Text & Translation
Ne veter, veja s vysoty
Russian source:
Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy
Listov kosnulsja noch'ju lunnoj.
Mojej dushi kosnulas' ty.
Ona trevozhna, kak listy,
Ona, kak gusli, mnogostrunna.
Zhitejskij vikhr' jejo terzal
I sokrushitel'nym nabegom,
Svistja i voja, struny rval
I zanosil kholodnym snegom.
Tvoja zhe rech' laskajet slukh,
Tvojo legko prikosnoven'e,
Kak ot cvetov letjashchij pukh,
Kak majskoj nochi dunoven'e.
It was not the wind, blowing from on high
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
That touched the leaves on that moonlit night.
It was you who touched my soul.
It trembled, as leaves do,
It has many strings, like a harp.
The storms of life tormented it
And, whistling and wailing, bore down on it
And tore violently at its strings
And covered it with cold snow.
But your words comfort the ear,
And your gentle caress
Is like the down of petals,
And the soft breath of a May night.
Ne veter, veja s vysoty
Russian source:
Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy
It was not the wind, blowing from on high
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Ne veter, veja s vysoty,
It was not the wind, blowing from on high,
Listov kosnulsja noch'ju lunnoj.
That touched the leaves on that moonlit night.
Mojej dushi kosnulas' ty.
It was you who touched my soul.
Ona trevozhna, kak listy,
It trembled, as leaves do,
Ona, kak gusli, mnogostrunna.
It has many strings, like a harp.
Zhitejskij vikhr' jejo terzal
The storms of life tormented it
I sokrushitel'nym nabegom,
And, whistling and wailing, bore down on it
Svistja i voja, struny rval
And tore violently at its strings
I zanosil kholodnym snegom.
And covered it with cold snow.
Tvoja zhe rech' laskajet slukh,
But your words comfort the ear,
Tvojo legko prikosnoven'e,
And your gentle caress
Kak ot cvetov letjashchij pukh,
Is like the down of petals,
Kak majskoj nochi dunoven'e.
And the soft breath of a May night.
Composer
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, best know for his orchestral compositions and his symphonic suite Scheherazade. He believed in developing a nationalistic style of classical music, and was influenced by Russian folk song…
