Songs

To bylo ranneju vesnoj ('It was early spring')

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Text & Translation

To bylo ranneju vesnoj ('It was early spring')
Russian source: Leo Tolstoy

To bylo ranneju vesnoj,
trava edva vschodila,
ruč'i tekli, ne paril znoj,
i zelen' rošč skvozila;

Truba pastuš'ja poutru
eščë ne pela zvonko,
i v zavitkach eščë v boru,
byl paporotnik tonkij;

To bylo ranneju vesnoj,
v teni berëz to bylo,
kogda s ulybkoj predo mnoj
ty oči opustila...

To na ljubov' moju v otvet
ty opustila veždy!
O žizn'! o, les! o, solnca svet!
O, junost'! o, nadeždy!

I plakal ja pered toboj,
na lik tvoj gljadja milyj;
to bylo ranneju vesnoj,
v teni berëz to bylo!

To bylo v utro našich let!
O, sčast'e! o slëzy!
o, les! o, žizn'! o, solnca svet!
O, svežij duch berëzy!

It was early spring
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

It was in the early spring,
The grass had barely begun to grow,
The streams were flowing, the air was mild,
And the groves were flecked with green.

The shepherd’s horn
Did not yet ring out in the morning,
And in the pinewood, the slender fern
Was yet to unfurl itself fully;

It was in the early spring,
It was in the shade of birch trees,
When standing before me, smiling,
You lowered your eyes…

It was in answer to my love
That you cast down your gaze –
Oh life! Oh woods! Oh sunlight!
Oh youth! Oh hopes!

And I shed tears before you,
Looking after your tender face –
It was in the early spring,
It was in the shade of birch trees!

It was in the morning of our days!
O happiness! O tears!
O woods! O life! O sunlight!
O fresh scent of the birch tree

To bylo ranneju vesnoj ('It was early spring')
Russian source: Leo Tolstoy

It was early spring
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

To bylo ranneju vesnoj,
It was in the early spring,
trava edva vschodila,
The grass had barely begun to grow,
ruč'i tekli, ne paril znoj,
The streams were flowing, the air was mild,
i zelen' rošč skvozila;
And the groves were flecked with green.

Truba pastuš'ja poutru
The shepherd’s horn
eščë ne pela zvonko,
Did not yet ring out in the morning,
i v zavitkach eščë v boru,
And in the pinewood, the slender fern
byl paporotnik tonkij;
Was yet to unfurl itself fully;

To bylo ranneju vesnoj,
It was in the early spring,
v teni berëz to bylo,
It was in the shade of birch trees,
kogda s ulybkoj predo mnoj
When standing before me, smiling,
ty oči opustila...
You lowered your eyes…

To na ljubov' moju v otvet
It was in answer to my love
ty opustila veždy!
That you cast down your gaze –
O žizn'! o, les! o, solnca svet!
Oh life! Oh woods! Oh sunlight!
O, junost'! o, nadeždy!
Oh youth! Oh hopes!

I plakal ja pered toboj,
And I shed tears before you,
na lik tvoj gljadja milyj;
Looking after your tender face –
to bylo ranneju vesnoj,
It was in the early spring,
v teni berëz to bylo!
It was in the shade of birch trees!

To bylo v utro našich let!
It was in the morning of our days!
O, sčast'e! o slëzy!
O happiness! O tears!
o, les! o, žizn'! o, solnca svet!
O woods! O life! O sunlight!
O, svežij duch berëzy!
O fresh scent of the birch tree

Composer

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. His works are still among the most popular music in the classical repetoire, and he is widely acknowledged as the first Russian composer to make a lasting international…

Poet

Leo Tolstoy

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (9 September 1828 – 20 November 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received multiple nominations for Nobel Prize in…

Performances

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