Russian songs: Originals and Translations

Moments - Joseph Kobzon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTbPY4rNuLc

 

Don't see the seconds as something beneath

The time will come and you yourself will know this:

Like bullets by the temple they all whizz –

The moments, the moments, the moments.

 

Each moment has its reason and its aim,

Its own ringing bells and its reality,

The moments give to some people their shame,

To some - inglory, to some - immortality

 

From tiny moments woven is the rain

From sky the common water keeps on pouring

And half your life you stay here and you wait

For when it will arrive at last, your moment

 

Large as a water gulp it will arrive -

The gulp of water in the summer scorching sun

And we remember dues we have in life

From moments - the initial to the final one -

 

Into the years the moments are compressed

The moments are compressed into the centuries

And sometimes I still fail to understand

Which moment is the first, which is the end of them -

 

Don't see the seconds as something beneath

The time will come and you yourself will know this:

Like bullets by the temple they all whizz -

The moments, the moments, the moments.

 

 

Raspberry - Valentian Legkostupova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eok0sNbbnUo

 

You'd remember the fairy tale dream,

Will about you it ever forget,

Raspberry ringing flew through the field,

And shone brightly the raspberry light.

 

Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,

Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,

How had shimmered all these sparks upon the sunrise

And how sweet the raspberry was.

 

Quietly rustled the enchanted grove,

Just for us in it sang nightingales,

And your lips, so delightful and warm,

Of the ripe and red raspberry smelled.

 

Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,

Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,

How had shimmered all these sparks upon the sunrise

And how sweet the raspberry was.

 

Give to me as a gift just one word,

Over which do not rule centuries.

And let rush from the luminous dawn

River pouring with ripe raspberries.

 

Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,

Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,

How had shimmered all these sparks upon the sunrise

And how sweet the raspberry was.

 

 

Tell Me Birds - Alla Pugacheva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKo7wnSopU&feature=related

 

Tell me, birds, what leads you into sky.

Over me so daringly you fly.

Maybe you fly with such easiness

For you aren't aspiring to success.

For you aren't tormented by the slights

From your flying past, your gorgeous past.

 

Fully, fly and keep flying,

It is midnight, in the zenith sun stands.

Verse by verse to the whole planet

Give away this song I'm singing

And the sun showers' silver threads.

Verse by verse to the whole planet

Give away this song I'm singing

And the sun showers' silver threads.

 

Tell this to me birds, time has arrived,

That our planet - is like fragile glass.

The clean birches, rivers and the fields,

All - more delicate than chandeliers.

Would from every side we soon be hearing

The crystal ringing, the farewell ringing.

 

Fully, fly and keep flying,

It is midnight, in the zenith sun stands.

Verse by verse to the whole planet

Give away this song I'm singing

And the sun showers' silver threads.

Verse by verse to the whole planet

Give away this song I'm singing

And the sun showers' silver threads.

 

Little Noses - Valentian Tolkunova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQeA8JTraMU&feature=related

 

Finally, having climbed half the world around,

My small boys are in bed fast asleep

Fast asleep my green-eyed nations, sleep my treasures dirty-faced,

Little noses, little schnoses, sniff.

 

So peaceful and good they are while sleeping

In the world there are no better kids

Bruises like bright peas

Burning on their knees and

Blankets thrown aside upon the bed

Bruises like bright peas

Burning on their knees and

Blankets thrown aside upon the bed.

 

But tomorrow if you know ahead as to

Into which directions their paths lead

If for them without invitation

To go to a drawing lesson and

Into outer space barefoot to tread

If for them without invitation

To go to a drawing lesson and

Into outer space barefoot to tread

 

Tiredly over them the clock is beating

Peacefully on earth the children sleep

Sleep my little desperadoes

Sleep my Titovs and Gagarins

Little noses, little schnoses, sniff

Sleep my little desperadoes

Sleep my Titovs and Gagarins

Little noses, little schnoses, sniff.

 

 

After Gypsy Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX6uxM5anek&feature=related%20

 

Fuzzy bumblebee on a fragrant ambary

Dances at the edge of the pond

And the gypsy bride for beloved at night

By the kinship of vagrant soul

 

So ahead after wandering gypsy star

Into sunset where sails palpitate

And with desolate longing the eyes will stare

Into flaming skies overhead

 

And together on path, to meet the fates,

Not to guess if to heaven or hell,

Thus we need to go not fearing the road

To the end of the world to the end

 

So ahead after wandering gypsy star

Rendezvous flying into sunrise

Where, tender and quiet, the wave alights

With pink in the morning light

 

So ahead after wandering gypsy star

In the latitudes north and south

If the waves of the sea warm will be

Ocean wave will fly over us

 

So ahead after wandering gypsy star

Into sunset where sails palpitate

And with desolate longing the eyes will stare

And with desolate longing the eyes will stare

Into flaming skies overhead.

Translated from Russian by Ilya Shambat.