by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)

Strašnaja minuta
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Ty vnimaeš', vniz skloniv golovku,
oči opustiv i ticho vzdychaja!
Ty ne znaeš', kak mgnoven'ja
ėti strašny dlja menja
i polny značen'ja,
kak menja smuščaet
ėto molčan'e.
JA prigovor tvoj ždu,
ja ždu rešen'ja - 
il' nož ty mne v serdce vonziš',
il' raj mne otkroeš'.

Ach, ne terzaj menja,
skaži liš' slovo!
Ot čego že robkoe priznan'e
v serdce tak tebe zapalo gluboko?
Ty vzdychaeš', ty drožiš' i plačeš';
il' slova ljubvi v ustach tvoich
nemejut, ili ty menja žaleeš', ne ljubiš'?
JA prigovor tvoj ždu, ja ždu rešen'ja -
il' nož ty mne v serdce vonziš',
il' raj mne otkroeš'.

Ach, vnemnli že mol'be moej,
otvečaj, otvečaj skorej!
ja prigovor tvoj ždu, ja ždu rešen'ja!

Notes (provided by Laura Prichard):
Lines 10 and 11 of the first two stanzas: "или… или" is more common in modern Russian, meaning “either … or”


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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) , "Fearful minute", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Instant effrayant", copyright © 2016, (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: 115