C'était au début du printemps | C'était au début du printemps

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by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

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

C'était au début du printemps

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

See original

Language: French (Français) after the Russian (Русский)

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C'était au début du printemps,
L'herbe se montrait à peine,
Les ruisseaux coulaient, il ne faisait pas trop chaud,
Les bosquets devenaient verts ;

 ... 

C'était au début du printemps,
et à l'ombre des bouleaux,
quand devant moi avec un sourire,
tu as baissé les yeux...

En réponse à mon amour pour toi
Tu as baissé les yeux...
Ô vie ! ô forêt ! ô lumière du soleil !
Ô jeunesse ! ô espoirs !

J'ai pleuré devant toi,
en regardant ton doux visage ;
c'était au début du printemps,
et à l'ombre des bouleaux !

C'était le matin de notre vie !
Ô bonheur ! ô larmes !
ô forêt ô vie ! ô lumière du soleil !
ô fraîche senteur des bouleaux !

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

Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to French (Français) copyright © 2013 by Guy Laffaille, (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: 2013-03-30
Line count: 24
Word count: 134