English translations of Четыре романса (Chetyre romansa), opus 27

by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908)

1. Горними тихо летела душа небесами
 (Sung text)
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Горними тихо летела душа небесами", op. 27 (Четыре романса (Chetyre romansa)) no. 1 (1882)
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Горними тихо летела душа небесами,
Грустные долу она опускала ресницы,
Слёзы в пространство от них упадая звездами,
Светлой и длинной за нею вились вереницей.
Встречные тихо её вопрошали светила:
«Отчего так грустна и о чём эти слёзы во взоре?»
Им отвечала она: «я земли не забыла.
Много оставила я там страданья и горя.
Здесь я лишь ликам блаженства и радости внемлю,
Праведных души не знают ни скорби, ни злобы.
О, отпусти меня снова, создатель, на землю,
Было-б о ком пожалеть и утешить кого-бы!»

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Note on the text (provided by Laura Prichard): Tolstoy wrote this poem to honor Lermonotov’s famous poem "Angel" (1831), which is about an innocent soul encountering earthly sorrow for the first time. Tolstoy’s poem, in a similar meter, gives experience’s answer to innocence, since in this case, the soul longs to return to earth to comfort those who sorrow.

Note on the music (provided by Laura Prichard): Tchaikovsky’s main melody was inspired by, and modelled on, a duet for Christ and Mary Magdalen from Massenet’s oratorio Marie-Magdalen (1873), which he played through in 1880.

by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875)
1. A soul flew quietly to the heavens
Language: English 
A soul flew quietly to the heavens,
Sadly she lowered her lashes,
Shedding tears into the space from which stars fall,
Bright and long there curled behind her a trail [of tears].
Out of the quietness, a light shone on her and inquired:

«Why are you so sad, with tears in your eyes?»
She responded: «I haven’t forgotten the world.
Many who I left there suffer and are sorrowful.
Here I’m just an image of bliss and feel only joy,
Righteous souls know neither sorrow, nor anger.
О, let me return once again, Creator, to the earth,
That I might bring pity and comfort to someone!»

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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: 2016-10-23
Line count: 12
Word count: 106

Translation © by Laura Prichard
2. Эхо
 (Sung text)
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Эхо", op. 27 (Четыре романса (Chetyre romansa)) no. 2 (1883)
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Я горько сетовал в пустыне:
,,Кто будет близок мне отныне,
как были близки сердцу вы?``

Мне эхо вторило: ,,Увы!``

,,Как буду жить, больной и скучный,
томим печалью неотлучной
и рядом тягостных годин?``

Мне эхо вторило: ,,Один!``

,,Но что мне делать, мир могила,
мне жизнь бесцельная постыла.
Где прежний блеск, и рай?``

Сказало эхо: ,,Умирай!``

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by Sergei Arkad'evich Andreyevsky (1847 - 1919)
2. The echo
Language: English 
I bitterly lamented amidst the desert:
"Who from now on will be 
As close to my heart as You once were?"

The echo responded: "Alas!"

"How will I live on, sick and morose, 
Tormented by ever present sorrow
And many onerous years?"

The echo responded: "Alone!"

"But what should I do? The world is a grave, 
Meaningless life is abhorrent to me. 
Where is former splendour, pleasure and paradise?"

The echo said: "Die!"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2017 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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This text was added to the website: 2017-01-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 73

Translation © by Sergey Rybin
3. Ты и вы
 (Sung text)
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Ты и вы", op. 27 (Четыре романса (Chetyre romansa)) no. 3 (1883)
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Пустое вы сердечным ты 
Она, обмолвясь, заменила
И все счастливые мечты
В душе влюблённой возбудила. 
Пред ней задумчиво стою,
Свести очей с неё нет силы;
И говорю ей: как вы милы!
И мыслю: как тебя люблю.

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by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837)
3. Tu and Vous
Language: English 
The polite "vous" by the warm "tu"
she substituted by a slip of the tongue,
stirring up all sorts of happy dreams
in my soul, so much in love.
I stand before her deep in thought,
without the strength to pull my gaze away from her;
And I say to her: "vous" are so nice!
And I think: How I love "tu".

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


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4. Прости! не помни дней паденья
 (Sung text)
by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908), "Прости! не помни дней паденья", op. 27 (Четыре романса (Chetyre romansa)) no. 4 (1883)
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Прости! не помни дней паденья,
Тоски унынья, озлобленья,
Не помни бурь, не помни слёз,
Не помни ревности угроз!

Но дни, когда любви светило
Над нами ласково всходило
И бодро мы свершали путь,
Благослови и не забудь!

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by Nikolai Alekseyevich Nekrasov (1821 - 1877)
4.
[Translation not yet available]