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by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875)

Kaby znala ja
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG
Kaby znala ja, kaby vedala,
Ne smotrela by iz okoshechka
Ja na molodca razudalogo,
Kak on jekhal po nashej ulice.
Nabekren' zalomivshi murmolku,
Kak likhogo konja bulanogo,
Zvonkonogogo, dolgogrivogo
Suprotiv okon na dyby vzdymal!

Kaby znala ja, kaby vedala,
Dlja nego by ja ne rjadilasja,
S zolotoj kajmoj lentu aluju
V kosu dlinnuju ne vpletala by,
Rano do svetu ne vstavala by,
Za okolicu ne speshila by,
V rose nozhen'ki ne mochila by,
Na prosjolok tot ne gljadela by,
Ne projedet li tem prosjolkom on,
Na ruke derzha pjostra sokola?

Kaby znala ja, kaby vedala,
Ne sidela by pozdnim vecherom,
Prigorjunivshis' na zavaline,
Na zavaline, bliz kolodezja,
Podzhidajuchi, da gadajuchi,
Ne pridjot li on, nenagljadnyj moj!
Napoit' konja studenoj vodoj!

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Note on Transliterations

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Text Authorship:

  • by Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Count (1817 - 1875) [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 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893), "Кабы знала я", op. 47 (Семь романсов = Sem' romansov (Seven romances)) no. 1 (1880) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "If only I'd known better", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 120

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