Songs
Pered samoubijstvom 'Before Committing Suicide'
by Dmitri Shostakovich From Six romances on texts by Japanese poets Op. 21a
Text & Translation
Pered samoubijstvom 'Before Committing Suicide'
Russian source:
Ohotsuno Ozi trans. Aleksandr Nikolayevich Brandt
Gustoi tuman prud zastilayet.
Gusi dikiye krichat ispuganno
Na ozere, opyat krichat.
Sny mrachnye vitayut nad moyei glavoi,
Na serdtse tyazhest.
Cherez god, kogda razdastsya
Snova krik gusei, ya ne uslyshu ikh.
Before Committing Suicide
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
The thick fog obscures the pond.
Wild geese cry out in fright
On the lake, again they cry out.
Gloomy dreams hang above my head,
My heart is heavy.
In a year, when the geese cry out again,
I will not be there to hear them.
Pered samoubijstvom 'Before Committing Suicide'
Russian source:
Ohotsuno Ozi trans. Aleksandr Nikolayevich Brandt
Before Committing Suicide
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Unylo syplyutsya listy.
Leaves falls mournfully.
Gustoi tuman prud zastilayet.
The thick fog obscures the pond.
Gusi dikiye krichat ispuganno
Wild geese cry out in fright
Na ozere, opyat krichat.
On the lake, again they cry out.
Sny mrachnye vitayut nad moyei glavoi,
Gloomy dreams hang above my head,
Na serdtse tyazhest.
My heart is heavy.
Cherez god, kogda razdastsya
In a year, when the geese cry out again,
Snova krik gusei, ya ne uslyshu ikh.
I will not be there to hear them.
Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer and pianist. He achieved fame in the Soviet Union, although later developed a more complex and difficult relationship with the government. As a composer, he combined a variety of different musical…
