Songs
Boljashchij dukh vrachuet pesnopen'e, 'Prelude: Song can tend the ailing spirit'
by Valentin Silvestrov From Quiet Songs: 1. Five Songs (1975)
Text & Translation
Boljashchij dukh vrachuet pesnopen'e, 'Prelude: Song can tend the ailing spirit'
Russian source:
Yevgeny Baratynsky
Garmonii tainstvennaja vlast'
Tjazheloe iskupit zabluzhden'e
I ukrotit buntujushchuju strast'.
Dusha pevtsa, soglasno izlitaja,
Razreshena ot vsekh svoikh skorbej;
I chistotu poezija svjataja
I mir otdast prichastnitse svoej.
Song can tend the ailing spirit
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
The mysterious power of harmony
Will dispel delusion
And temper rebellious passion.
The poet’s soul, poured forth in concord,
Is released from all its woes;
And sacred poetry will give purity
And peace to its faithful communicant.
Boljashchij dukh vrachuet pesnopen'e, 'Prelude: Song can tend the ailing spirit'
Russian source:
Yevgeny Baratynsky
Song can tend the ailing spirit
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Boljashchij dukh vrachuet pesnopen'e.
Song can tend the ailing spirit.
Garmonii tainstvennaja vlast'
The mysterious power of harmony
Tjazheloe iskupit zabluzhden'e
Will dispel delusion
I ukrotit buntujushchuju strast'.
And temper rebellious passion.
Dusha pevtsa, soglasno izlitaja,
The poet’s soul, poured forth in concord,
Razreshena ot vsekh svoikh skorbej;
Is released from all its woes;
I chistotu poezija svjataja
And sacred poetry will give purity
I mir otdast prichastnitse svoej.
And peace to its faithful communicant.
