by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky (1839 - 1881)

Kot Matros
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE LIT
Aj, aj, aj, aj, mama, milaja mama!
Pobezhala ja za zontikom,
mama, ochen' ved' zharko, sharila v komode 
i v stole iskala: net, kak narochno!
Ja vtoropjakh k oknu podbezhala,
mozhet byt' zontik tam pozabyla. . .
Vdrug vizhu, na okne-to, kot nash Matros,
zabravshis' na kletku, skrebjot!
Snegir' drozhit, zabilsja v ugol, pishchit.

Zlo menja vzjalo! ,,`E, brat, do ptichek ty lakom!
Net, postoj, popalsja. Vish'-ty, kot!``
Kak ni v chjom ne byvalo stoju ja, smotrju v storonku, 
Tol'ko glazom odnim podmechaju:
stranno chto-to!
Kot spokojno v glaza mne smotrit,
A sam uzh lapu v kletku zanosit:
Tol'ko chto dumal skhvatit' snegirja,
a ja jego khlop!
Mama, kakaja tvjordaja kletka!
Pal'cam tak bol'no, mama!
Mama! vot v samykh konchikakh, vot tut,
Tak nojet, nojet tak...
Net! kakov kot-to, mama, a?

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Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "“Sailor” the Cat", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le chat Marin", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Hans Schmidt) , "Kater Prinz"
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Katinas Matrosas (Jūreivis)", copyright © 2023, (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: 23
Word count: 131