Ils demandèrent :Comment dans des barques qui volent

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by Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822 - 1862)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Спросили они: ,,Как в летучих челнах

Language: Russian (Русский) after the French (Français)

Our translations: FRE

Спросили они:  ,,Как в летучих челнах
Нам белою чайкой скользить на волнах,
Чтоб нас сторожа недогнали?``
,,Гребите!`` они отвечали.

Спросили они: ,,Как забыть, навсегда,
Что в мире юдольном есть бедность, беда,
Что есть в нём гроза и печали?``
,,Засните!`` они отвечали.

Спросили они: ,,Как красавиц привлечь
Без чары: чтоб сами на страстную речь
Они нам в объятия пали?``
,,Любите!`` они отвечали.

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Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

by Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822 - 1862), no title, written 1862, first published 1862 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Autre guitare", appears in Les Rayons et les Ombres, no. 23, first published 1838
- 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 Mikhail Mikhailovich Ivanov (1849 - 1927), 1899 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Sergei Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), "Они отвечали", op. 21 (Двенадцать романсов = Dvenadcat' romansov (Twelve songs)) no. 4 (1902) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Vasily Andreyevich Zolotaryov (1872 - 1964), "Спросили они", op. 26 no. 2 [ men's chorus ], Leipzig, Jurgenson [sung text not yet checked]

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-16
Line count: 12
Word count: 61

Ils demandèrent :Comment dans des...

Language: French (Français) after the Russian (Русский)

Ils demandèrent : « Comment dans des barques qui volent
Glisser sur les vagues comme une mouette blanche,
Pour que les gardes ne nous rattrapent pas ? »
« Ramez ! » elles répondirent.

Ils demandèrent : « Comment oublier pour toujours
Que  dans ce monde il y a pauvreté et malheur, 
Qu'il y a orage et chagrin ? »
« Dormez ! » elles répondirent.

Ils demandèrent : « Comment séduire les beautés,
Sans philtre, pour qu'à nos discours passionnés, elles 
Tombent dans nos bras ? »
« Aimez ! » elles répondirent.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Они отвечали" = "Elles répondirent"
"Спросили они" = "Ils demandèrent"

Text Authorship:

Translation from Russian (Русский) to French (Français) copyright © 2025 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822 - 1862), no title, written 1862, first published 1862
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Autre guitare", appears in Les Rayons et les Ombres, no. 23, first published 1838
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-04-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 85