Songs
Gamajun ptica veshchaja 'Gamayun, the bird of prophecy'
by Dmitri Shostakovich From Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok (1967) Op. 127
Text & Translation
Gamajun ptica veshchaja 'Gamayun, the bird of prophecy'
Russian source:
Aleksandr Blok
Zakatom v purpur oblechjonnykh,
Ona veshchajet i pojot,
Ne v silakh kryl podnjat' smjatjonnykh...
Veshchajet igo zlykh tatar,
Veshchajet kaznej rjad krovavykh,
I trus, i golod, i pozhar,
Zlodejev silu, gibel' pravykh...
Predvechnym uzhasom ob"jat,
Prekrasnyj lik gorit ljubov'ju,
No veshchej pravdoju zvuchat
Usta, zapekshijesja krov'ju!
Gamayun, the bird of prophecy
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
Turned purple by the dusk,
She prophecies and sings,
Unable to raise her crumpled wings…
She prophesies the evil Tatar yoke,
Prophesies a run of bloody executions,
And quakes, and famine, and conflagration,
The power of evil men, and destruction of the righteous…
Gripped by ancient horror,
Her beautiful countenance burns with love,
Yet prophetic truth resounds
From her lips caked in blood!...
Gamajun ptica veshchaja 'Gamayun, the bird of prophecy'
Russian source:
Aleksandr Blok
Gamayun, the bird of prophecy
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Na gladjakh beskonechnykh vod,
On the surfaces of eternal waters,
Zakatom v purpur oblechjonnykh,
Turned purple by the dusk,
Ona veshchajet i pojot,
She prophecies and sings,
Ne v silakh kryl podnjat' smjatjonnykh...
Unable to raise her crumpled wings…
Veshchajet igo zlykh tatar,
She prophesies the evil Tatar yoke,
Veshchajet kaznej rjad krovavykh,
Prophesies a run of bloody executions,
I trus, i golod, i pozhar,
And quakes, and famine, and conflagration,
Zlodejev silu, gibel' pravykh...
The power of evil men, and destruction of the righteous…
Predvechnym uzhasom ob"jat,
Gripped by ancient horror,
Prekrasnyj lik gorit ljubov'ju,
Her beautiful countenance burns with love,
No veshchej pravdoju zvuchat
Yet prophetic truth resounds
Usta, zapekshijesja krov'ju!
From her lips caked in blood!...
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…
Poet
Aleksandr Blok
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok was a Russian lyrical poet, writer, publicist, playwright, translator, literary critic.