Songs
Broshennyi otets, 'An abandoned father'
by Dmitri Shostakovich From From Jewish Folk Poetry (1948) Op. 79
Text & Translation
Broshennyi otets, 'An abandoned father'
Russian source:
Anon.
K pristavu dochka ushla, govorjat.
- Tsirelje, dochka!
Vernis' k otcu,
Dam tebe plat'ev narjadnykh k ventsu.
Tsirelje, dochka!
Ser'gi i kol'tsa kuplju tebe sam.
Tsirelje, dochka!
I na pridachu krasavchika,
Krasavchika dam.
Cirelje, dochka!
- Ne nado mne narjadov,
Ne nado mne kolets.
Lish' s gospodinom pristavom pojdu ja pod venets!..
Gospodin pristav,
Proshu vas,
Skoree gonite v sheju starogo evreja.
Tsirelje, dochka!
Vernis' ko mne! Vernis' ko mne...
An abandoned father
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
They say his daughter’s gone off with a policeman.
‘Tsirile, my daughter!
Come back to your father
And I’ll give you fancy dresses for your wedding.
Tsirile, my daughter!
I’ll buy you earrings and rings for your fingers.
Tsirile, my daughter!
And I’ll find a handsome young man
For you to marry into the bargain.
Tsirile, my daughter!’
‘I don’t need your fancy wares,
I don’t need your rings either.
All I want is to marry this fine policeman!..
Officer, hurry please,
Would you be so kind
As to send this old Jew packing.’
‘Tsirile, my daughter!
Come back to me! Come back to me!...’
Broshennyi otets, 'An abandoned father'
Russian source:
Anon.
An abandoned father
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Ele, star'evshhik, nadel khalat.
The old peddler, Ele, put on his coat.
K pristavu dochka ushla, govorjat.
They say his daughter’s gone off with a policeman.
- Tsirelje, dochka!
‘Tsirile, my daughter!
Vernis' k otcu,
Come back to your father
Dam tebe plat'ev narjadnykh k ventsu.
And I’ll give you fancy dresses for your wedding.
Tsirelje, dochka!
Tsirile, my daughter!
Ser'gi i kol'tsa kuplju tebe sam.
I’ll buy you earrings and rings for your fingers.
Tsirelje, dochka!
Tsirile, my daughter!
I na pridachu krasavchika,
And I’ll find a handsome young man
Krasavchika dam.
For you to marry into the bargain.
Cirelje, dochka!
Tsirile, my daughter!’
- Ne nado mne narjadov,
‘I don’t need your fancy wares,
Ne nado mne kolets.
I don’t need your rings either.
Lish' s gospodinom pristavom pojdu ja pod venets!..
All I want is to marry this fine policeman!..
Gospodin pristav,
Officer, hurry please,
Proshu vas,
Would you be so kind
Skoree gonite v sheju starogo evreja.
As to send this old Jew packing.’
Tsirelje, dochka!
‘Tsirile, my daughter!
Vernis' ko mne! Vernis' ko mne...
Come back to me! Come back to me!...’
Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer and pianist. He achieved fame in the Soviet Union, although later developed a more complex and difficult relationship with the government. As a composer, he combined a variety of different musical…
