It was in early spring

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by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875)

Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

То было раннею весной

(Sung text for setting by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)

See original

Language: Russian (Русский)

Our translations: ENG ENG FRE

То было раннею весной,
трава едва всходила,
ручьи текли, не парил зной,
и зелень рощ сквозила;

 ... 

То было раннею весной,
в тени берёз то было,
когда с улыбкой предо мной
ты очи опустила...

То на любовь мою в ответ
ты опустила вежды!
О жизнь! о, лес! о, солнца свет!
О, юность! о, надежды!

И плакал я перед тобой,
на лик твой глядя милый;
то было раннею весной,
в тени берёз то было!

То было в утро наших лет!
О, счастье! о слёзы!
о, лес! о, жизнь! о, солнца свет!
О, свежий дух берёзы!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-6 of the original text.

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Note on Transliterations

Composition:

Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

Весной (Vesnoj)

Text Authorship:

by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875), no title, first published 1871

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Jacob Wilde) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "C'était au début du printemps", copyright © 2013, (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: 24
Word count: 109

It was in early spring

(Sung text translation for setting by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)

See original

Language: English after the Russian (Русский)

It was in early spring
the grass was barely coming up,
streams were flowing, it was not yet steaming hot,
I peeped through the green trees;

 ... 

It was in early spring,
in the shade of the birches it was,
when smiling before me
you lowered your eyes...

It was due to my love, that in turn
you lowered your eyelids!
O life! O forest! O sunlight!
O youth! O hope!

And I wept in front of you,
looking into your sweet face;
it was early spring,
in the shade of the birches, it was!

It was in the morning of our lives!
O happiness! O tears!
O forest! O life! O sunlight!
O fresh scent of the birch!

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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-6 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Stanfield 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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Based on:

a text in Russian (Русский) by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875), no title, first published 1871
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This text was added to the website: 2016-10-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 136