Text & Translation
Kolybel`naja pesnja, 'Lullaby' (cradle song)
Russian source:
Apollon Nikolayevich Maykov
Sladkij son k sebe mani:
V njan'ki ja tebe vzjala
Veter, solnce i orla.
Uletel orjol domoj;
Solnce skrylos' pod vodoj:
Veter, posle trekh nochej,
Mchitsja k materi svojej.
Vetra sprashivajet mat':
«Gde izvolil propadat'?
Ali zvezdy vojeval?
Ali volny vsjo gonjal?»
«Ne gonjal ja voln morskikh,
Zvezd ne trogal zolotykh;
Ja ditja oberegal,
Kolybelochku kachal!»
Spi, ditja mojo, spi, usni! spi, usni!
Sladkij son k sebe mani:
V njan'ki ja tebe vzjala
Veter, solnce i orla.
Lullaby
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
Beckon slumber’s sweetness deep:
I have summoned three nannies for you -
The wind, the sun and an eagle.
The eagle has flown home,
The sun has slipped below the water,
The wind, after three nights,
Races to its mother.
The wind’s mother asked him:
‘Where have you been hiding all this time?
Did you wage war with the stars?
Did you drive the waves away?’
‘I didn’t drive the waves of the sea away,
I touched no golden stars;
I was keeping a child safe and sound,
Rocking its little cradle!’
Sleep, my child, fall asleep!
Beckon slumber’s sweetness deep:
I have summoned three nannies for you -
The wind, the sun and an eagle.
Kolybel`naja pesnja, 'Lullaby' (cradle song)
Russian source:
Apollon Nikolayevich Maykov
Lullaby
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Spi, ditja mojo, usni!
Sleep, my child, fall asleep!
Sladkij son k sebe mani:
Beckon slumber’s sweetness deep:
V njan'ki ja tebe vzjala
I have summoned three nannies for you -
Veter, solnce i orla.
The wind, the sun and an eagle.
Uletel orjol domoj;
The eagle has flown home,
Solnce skrylos' pod vodoj:
The sun has slipped below the water,
Veter, posle trekh nochej,
The wind, after three nights,
Mchitsja k materi svojej.
Races to its mother.
Vetra sprashivajet mat':
The wind’s mother asked him:
«Gde izvolil propadat'?
‘Where have you been hiding all this time?
Ali zvezdy vojeval?
Did you wage war with the stars?
Ali volny vsjo gonjal?»
Did you drive the waves away?’
«Ne gonjal ja voln morskikh,
‘I didn’t drive the waves of the sea away,
Zvezd ne trogal zolotykh;
I touched no golden stars;
Ja ditja oberegal,
I was keeping a child safe and sound,
Kolybelochku kachal!»
Rocking its little cradle!’
Spi, ditja mojo, spi, usni! spi, usni!
Sleep, my child, fall asleep!
Sladkij son k sebe mani:
Beckon slumber’s sweetness deep:
V njan'ki ja tebe vzjala
I have summoned three nannies for you -
Veter, solnce i orla.
The wind, the sun and an eagle.
Composer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. His works are still among the most popular music in the classical repetoire, and he is widely acknowledged as the first Russian composer to make a lasting international…
