Songs

On tak menya lyubil 'He Loved Me So'

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Text & Translation

On tak menya lyubil 'He Loved Me So'
Russian source: Aleksei Nikolayevich Apukhtin

Net, ne lyubila ya! No strannaya zabota
Tesnila grud moyu, kodga on prikhodil;
To vsya krasnela ya, boyalas chevo-to,
On tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!

Shtob nravitsya emy togda, tsvety i te naryady
Ya beregla, shto on po serdtsu nakhodil;
S nim govorila ya, yevo lovila vzglyady, –
O tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!

No raz on mne skazal: “V tu roshchu,
V chas zakata pridyosh li?” – “Da, pridu!”
No ne khvatalo sil. Ya v roshchu ne poshla,
On zhdal menya naprasno!

Todga uyekhal on, serdyas na neudachu;
Neschastnyi, kak menya proklyast on dolzhen byl!
Ya ne uvizhus s nim, mne tyazhelo, ya plachu...
On tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!

He Loved Me So
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

No, I did not love him! But a strange care
Oppressed my breast whenever he appeared;
And I would blush so, afraid of something,
He loved me so, he loved me so!

To please him, I would don the posies and dresses
That he found so appealing;
I would speak with him, trying to catch his glances –
He loved me so, he loved me so!

But once he said to me: “Will you come
To the grove at sundown?” – “Yes, I will!”
But I was too weak. I didn’t go to the grove,
He waited for me in vain!

And then he went away, angry at his failure;
Unfortunate man – how he must have cursed me!
I will never see him again, my heart is heavy, I weep…
He loved me so, he loved me so!

On tak menya lyubil 'He Loved Me So'
Russian source: Aleksei Nikolayevich Apukhtin

He Loved Me So
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

Net, ne lyubila ya! No strannaya zabota
No, I did not love him! But a strange care
Tesnila grud moyu, kodga on prikhodil;
Oppressed my breast whenever he appeared;
To vsya krasnela ya, boyalas chevo-to,
And I would blush so, afraid of something,
On tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!
He loved me so, he loved me so!

Shtob nravitsya emy togda, tsvety i te naryady
To please him, I would don the posies and dresses
Ya beregla, shto on po serdtsu nakhodil;
That he found so appealing;
S nim govorila ya, yevo lovila vzglyady, –
I would speak with him, trying to catch his glances –
O tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!
He loved me so, he loved me so!

No raz on mne skazal: “V tu roshchu,
But once he said to me: “Will you come
V chas zakata pridyosh li?” – “Da, pridu!”
To the grove at sundown?” – “Yes, I will!”
No ne khvatalo sil. Ya v roshchu ne poshla,
But I was too weak. I didn’t go to the grove,
On zhdal menya naprasno!
He waited for me in vain!

Todga uyekhal on, serdyas na neudachu;
And then he went away, angry at his failure;
Neschastnyi, kak menya proklyast on dolzhen byl!
Unfortunate man – how he must have cursed me!
Ya ne uvizhus s nim, mne tyazhelo, ya plachu...
I will never see him again, my heart is heavy, I weep…
On tak menya lyubil, on tak menya lyubil!
He loved me so, he loved me so!

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…

Poet

Aleksei Nikolayevich Apukhtin

Aleksey Nikolayevich Apukhtin was a Russian poet, writer and critic.  

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