Songs

Nega volshebnaja, noch' golubaja,
Languid enchantment, the blue of the night,
Trepetnyj sumrak vesny.
The quivering half-light of spring.
Vnemlet, poniknuv golovkoj, bol'naja
Ailing, her head hung low, the young woman
Shopot nochnoj tishiny.
Listens to the whisper of night’s stillness.
Son ne smykajet blestjashchije ochi,
Sleep cannot close her shining eyes,
Zhizn' k naslazhden'ju zovjot,
Life’s pleasures summon her still,
A pod okoshkom v molchan'i polnochi
But under her window, in the silence of midnight,
Smert' serenadu pojot:
Death sings this soft serenade:
,,V mrake nevoli surovoj i tesnoj
‘In the gloom of confinement, severe and narrow,
Molodost' vjanet tvoja;
Your youth is fading;
Rycar' nevedomyj, siloj chudesnoj
But I, a mysterious knight,
Osvobozhu ja tebja.
Will free you with my wondrous power.
Vstan', posmotri na sebja: krasotoju
Rise and look on yourself: your countenance
Lik tvoj prozrachnyj blestit,
Shines with limpid beauty,
Shchjoki rumjany, volnistoj kosoju
Your cheeks are flushed, and your rippling tresses
Stan tvoj, kak tuchej obvit.
Encircle your waist like clouds.
Pristal'nykh glaz goluboje sijan'e,
The radiant blue of your eager eyes
Jarche nebes i ognja;
Is brighter than heaven or flame;
Znojem poludennym vejet dykhan'e...
Your breath is as the midday heat…
Ty obol'stila menja.
You have bewitched me.
Slukh tvoj plenilsja mojej serenadoj,
Your hearing is captivated by my serenade,
Rycarja shopot tvoj zval,
Your whispering summoned this knight,
Rycar' prishjol za poslednej nagradoj:
Who has come for his final reward:
Chas upojen'ja nastal.
The hour of rapture is nigh.
Nezhen tvoj stan, upoitelen trepet...
Your form is fair and your trembling – enchanting…
O, zadushu ja tebja
Ah, I shall smother you in my strong embrace:
V krepkikh ob"jat'jakh: ljubovnyj moj lepet
Listen to my words of love!
Slushaj!... molchi!... Ty moja!’’
Be silent!.... You are mine!’