by Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva (1892 - 1941)
Translation © by Sergey Rybin

Откуда такая нежность?
 (Sung text for setting by D. Shostakovich)
 See original
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG FRE
Откуда такая нежность?
Не первые -- эти кудри
Разглаживаю, и губы
Знавала темней твоих. 

Всходили и гасли звёзды
-- Откуда такая нежность? --
Всходили и гасли очи 
У самых моих очей. 

Ещё не такие песни 
Я слушала ночью темной
(Откуда такая нежность?)
На самой груди певца.

Откуда такая нежность,
И что с нею делать, отрок
Лукавый, певец захожий, 
С ресницами -- нет длинней?

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

  • ENG English (Dann Mitton) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sergey Rybin) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "D'où vient une telle tendresse", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 62

Language: English  after the Russian (Русский) 
Why such tenderness?
Not for the first time – 
such locks I stroke,
And I knew lips – darker than yours.

The stars have risen and burnt out,
(why such tenderness?),
The eyes have risen and burnt out
Close to my very eyes.

Much better songs
I have heard in the dark of night,
(why such tenderness?),
Lying upon the very chest of the singer.

Why such tenderness?
And what do I do with it,
Wily lad, wandering singer,
With eye lashes – the longest I've ever seen?

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  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2020 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: 2020-09-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 88