English translations of 2 трехголосных женских хора (2 trekhgolosnykh zhenskikh khora), opus 13

by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908)

1. Тучи небесныя
 (Sung text)
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Тучи небесныя", op. 13 (2 трехголосных женских хора (2 trekhgolosnykh zhenskikh khora)) no. 1 [ three-part women's chorus and harmonium or fortepiano ad libitum ], Leipzig, Belaieff
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Тучки небесные, вечные странники! 
Степью лазурною, цепью жемчужною
Мчитесь вы, будто как я же, изгнанники
С милого севера в сторону южную. 

Кто же вас гонит: судьбы ли решение? 
Зависть ли тайная? злоба ль открытая? 
Или на вас тяготит преступление? 
Или друзей клевета ядовитая? 

Нет, вам наскучили нивы бесплодные... 
Чужды вам страсти и чужды страдания;
Вечно холодные, вечно свободные,
Нет у вас родины, нет вам изгнания.

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Note: an earlier spelling of "небесные" is "небесныя", still preserved in some of the titles below.

by Mikhail Yur'yevich Lermontov (1814 - 1841)
1. The clouds
Language: English 
Clouds in the sky, you are ceaselessly wandering!
As pearly chains in the azure steppes glimmering
Exiled as I have been, constantly hurrying
From native North into South you are quickening.

What drives you there: the command of your destiny?
Some secret jealousy? Or open wickedness?
Or crimes hang heavy on you or some mutiny?
Or your friends' calumny is cruel and poisonous?

No, you were bored to death with these fields' fruitlessness
With all these passions and alien misery,
Ice cold eternally, in steady idleness
You have no homeland and suffer no outlawry.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2009 by Dmitri Smirnov, (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: 2009-11-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 94

Translation © by Dmitri Smirnov
2. Ночевала тучка золотая  [sung text not yet checked]
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Ночевала тучка золотая", op. 13 (2 трехголосных женских хора (2 trekhgolosnykh zhenskikh khora)) no. 2 [ three-part women's chorus and harmonium or fortepiano ad libitum ], Leipzig, Belaieff
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Ночевала тучка золотая
На груди утёса-великана;
Утром в путь она умчалась рано,
По лазури весело играя.

Но остался влажный след в морщине
Старого утёса. Одиноко
Он стоит; задумался глубоко,
И тихонько плачет он в пустыне...

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by Mikhail Yur'yevich Lermontov (1814 - 1841)
2.
[Translation not yet available]