Text & Translation
Vcherashnaya noch’ ('Last night')
Russian source:
Aleksey Stepanovich Khomyakov
Vcherashnjaja noch' vse zvjozdy zazhgla
Tak jasno,
Chto, gljadja na kholmy i dremljushchij les,
Na vody, blestjashchije bleskom nebes,
Ja dumal: o, zhit' v etom mire chudes
Prekrasno!
Prekrasny i volny i dal' stepej,
Prekrasna v odezhde zeljonykh vetvej
Dubrava;
Prekrasna ljubov' s vechno svezhim venkom,
I druzhby zvezda s neizmennym luchom,
I pesen vostorg s ozarennym chelom,
I slava!
Vzgljanul ja na nebo, tam tverd' jasna;
Vysoko, vysoko voskhodit ona
Nad bezdnoj;
Tam zvezdy zhivye katjatsja v ogne...
I detskoje chuvstvo prosnulos' vo mne;
I dumal ja: luchshe nam v toj tishine
nadzvjozdnoj!
Last Night
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
Last night lit up all the stars
So brightly,
That gazing at the hills and the slumbering wood,
At the waters glittering under skies so bright,
I thought: oh, to live in this world of miracles
Is so fine and fair!
Fair are the waves and the steppes that reach so far,
Fair in its raiment of green branches
Is the oak forest;
Fair is love with its eternally fresh crown,
And the star of friendship with its steadfast light,
And the joy of songs with their resplendent faces,
And glory!
I looked up at the sky, where the firmament was clear:
High, high it rises
Above the abyss;
There living stars revolve in their brilliant light…
And a childlike thought awoke in me,
And I thought: it is better for us there, in that height
Above the stars!
Vcherashnaya noch’ ('Last night')
Russian source:
Aleksey Stepanovich Khomyakov
Last Night
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Vcherashnjaja noch' byla tak svetla.
Last night was so radiant,
Vcherashnjaja noch' vse zvjozdy zazhgla
Last night lit up all the stars
Tak jasno,
So brightly,
Chto, gljadja na kholmy i dremljushchij les,
That gazing at the hills and the slumbering wood,
Na vody, blestjashchije bleskom nebes,
At the waters glittering under skies so bright,
Ja dumal: o, zhit' v etom mire chudes
I thought: oh, to live in this world of miracles
Prekrasno!
Is so fine and fair!
Prekrasny i volny i dal' stepej,
Fair are the waves and the steppes that reach so far,
Prekrasna v odezhde zeljonykh vetvej
Fair in its raiment of green branches
Dubrava;
Is the oak forest;
Prekrasna ljubov' s vechno svezhim venkom,
Fair is love with its eternally fresh crown,
I druzhby zvezda s neizmennym luchom,
And the star of friendship with its steadfast light,
I pesen vostorg s ozarennym chelom,
And the joy of songs with their resplendent faces,
I slava!
And glory!
Vzgljanul ja na nebo, tam tverd' jasna;
I looked up at the sky, where the firmament was clear:
Vysoko, vysoko voskhodit ona
High, high it rises
Nad bezdnoj;
Above the abyss;
Tam zvezdy zhivye katjatsja v ogne...
There living stars revolve in their brilliant light…
I detskoje chuvstvo prosnulos' vo mne;
And a childlike thought awoke in me,
I dumal ja: luchshe nam v toj tishine
And I thought: it is better for us there, in that height
nadzvjozdnoj!
Above the stars!
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…
