Songs

Poljubila ja ('The Soldier's Wife')

by Sergei Rachmaninov

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Poljubila ja ('The Soldier's Wife')
Russian source: Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev

Poljubila ja,
Na pechal' svoju,
Sirotinushku
Bestalannogo.
Uzh takaja mne
Dolja vypala
Razluchili nas
Ljudi sil'nye;
Uvezli ego,
Sdali v rekruty...
I soldatkoj ja,
Odinokoj ja,
Znat', v chuzhoj izbe
I sostarejus'...
Uzh takaja mne
Dolja vypala.

The Soldier's Wife
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

I fell in love,
To my sorrow,
With a poor orphan,
With an ill-fated lad.
Such is the lot
That befell me!
Powerful folks
Separated us;
They took him away,
And made a conscript of him…
A soldier’s wife I am,
All alone I am,
It seems that I shall grow old
In a stranger’s hut…
Such is the lot
That befell me.

Poljubila ja ('The Soldier's Wife')
Russian source: Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev

The Soldier's Wife
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

Poljubila ja,
I fell in love,
Na pechal' svoju,
To my sorrow,
Sirotinushku
With a poor orphan,
Bestalannogo.
With an ill-fated lad.
Uzh takaja mne
Such is the lot
Dolja vypala
That befell me!
Razluchili nas
Powerful folks
Ljudi sil'nye;
Separated us;
Uvezli ego,
They took him away,
Sdali v rekruty...
And made a conscript of him…
I soldatkoj ja,
A soldier’s wife I am,
Odinokoj ja,
All alone I am,
Znat', v chuzhoj izbe
It seems that I shall grow old
I sostarejus'...
In a stranger’s hut…
Uzh takaja mne
Such is the lot
Dolja vypala.
That befell me.