Text & Translation
O, esli by ozerom byl ja nočnym
Russian source:
Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Hafez
Ty lunoyu, po nem plyvushchej!
O, eslib potokom ya byl lugovym,
A ty bylinkoj, nad nim rastushchej!
O, esli by rozovym byl ya kustom,
A ty by rozoj, na nem tsvetushchej!
O, esli by sladostnym byl ya zernom,
A ty by ptichkoj ego kljushchej!
**trans. Afanasy Fet**
O, were I a lake
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
And you were the moon, gliding across it!
O, were I a meadow stream,
And you were a blade of grass, growing by it!
O, were I a rosebush,
And you were a rose, blooming on it!
O, were I a sweet grain,
And you were a bird, pecking at it!
O, esli by ozerom byl ja nočnym
Russian source:
Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Hafez
O, were I a lake
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
O, esli by ozerom byl ya nochnym,
O, were I a lake at night,
Ty lunoyu, po nem plyvushchej!
And you were the moon, gliding across it!
O, eslib potokom ya byl lugovym,
O, were I a meadow stream,
A ty bylinkoj, nad nim rastushchej!
And you were a blade of grass, growing by it!
O, esli by rozovym byl ya kustom,
O, were I a rosebush,
A ty by rozoj, na nem tsvetushchej!
And you were a rose, blooming on it!
O, esli by sladostnym byl ya zernom,
O, were I a sweet grain,
A ty by ptichkoj ego kljushchej!
And you were a bird, pecking at it!
**trans. Afanasy Fet**
Composer
Alexander Gretchaninov
Alexander Tikhonovich Gretchaninov was a Russian Romantic composer.
