I see two tiny flies, sitting

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by Leib Moiseyevich Kvitko (1890 - 1952)

Translation © by Jacob Wilde

Две мушки

Language: Russian (Русский)

Our translations: ENG

Две крошечных мушки, я вижу, сидят 
На тонком зеленом листке. 
И прыгают обе вперед и назад, 
Как шахматный конь на доске. 
Прыг, скок! 

Опять посидели чуть-чуть, 
Как будто решили они отдохнуть. 

Мне так любопытно ними следить 
В заросшем травою саду: 
Я думаю, учатся мушки ходить, 
А может быть, ищут еду? 

И бдруг… 
И вдруг я увидел листок опустел, 
А я ничего расспросить не успел!

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Text Authorship:

by Leib Moiseyevich Kvitko (1890 - 1952) [author's text not yet checked 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 Zara Aleksandrovna Levina (1906 - 1976), "Две мушки", published 1979 [ voice and piano ], from Избранные Романсы для детей (Izbrannye Romansy dlja detej) = Selected Children' Songs, no. 11, Moscow : Sovyetsky Kompozitor [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Jacob Wilde) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jacob Wilde [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-08-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 64

I see two tiny flies, sitting

Language: English after the Russian (Русский)

I see two tiny flies, sitting 
Upon a delicate green leaf. 
And they both jump back and forth, 
Like a knight on the chess board. 
Jump, gallop! 

Once again they sat a while, 
As if they'd decided to rest. 

I am so curious to watch them 
In the grassy overgrown garden: 
I think the flies are learning to walk, 
And maybe they’re searching for food? 

And suddenly… 
And suddenly I saw the leaves were empty, 
But I hadn't managed to ask about anything!

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Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2023 by Jacob Wilde, (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 Leib Moiseyevich Kvitko (1890 - 1952)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-08-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 83