Text & Translation
Solovey i roza, 'The Nightingale and the Rose'
Russian source:
Alexander Pushkin
Poyot, poyot nad rozoyu vostochnïy solovey.
No roza milaya ne chuvstvuyet, ne vnemlet, roza milaya.
I pod vlyublyonnïy gimn kolebletsya i dremlet, roza milaya.
Ne tak li tï poyosh´ dlya khladnoy krasotï?
Opomnish´, o poet, k chemu stremnish´sya tï?
Ona ne slushayet, ne chuvstvuyet poeta;
Glyadish´, ona tsvetet; vzïvayesh´ - net otveta.
The Nightingale and the Rose
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
There sings and sings an oriental nightingale above a rose.
But the lovely rose does not hear him, does not heed him.
Instead she sways and dozes, lovely rose, to the sounds of his hymn of love.
Is this not how you sing too for cold beauty?
Oh poet, can you not grasp what it is you would attain?
She does not listen, does not hear you, poet;
If you glance at her, she blossoms; but if you call to her - there is no reply.
Solovey i roza, 'The Nightingale and the Rose'
Russian source:
Alexander Pushkin
The Nightingale and the Rose
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
V besmolvii sadov, vesnoy, vo mgle nochey,
In the silence of the gardens, in the darkness of nights in spring,
Poyot, poyot nad rozoyu vostochnïy solovey.
There sings and sings an oriental nightingale above a rose.
No roza milaya ne chuvstvuyet, ne vnemlet, roza milaya.
But the lovely rose does not hear him, does not heed him.
I pod vlyublyonnïy gimn kolebletsya i dremlet, roza milaya.
Instead she sways and dozes, lovely rose, to the sounds of his hymn of love.
Ne tak li tï poyosh´ dlya khladnoy krasotï?
Is this not how you sing too for cold beauty?
Opomnish´, o poet, k chemu stremnish´sya tï?
Oh poet, can you not grasp what it is you would attain?
Ona ne slushayet, ne chuvstvuyet poeta;
She does not listen, does not hear you, poet;
Glyadish´, ona tsvetet; vzïvayesh´ - net otveta.
If you glance at her, she blossoms; but if you call to her - there is no reply.
Composer
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British classical music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music,…
Poet
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (6 June 1799 – 10 February 1837) was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. Pushkin was born…