English translations of Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs), opus 8

by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943)

1. Речная лилея  [sung text not yet checked]
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Речная лилея", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 1, published 1894
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Речная лилея, головку 
поднявши на небо глядит;
а месяц влюбленный лучами 
уныло её серебрит...

И вот она снова поникла 
стыдливо, к лазурным водам;
но месяц все бледный и томный 
как призрак, сияет и там...

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
1.
[Translation not yet available]
2. Дитя! Как цветок ты прекрасна  [sung text not yet checked]
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Дитя! Как цветок ты прекрасна", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 2
Language: Russian (Русский) 
 Дитя, как цветок ты прекрасна,
 Светла, и чиста, и мила.
 Смотрю на тебя, и любуюсь,
 И снова душа ожила...

 Охотно б тебе на головку
 Я руки свои возложил;
 Прося чтобы Бог тебя вечно
 Прекрасной и чистой хранил.

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
2. My child, you are beautiful as a flower
Language: English 
My child, you are beautiful as a flower,
Fair, and pure, and sweet.
I look at you, and admire you,
And again my heart is stirred...

I would gladly lay my hands
on your little head;
Asking God to keep you
beautiful and pure forever.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2004 by Anton Bespalov and Rianne Stam, (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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This text was added to the website: 2004-10-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 45

Translation © by Anton Bespalov, Rianne Stam
3. Дума
 (Sung text)
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Дума", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 3
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Проходят дни... проходят ночи;
Прошло и лето; Шелестит 
Лист пожелтевший; гаснут очи; 
Заснули думы; Сердце спит.
Заснуло всё... Не знаю я --
живёшь ли ты, душа моя?
Бесстрастно я гляжу на свет,
И нету слёз, и смеха нет!

И доля где моя? Судьбою,
Знать, не дано мне никакой...
Но если я благой не стою,
Зачем не выпало хоть злой?
Не дай, о Боже! как во сне 
Блуждать... остынуть сердцем мне.
Гнилой колодой на пути
Лежать меня не допусти.

Но дай мне жить, творец, 
О, дай мне сердцем, сердцем жить!
Чтоб я хвалил твой мир чудесный,
Чтоб мог я ближнего любить!
Страшна неволя, тяжко в ней!
 ...

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
3. Brooding
Language: English 
The days pass ... the nights pass;
Summer has also gone; A yellowed leaf 
rustles; the eyes grow dim; 
the thoughts have died down; the heart sleeps;
Everything has gone to sleep... I do not know
whether you live, my love.
Coldly I look at the world,
Neither in tears, nor with laughter!

And what is my lot? My fate 
is to remain unknowing...
But if no good fortune is to befall me,
Why can't I at least know the bad one?
Give not, o God, that I have to 
wander as if in dreams...
And have my heart grow cold
Do not allow me to lay myself down
Like a rotten log on the road,

But allow me to live, my Creator, 
o give that I live from the heart, from the heart!
So that I could praise your wonderful world,
So that I could love my neighbour!
Terrible mental bondage! It is hard therein.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2004 by Anton Bespalov and Rianne Stam, (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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This text was added to the website: 2004-10-01
Line count: 22
Word count: 156

Translation © by Anton Bespalov, Rianne Stam
4. Полюбила я на печаль свою
 (Sung text)
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Полюбила я на печаль свою", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 4
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Полюбила я,
На печаль свою,
Сиротинушку 
Бесталанного.
Уж такая доля мне выпала!
Разлучили нас
Люди сильные;
Увезли его,
Сдали в рекруты...
И солдаткой я, 
Одинокой я,
Знать, в чужой избе
И состареюсь...
Уж такая доля мне выпала.

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
4. To my sorrow I have grown to love
Language: English 
To my sorrow 
I have grown to love
my wretched 
little orphan.
That is the fate 
which has befallen me.
Powerful people 
separated us...
They took him away 
to be a recruit...
a soldier's wife, 
a lonely soul,
it seems that I shall grow old 
in a stranger's home.
That is the fate 
which has befallen me.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2009 by Anne Evans, (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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This text was added to the website: 2009-02-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 57

Translation © by Anne Evans
5. Сон
 (Sung text)
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Сон", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 5 (1893)
Language: Russian (Русский) 
И у меня был край родной;
   Прекрасен он!
Там ель качалась надо мной...
   Но то был сон!

Семья друзей жива была.
  Со всех сторон 
Звучали мне любви слова...
  Но то был сон!

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
5. A dream
Language: English 
And I had a homeland;
      A beautiful one!
There a spruce swayed above me...
     But that was a dream!

A friends' family was alive.
     From all sides
There were words of love...
     But that was a dream!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2010 by Ruslan Sviridov, (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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This text was added to the website: 2010-02-24
Line count: 8
Word count: 37

Translation © by Ruslan Sviridov
6. Молитва
 (Sung text)
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Молитва", op. 8 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six songs)) no. 6
Language: Russian (Русский) 
 ...  О, Боже мой!
Взгляни на грешную меня;
Я мучусь, я больна душой,
Изрыта скорбью грудь моя.
О, мой Творец, велик мой грех,
Я на земле преступней всех.

Кипела в нём младая кровь, 
Была чиста его любовь, 
Но он её в груди своей
Таил так свято от людей.
Я знала всё...  О Боже мой!
Прости мне, грешной и больной.

Его я муки поняла;
Улыбкой, взором лишь одним
Я б исцелить его могла,
Но я не сжалилась над ним.
 ... 

Томился долго, долго он,
Печалью тяжкой удручён;
И умер, бедный, наконец,
О Боже мой, о мой Творец!
Тронься грешною мольбой
Взгляни, как я больна душой.

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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
6. Prayer
Language: English 
[Oh my creator!]1 Oh, my God!
Look at sinful me;
I suffer, I am ill in my soul,
sorrow tortures my breast.
Oh, my Creator, great is my sin,
I am the worst criminal on earth.

Young blood boiled in him,
pure was his love,
but he kept it in himself
so holy, from people.
I knew it all... Oh, my God!
Forgive me, sinful and ill.

I understood his sufferings;
With only the sign of a smile
I could have cured him,
But I didn't pity him.
[O my creator, great is my sin,
I am the most sinful person in the world!]1

He suffered long, long,
With sadness and heavily depressed
And died, miserable at last,
Oh, my God, Oh, my Creator!
Be touched by my sinful prayer...
Look how I am ill in my soul.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2003 by Aliana de la Guardia, (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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View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Rachmaninov.


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 138

Translation © by Aliana de la Guardia