Above the river | Pensive moon crescent, far-away stars

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by Arseny Arkad'yevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1848 - 1913)

Translation © by Sergey Rybin

Месяц задумчивый, звёзды далёкие

Language: Russian (Русский)

Our translations: ENG FRE GER GER

Месяц задумчивый, звёзды далёкие
С [синего]¹ неба водами любуются.
Молча смотрю я на воды глубокие:
Тайны волшебные сердцем в них чуются.
Плешут, таятся, ласкательно нежные;
Много в их ропоте силы чарующей:
Слышатся думы и страсти безбрежные.
Голос неведомый, душу волнующий,
Нежит, пугает, наводит сомнение.
Слушать велит-ли он? с места-б не сдвинулся;
Гонит-ли прочь? -- Убежал-бы в смятении.
В глубь-ли зовёт? -- Без оглядки-б я кинулся! ...

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Arensky • M. Balakirev • M. Musorgsky

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¹ Balakirev: "темного" ("temnogo")

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Text Authorship:

by Arseny Arkad'yevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1848 - 1913) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Anton Stepanovich Arensky (1861 - 1906), "Над озером", op. 44 (Шесть романсов (Shest' romansov) = Sechs Romanzen für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung ) no. 5, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev (1837 - 1910), "Над озером", 1895 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky (1839 - 1881), "Над рекой", 1874, published 1874, from Без солнца = Bez solnca, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shefer (1866 - 1914), "Над озером" [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by G. Löwenthal ; composed by Anton Stepanovich Arensky.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 64

Above the river

Language: English after the Russian (Русский)

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Pensive moon crescent, far-away stars
Admiring the waters from a blue sky.
I look in silence at the deep waters;
My heart senses magical secrets in them.
They splash mysteriously, tender-caressing waves;
There is much mystical power in their muttering.
I hear boundless thoughts and passions...
Unknown voice, which stirs my soul, 
Caresses, frightens, and evokes doubts. 
When it commands me to listen -- I can't move;
When it drives me away -- I want to run in fear;
When it calls into the depths -- I want to jump without hesitation.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2011 by Sergey Rybin, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

a text in Russian (Русский) by Arseny Arkad'yevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1848 - 1913)
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This text was added to the website: 2011-06-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 89