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by Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont (1867 - 1942)
Translation by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) and by Lina Ivanovna Ljubera Codina-Prokof'eva (1897 - 1989)

Голос птиц
Language: Russian (Русский) 
От ласточки до соловья
Вся повесть малая моя.
Весну касатка начинает,
А соловей конец ей знает.
С касаткой первой в первый гром
Парным умойся молоком,
И будешь бел, не будешь лишний пред девой,
Под цветущей вишней.
Гнездо, в котором малым рай,
У ласточки не разоряй, 
Не то прильнут к тебе веснушки,
Смеяться будут и дурнушки. 
Когда засвищет соловей,
Вникай в ту песню, вверься ей.
Но есть и лешего в ней дудка.
Не следуй, это злая шутка,
Юлиная есть стукотня.
Не следуй ей, пойми меня.
Но сердцем слушайся, раската,
И счастье расцветёт богато.
И есть кукушки и перелёт
В той песне, что любовь зовёт.
Не следуй мудрости кукушки,
И не играй в любви игрушки.
По соловьиному запой
До самой выси голубой.
И знай, что святость гнёзд-дорога
До звёзд, до солнца и до бога.

Show a transliteration: Default | DIN | GOST

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

  • by Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont (1867 - 1942) [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 Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953), "Голос птиц", op. 36 no. 2 (1921), from Cinq poèmes pour voix et piano, no. 2, also set in French (Français) [ sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in French (Français), a translation by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) CAT and by Lina Ivanovna Ljubera Codina-Prokof'eva (1897 - 1989) CAT ; composed by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev.
      • Go to the text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-12-08
Line count: 28
Word count: 132

La voix des oiseaux
Language: French (Français)  after the Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  CAT
Mon conte commence par l'hirondelle,
S'achève par le rossignol.
Regarde, les hirondelles reviennent!
Elles veulent nous dire que le printemps arrive.
Quand vient l'orage printanier,
Vite, lave-toi avec du lait
Pour être blanc, pour être sûrde plaire
Aux belles demoiselles.
Soigne bien le nid de l'hirondelle
Et garde toi de le détruire.
Si-non ton nez, couvert de taches,
Fera la joie de toute gamine.
Écoute le chant du rossignol,
Écoute bien ce chant magique.
Pourtant, prends garde à ses beaux trilles:
Ils sont malins, ils ont du diable,
De même qu'une douceur infinie.
Prends garde, ami, écoute moi bien.
Heureuse sera ta récompense, 
Si dans ce chant tu trouves une note divine.
Sais tu que dans ces chants d'amour
Se cache l'inconstance d'un coucou?
Ne suis jamais son vil exemple,
Chéris l'amour et sois fidèle,
Entonne le chante du rossignol,
Qu'il atteigne les plus hautes cimes.
Chantant ainsi tu te rapproches de Dieu,
Des cieux et des étoiles.

Text Authorship:

  • by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
  • by Lina Ivanovna Ljubera Codina-Prokof'eva (1897 - 1989) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Russian (Русский) by Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont (1867 - 1942)
    • Go to the text page.

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

  • by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953), "La voix des oiseaux", op. 36 no. 2 (1921), from Cinq poèmes pour voix et piano, no. 2, also set in Russian (Русский) [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La veu dels ocells", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-12-08
Line count: 28
Word count: 158

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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