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Над озером, в глухих дубровах, Спасался некогда Монах, Всегда в занятиях суровых, В посте, молитве и трудах. Уже лопаткою смиренной Себе могилу старец рыл — И лишь о смерти вожделенной Святых угодников молил. Однажды летом у порогу Поникшей хижины своей Анахорет молился Богу. Дубравы делались черней; Туман над озером дымился, И красный месяц в облаках Тихонько по небу катился. На воды стал глядеть Монах. Глядит, невольно страха полный; Не может сам себя понять... И видит: закипели волны И присмирели вдруг опять... И вдруг... легка, как тень ночная, Бела, как ранний снег холмов, Выходит женщина нагая И молча села у брегов. Глядит на старого Монаха И чешет влажные власы. Святой Монах дрожит со страха И смотрит на ее красы. Она манит его рукою, Кивает быстро головой... И вдруг — падучею звездою — Под сонной скрылася волной. Всю ночь не спал старик угрюмый И не молился целый день — Перед собой с невольной думой Всё видел чудной девы тень. Дубравы вновь оделись тьмою; Пошла по облакам луна, И снова дева над водою Сидит, прелестна и бледна. Глядит, кивает головою, Целует из дали шутя, Играет, плещется волною, Хохочет, плачет, как дитя, Зовет Монаха, нежно стонет... «Монах, Монах! Ко мне, ко мне!...» И вдруг в волнах прозрачных тонет; И всё в глубокой тишине. На третий день отшельник страстный Близ очарованных брегов Сидел и девы ждал прекрасной, А тень ложилась средь дубров... Заря прогнала тьму ночную: Монаха не нашли нигде, И только бороду седую Мальчишки видели в воде.
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Note on TransliterationsAuthorship:
- by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837), "Русалка" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Georgy Petrovich Bazilevsky (b. 1887), "Русалка" [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Patrick John Corness) , "The Water Nymph", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-05-03
Line count: 56
Word count: 243
By a lake deep in the forest once A monk was doing penitence, Always performing hard tasks, Fasting, praying, labouring. With a simple spade the old man strove Now to dig his own grave— For the death that was all he desired, He prayed to the saints. One summer’s day on the doorstep Of his ramshackle hut The hermit was praying to God. The oak forest became darker; Fog hung low above the lake, And a red moon among the clouds Glided silently across the sky. The Monk began observing the lake. Watching, overcome by fear, He himself does not know why… He sees the waves begin to foam, Then suddenly they calm down once more… And all at once… like a shadow in the night, White as the early snow in the hills, A woman emerges, all naked, And sits silently by the shore. She watches the old Monk As she combs her watery tresses. The holy Monk trembles with dread, Observing her charms. To him she beckons, Insistently nodding her head… Then suddenly—like a falling star— Beneath a dreamy wave she disappears. The old man could not sleep that night in his gloom And he could not pray all day— Before him, as he sat confused in his thoughts, He could still see a shadow of the fabulous maiden. The oak forest once more was veiled in darkness; The moon moved amongst the clouds, And once again the maiden sat By the lake, charmingly pale. She watches, nodding her head, Blowing kisses from afar, in jest, She plays, splashing in the waves, Laughing and crying like a child, She calls to the Monk, gently moaning… “Monk, O Monk, Come to me, come to me!...” Then suddenly she submerges in the limpid waves; And deep silence reigns. On the third day the impassioned hermit Sat near the charmed river bank Awaiting the lovely maiden, And a shadow was cast among the old oaks… The dawn drove the darkness of night away; The Monk was nowhere to be found, Until some boys spotted In the water his grey beard.
Authorship:
- Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2024 by Patrick John Corness, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837), "Русалка"
This text was added to the website: 2024-02-05
Line count: 56
Word count: 349