On the death of a linnet | In this little coffin lies my dear linnet

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by Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (1783 - 1852)

Translation © by Sergey Rybin

На смерть чижика

Language: Russian (Русский)

Our translations: ENG

В сём гробе милый чижик мой!
Природы милое творенье,
Из мирной облости земной
Он улетел, как сновиденье.

Он для любви на свете жил,
Он нежной песенкой ответной,
За ласку нежную платил,
И подлетал к руке приветной.

Но в свете страшно и любить:
Ему был дан дружок крылатый;
Чтоб милого не пережить,
Он в гробе скрылся от утраты.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• S. Rachmaninov

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Text Authorship:

by Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (1783 - 1852), "На смерть чижика", written 1819, first published 1827 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "На смерть чижика", op. 21 (Двенадцать романсов = Dvenadcat' romansov (Twelve songs)) no. 8 (1902) [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sergey Rybin) , "On the death of a linnet", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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: 57

On the death of a linnet

Language: English after the Russian (Русский)

In this little coffin lies my dear linnet, 
A darling creation of nature, 
From the peaceful earthly realm
He flew away, like a dream. 

He lived for love in this world, 
With his sweet chirping song of response
He repaid me for my caring affection
When he flew towards my welcoming hand. 

But even to love is perilous in this life.
He had a winged tender friend;
So as not to outlive a dear one
He escaped his loss in a coffin.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2018 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 Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (1783 - 1852), "На смерть чижика", written 1819, first published 1827
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-02-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 82