?
KATERINA
Seryozha!
SERGEY
Get away!
KATERINA
Seryozha,
oh, forgive me, Seryozha.
SERGEY
Get out, youve ruined my life!
Get out!
KATERINA
Oh, forgive me,
forgive me, Seryozha!
O God, what torment,
Seryozha!
SERGEY
Fine sort of merchants wife!
Youre just a hussy.
(Katerina returns to her place.)
51
SONYETKA
And what is that desire?
SERGEY
You must know what it is!
SONYETKA
What a cheeky fellow you are,
run off to that rich merchants wife of yours!
SERGEY
Im sick of her, Im sick of her,
Im absolutely sick of her!
SONYETKA
Why did you carry on with her then?
SERGEY
For what I could get out of it!
SONYETKA
Do you think Ill give you what you want
just to please you?
Well, youve got it wrong!
(She gets up and makes as if to leave.)
SERGEY
Wait, Sonyetka!
SONYETKA
Well, I cant make out what you want!
(Sergey embraces Sonyetka. Sonyetka resists.)
SERGEY
I love you, I love you!
I love you, love you,
I love you!
SONYETKA
Prove it then!
SERGEY
What do you want me to do?
(Sonyetka shows Sergey her torn stockings. Sergey seizes
her legs, but Sonyetka puts a stop to his
advances with a slap on the cheek.)
SONYETKA
Cant you see?
My stockings are torn
and Im cold.
Get me some others!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
21 Nye lekhk psle pochta da poklnov
pyred sudm stoyt!
Nye lekhk psle rdostey i lask
spnu pod plyti palach podstavlyt.
Nye lekhk psle pern pukhvykh
na zemly kholdnoy spat.
Nye lekhk psle nygi i pokya
tysyachi vyorst shagt,
nye lekhk, nye lekhk!
No nyet sly vyterpet izmyny Sergya,
videt v kzhkom yev vzglyde nynavist,
chyat v kzhdom slve prezrnye.
Vot tovo nye mog ya vyterpet.
SERGEY
22 Moy pochtynye!
SONYETKA
I kak ty to vsydu pospevesh?
SERGEY
Chetvertk nteru ya dal.
SONYETKA
I gdye ty stlko berysh chetvertakv?
SERGEY
U kupchkhi.
SONYETKA
U kupchkhi.
Nu i dra, tvoy kupchikha!
SERGEY
Izvystno, dra, dra.
SONYETKA
Dra.
SERGEY
Dra!
SONYETKA and SERGEY
Ha, ha, ha!
SERGEY
Sonytochka moy,
zhelyu ya teby poprost
dostvit mnye rdost zhzni!
SONYETKA
Kakyu to rdost?
SERGEY
Izvystno, kakyu!
SONYETKA
Kaky prtky,
id k svoyy kupchikhe!
SERGEY
Oprotvela on, oprotvela on,
oprotvela on mnye strshno!
SONYETKA
Chev zh ty khorokhrilsa s nyey?
SERGEY
Iz korsti!
SONYETKA
A dmaesh, ya rdosti
drom shto li bdu dostaylyt?
Obchlsa!
SERGEY
Stoy, Sonytka!
SONYETKA
Nu vot, to lozhs, to stoy!
SERGEY
Lyubly teby, lyubly teby!
Lyubly, lyubly teby,
lyubly!
SONYETKA
Dokazh, shto lybish!
SERGEY
Shto ty khchesh ot meny?
SONYETKA
Vdish?
Chulk porvlis,
khlodno mnye,
dostn chulk!
KATERINA
Its hard when youre used to honour and respect
to stand before a judge!
Its hard after endearments and caresses
to feel the whip on your back.
Its hard after the luxury of feather beds
to have to sleep on the frozen ground.
Its hard after luxury and peace
to trudge for thousands of versts,
its hard, its hard!
But Ive no strength to bear Sergeys betrayal,
to see in his every glance his hatred of me,
to sense in every word his disdain.
Thats what I cannot bear.
(Sergey makes his way towards Sonyetka and
wakens her.)
SERGEY
Greetings!
SONYETKA
How do you manage to get around everywhere?
SERGEY
I gave the sentry 25 kopecks.
SONYETKA
And where do you get so much money from?
SERGEY
From my rich merchants wife.
SONYETKA
Your rich merchants wife?
Then shes a fool, that rich merchants wife of yours!
SERGEY
Yes, shes a fool, for sure.
SONYETKA
What a fool!
SERGEY
Yes, what a fool!
SONYETKA AND SERGEY
Ha, ha, ha
SERGEY
Sonyetka my darling,
I want to ask you
to grant me my hearts desire!
52
SERGEY
No gdye zhe?
SONYETKA
U kupchikhi.
SERGEY
Vyrno!
23 Ldno dostnu!
Ktya!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha, prishl?
SERGEY
Ktya, nye serds ty na meny,
prost.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha,
Seryzha, vyed ty odn u meny,
moy rdost,
ay tya ty oskorbl meny zhestko,
Seryzha!
SERGEY
Ktya, prost,
tyazhel mnye
Poslydniye rasy s toby
ya vizhus.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Pochem? Seryzha?
SERGEY
Do groda doyd,
v bolntsu slygu,
kandalmi ngu natyr,
bol nesterpmaya.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kak zhe tak?
Shtozh ya byez teby bdu dylat?
Vyed meny dlshe pognyat!
SERGEY
Pognyat!
Nye mog ya dlshe idt,
blno!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha, nye mog ya byez teby
ni minty byt,
shto dylat?
Ya nye mog, ya nye mog, Seryzha.
Nye pokidy meny!
SERGEY
Vot ysli gdye-nibd
sherstyanyye chulk dostt,
pomogl b navyrno!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Chulk?
Shto zhe ty rnshe molchl? Seryzha?
Na chulk, vozm chulk!
SERGEY
Akh, Ktya,
spasbo, rdost ty moy!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Vot, vozm.
SERGEY
Nu, ya seychs prid!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Kud ty?
SERGEY
Seychs prid.
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Seryzha, Seryzha!
Zachm on ushl?
SERGEY
24 Na chulk!
Idym,
tepyr ty moy!
SONYETKA
Ish, zvyer!
SERGEY
Wherever from?
SONYETKA
From your rich merchants wife.
SERGEY
Of course!
All right, Ill get some!
(He makes his way towards Katerina.)
Katya!
KATERINA
Seryozha, so youve come?
SERGEY
Katya, dont be angry,
forgive me.
KATERINA
Seryozha,
Seryozha, youre all I have, you know,
my love,
and youyouve hurt me cruelly,
Seryozha!
SERGEY
Katya, forgive me,
Im in a bad way
This is the last time
well see each other.
KATERINA
Why? Seryozha?
SERGEY
Im going to town
to the hospital,
the fetters have rubbed my leg so sore,
the pains intolerable.
KATERINA
But you cant!
What shall I do without you?
Theyre sure to torment me even more!
SERGEY
They will!
But I cant go on any longer,
it hurts so!
KATERINA
Seryozha, I cant exist even a minute
without you,
what am I to do?
I cant, I cant, Seryozha,
dont leave me!
SERGEY
If only I could get hold
of some woollen stockings from somewhere,
that would certainly help!
KATERINA
Stockings?
Why didnt you say so before, Seryozha?
Here are some stockings, take them!
(takes off her stockings)
SERGEY
Oh, Katya,
thank you, my dearest!
KATERINA (gives Sergey her stockings)
Here, take them.
SERGEY
Well, Ill be back in a moment!
(He takes the stockings and quickly goes towards
Sonyetka.)
KATERINA
Where are you going?
SERGEY
Ill be back in a moment.
KATERINA
Seryozha, Seryozha!
Why has he gone off?
SERGEY (to Sonyetka)
Here are some stockings!
Come on,
now you are mine!
(He takes Sonyetka in his arms and carries her off the
stage.)
SONYETKA (enraptured)
Oh, you are a brute!
(Katerina, noticing what is going on, rushes after Sergey,
but she is restrained by the women convicts, who start
mocking her.)
53
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Sergy, Sergy, shto to?
Chulk Sonytke?
Sergy! Sergy!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
U kupchkhi zhar i pyl
yesch klokchut.
A lyubvnichek ostl,
on i znat yey nye khchet!
WOMEN CONVICTS
A lyubvnik uzh ostl,
on i znat yey nye khchet.
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
Nichev nye stlo ble:
poteryla svo rdosti na vle!
A v nevle zhenikh!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
Poteryla svo rdosti na vle!
A v nevle zhenikh!
WOMAN CONVICT
Katerna Lvvna,
natvorla ty delv!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
Byez Sergya Katerne chen skshno!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Kupchkha byez Sergya propadyt,
byez Sergya propadyt.
WOMAN CONVICT
Otdy, otdy, otdy chlochki nam!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
Otdy chlochki nam!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh! Pustte!
KATERINA
Sergey, Sergey, what does this mean?
Are the stockings for Sonyetka?
Sergey! Sergey!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
The merchants wife with passionate fire
still is burning.
But cold is now her lovers desire,
to know her he has no yearning!
WOMEN CONVICTS
But cold is now her lovers desire,
to know her he has no yearning.
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
Nothing more to her is left:
of her joys in freedom was she bereft!
And in bondage of her bridegroom too!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
Of her joys in freedom was she bereft!
And in bondage of her bridegroom too!
WOMAN CONVICT
Katerina Lvovna,
what a mess youve made of things!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
Itll be dull for Katerina without Sergey!
WOMEN CONVICTS
The merchants wife will be lost without Sergey,
will be lost without Sergey.
WOMAN CONVICT
Give the stockings to us, give them to us!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
Give the stockings to us!
KATERINA
Ah! Let me go!
(She keeps trying to break through the women
convicts.)
WOMAN CONVICT
Ni odn nye sptsa nchku
Nepriytno v odinchku,
nepriytno byez Sergya!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
EKATERINA LVOVNA
Akh! Akh!
ALL WOMEN CONVICTS
Byez Sergya Katerne chen skshno,
byez Sergeya Katerne chen skshno,
byez Sergya Katerne chen skshno,
byez Sergya.
SENTRY
Smrno! Smrno!
Chev oryte?
WOMAN CONVICT
TamtamSergy, Sonytka.
SENTRY
Molcht! Ya vas!
Nu!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
SENTRY
Nu i nu!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
WOMAN CONVICT
Not one night can she sleep alone
It is unpleasant on her own,
it is unpleasant without Sergey!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
KATERINA
Ah! Ah!
ALL WOMEN CONVICTS
Itll be dull for Katerina without Sergey,
itll be dull for Katerina without Sergey,
itll be dull for Katerina without Sergey,
without Sergey.
(At the noise the sentry comes running. He restores
order.)
SENTRY
Attention! Attention!
What are you yelling for?
WOMAN CONVICT (points out to the sentry where
Sonyetka and Sergey have gone)
TherethereSergey, Sonyetka.
SENTRY
Shut up! Ill do you!
(looks and shakes his head)
Well!
(Katerina escapes from the ring of women convicts and
runs on to the stage.)
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
SENTRY
Well I never!
WOMEN CONVICTS
Ha, ha, ha!
(Katerina stands motionless in an attitude of utter
despair, then in horror runs to the front of the stage.
She stands still in utter despair.)
54
EKATERINA LVOVNA
25 V les, v smoy chshche yest zero,
sovsym krgloe, chen glubkoe,
i vod v nyom chrnaya,
kak moy svest, chrnaya.
I kogd vyter khdit v les,
na zere podnimyutsa vlny,
bolshe vlny, togd strshno;
a senyu v zere vsegd vlny,
chrnaya vod i bolshe vlny.
Chrnyye bolshe vlny.
SERGEY
26 Znesh li, Sonytka,
na kov s toby my pokhzhi?
Na Adma i na Evu.
SONYETKA
No na ray zdyes nye slshkom-to pokhzhe!
SERGEY
Pustyak, my seychs pobyvli v ray
SONYETKA
Spasbo, Katerna Lvvna,
spasbo, Katerna Lvvna,
za chulk spasbo!
Posmotr, kak krasvo
na mokh nogkh sidyt.
Seryzha mnye ikh nadevl
i ngi potselyami mnye sogrevl.
Akh, Seryzha, moy Seryzha,
Katerna dra,
nye sumyla uderzht Sergya.
Ekh, dra! Ekh dra!
A chlochki nye vidt,
on teypyr moi, vdish?
Mnye tepyr tepl!
OFFICER
27 Vstavy! Po mestm! Zhvo!
CONVICTS
Ekh, vstavt ndo,
dlshe, dlshe ndo idt!
KATERINA
In the wood, right in a grove, there is a lake,
almost round and very deep
and the water in it is black,
black like my conscience.
And when the wind blows in the wood,
on the lake waves rise up,
huge waves and then its frightening;
in autumn there are always waves on the lake
and the waters black and the waves huge.
Huge, black waves.
(Sonyetka and Sergey come out from backstage.)
SERGEY
Do you know, Sonyetka,
who we resemble?
Adam and Eve.
SONYETKA
But its not all that like Paradise here!
SERGEY
Nonsense, weve just been in Paradise together
(Sonyetka goes up to Katerina, who is sitting
motion-less, her eyes fixed on one spot.)
SONYETKA
Thank you, Katerina Lvovna,
thank you, Katerina Lvovna,
thank you for the stockings!
Look how fine they look
on my legs.
Seryozha put them on for me
and kissed my legs to make them warm!
Oh, Seryozha, my Seryozha,
Katerinas a fool,
she couldnt keep Sergey.
Ha, what a fool! Ha, what a fool!
And you wont see your stockings again.
Theyre mine now, look!
Im warm now!
(An officer wakens the convicts. The beating of the
drum is heard.)
OFFICER
On your feet! Back to your places! Look lively!
(The convicts get up.)
CONVICTS
Oh, weve got to get up
and get moving again!
(The convicts line up. Katerina remains sitting
motionless. An old convict goes up to her.)
OLD CONVICT
Ty bbenka, slyshish? Ukhdim!
On rugtsa bdut, slyshish?
SONYETKA
28 Akh!
CONVICTS
Bzhe moy! Shto take?
OFFICER
Ni s mysta! Nu! Ya vas!
SONYETKA
Akh! Akh!
OFFICER
Obe potonli,
spast nelzy, technye silnoe!
Smrno! Po mestm!
OLD CONVICT
Snva i snva shagt,
myrno zveny kandalmi,
vyrsty unylo schitt,
pyl podnimya nogmi!
CONVICTS
Ekh vy, step neobytnyye,
dni i nchi beskonychnyye,
nshi dmy bezotrdnyye,
i zhandrmy besserdychnyye,
a
OLD CONVICT
Hey, old girl, do you hear? Were off!
Otherwise theyll give us hell, do you hear?
(Katerina slowly goes up to Sonyetka, who is
standing on the bridge by a broken parapet. She pushes
Sonyetka into the river and throws herself in after her.)
SONYETKA
Ah!
CONVICTS
Good heavens! Whatevers happened?
OFFICER
Dont move there! Watch it! Ill do you!
SONYETKA (from a distance)
Ah! Ah!
OFFICER
Theyve both drowned,
we cant save them, the currents too strong!
Attention! Back to your places!
(The convicts line up and march off.)
OLD CONVICT
We trudge along day after day,
clanging our fetters behind us.
Wearily counting the versts,
raising the dust all around us!
CONVICTS
Ah, steppes, you are so endless,
days and nights so countless,
the thoughts we think so cheerless
and the guards we have so heartless.
Ah
(Exeunt the convicts. Their singing can be heard in the
distance. The stage is now empty.)
Transliteration and English translation
Joan Pemberton Smith, 1979