Songs

Son, 'Dreams'

by Sergei Rachmaninov From Six Songs (1916) Op. 38 1830-1834

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Text & Translation

Son, 'Dreams'
Russian source: Fyodor Kuzmych Teternikov

V mire net nichego
Dozhdelenneje sna,
Chary jest' u nego,
U nego tishina,
U nego na ustakh
Ni pechal' i ni smekh,
I v bezdonnykh ochakh
Mnogo tajnykh utekh.

U nego shiroki,
Shiroki dva kryla,
I legki, tak ljogki,
Kak polnochnaja mgla.
Ne ponjat', kak nesjot,
I kuda i na chem
On krylom ne vzmakhnet
I ne dvinet plechom.

Dreams
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

There is nothing in the world
More longed for than sleep,
It enchants,
It brings silence,
On its lips
Is neither sadness nor laughter,
And in its fathomless eyes
There are many secret delights.

Wide are its wings,
Wide its two wings,
And so light, oh so light,
Like the darkness at midnight.
We cannot know how it carries us,
Whither and on what,
Its wings do not beat,
Its shoulders do not move.

Son, 'Dreams'
Russian source: Fyodor Kuzmych Teternikov

Dreams
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

V mire net nichego
There is nothing in the world
Dozhdelenneje sna,
More longed for than sleep,
Chary jest' u nego,
It enchants,
U nego tishina,
It brings silence,
U nego na ustakh
On its lips
Ni pechal' i ni smekh,
Is neither sadness nor laughter,
I v bezdonnykh ochakh
And in its fathomless eyes
Mnogo tajnykh utekh.
There are many secret delights.

U nego shiroki,
Wide are its wings,
Shiroki dva kryla,
Wide its two wings,
I legki, tak ljogki,
And so light, oh so light,
Kak polnochnaja mgla.
Like the darkness at midnight.
Ne ponjat', kak nesjot,
We cannot know how it carries us,
I kuda i na chem
Whither and on what,
On krylom ne vzmakhnet
Its wings do not beat,
I ne dvinet plechom.
Its shoulders do not move.

Composer

Sergei Rachmaninov

Sergei Rachmaninov was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor of the late Romantic period.

Performances

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