Songs
Pesnja o nuzhde, 'Song of want'
by Dmitri Shostakovich From From Jewish Folk Poetry (1948) Op. 79
Text & Translation
Pesnja o nuzhde, 'Song of want'
Russian source:
Anon.
Pod solomoj sladkim snom.
V kolybelʹke spit ditya
Bez pelyonok, nagishom.
Gop, gop, vyshe!
Est koza solomu s kryshi.
Gop, gop, vyshe!
Est koza solomu s kryshi, oj!
Kolybelʹ na cherdake,
Pauchok v nej tkyot bedu.
Radostʹ moyu sosyot,
Mne ostaviv lishʹ nuzhdu.
Gop, gop, vyshe! ...
Petushok na cherdake,
Yarko-krasnyj grebeshok.
Oj, zhena zajmi dlya detok
Khleba cherstvogo kusok.
Gop, gop, vyshe! ...
Song of want
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
Sound asleep beneath the straw.
In the cradle there sleeps a child,
Naked and unswaddled.
Hop, hop, ever higher!
The goat is eating the straw off the roof.
Hop, hop, ever higher!
The goat is eating the straw off the roof, oy!
The cradle is in the attic,
A spider weaves its woe in it.
It devours all my joy,
Leaving me nothing but want.
Hop, hop, ever higher!
The cockerel is in the attic,
With its bright-red cockscomb.
Oy, wife, can’t you at least borrow
A crust of stale bread for the children.
Hop, hop, ever higher!
Pesnja o nuzhde, 'Song of want'
Russian source:
Anon.
Song of want
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Krysha spit na cherdake
Above the attic sleeps the roof,
Pod solomoj sladkim snom.
Sound asleep beneath the straw.
V kolybelʹke spit ditya
In the cradle there sleeps a child,
Bez pelyonok, nagishom.
Naked and unswaddled.
Gop, gop, vyshe!
Hop, hop, ever higher!
Est koza solomu s kryshi.
The goat is eating the straw off the roof.
Gop, gop, vyshe!
Hop, hop, ever higher!
Est koza solomu s kryshi, oj!
The goat is eating the straw off the roof, oy!
Kolybelʹ na cherdake,
The cradle is in the attic,
Pauchok v nej tkyot bedu.
A spider weaves its woe in it.
Radostʹ moyu sosyot,
It devours all my joy,
Mne ostaviv lishʹ nuzhdu.
Leaving me nothing but want.
Gop, gop, vyshe! ...
Hop, hop, ever higher!
Petushok na cherdake,
The cockerel is in the attic,
Yarko-krasnyj grebeshok.
With its bright-red cockscomb.
Oj, zhena zajmi dlya detok
Oy, wife, can’t you at least borrow
Khleba cherstvogo kusok.
A crust of stale bread for the children.
Gop, gop, vyshe! ...
Hop, hop, ever higher!
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…
