Songs

Gusi - lebedi ('Geese, Swans')

by Igor Stravinsky From Three Children's Tales (1917)

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Text & Translation

Gusi - lebedi ('Geese, Swans')
Russian source: Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet

Gusy, lebedi letili,
V čisto pole zaletili,
V pole banjušku dospili.
Vorobej drova kolol,
Tarakan banju topil,
Myška vodušku nosila,
Voška parilasja, prjušmarilasja.
Bela gnida podchvatila,
Na rogošku povalila,
Sera bloška podskočila,
Nožku podlomila
V peredbanok vošku vynosila.

Geese, Swans
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

The geese and swans, they flew,
Flew into the broad field,
Where they set a sauna up.
The sparrow chopped the wood,
The cockroach heated up the sauna,
The little mouse brought the water,
The louse took a bath,
Followed by a little white nit,
Who stretched out on the wooden bench,
Then a grey flea jumped up,
Exhausting his little legs,
And carrying out the louse into the dressing room.

Gusi - lebedi ('Geese, Swans')
Russian source: Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet

Geese, Swans
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

Gusy, lebedi letili,
The geese and swans, they flew,
V čisto pole zaletili,
Flew into the broad field,
V pole banjušku dospili.
Where they set a sauna up.
Vorobej drova kolol,
The sparrow chopped the wood,
Tarakan banju topil,
The cockroach heated up the sauna,
Myška vodušku nosila,
The little mouse brought the water,
Voška parilasja, prjušmarilasja.
The louse took a bath,
Bela gnida podchvatila,
Followed by a little white nit,
Na rogošku povalila,
Who stretched out on the wooden bench,
Sera bloška podskočila,
Then a grey flea jumped up,
Nožku podlomila
Exhausting his little legs,
V peredbanok vošku vynosila.
And carrying out the louse into the dressing room.

Composer

Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer, pianist, and conductor. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century.

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