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by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837)

Besy
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG
Mčatsja tuči, v'jutsja tuči;
Nevidimkoju luna
Osveščaet sneg letučij;
Mutno nebo, noč' mutna.
Edu, edu v čistom pole;
Kolokol'čik din-din-din...
Strašno, strašno ponevole
Sred' nevedomych ravnin!

„Ėj, pošël, jamščik!...“ — „Net moči
Konjam, barin, tjaželo;
V'juga mne slipaet oči;
Vse dorogi zaneslo;
Chot' ubej, sleda ne vidno;
Sbilis' my. Čto delat' nam!
V pole bes nas vodit, vidno,
Da kružit po storonam.

Posmotri: von, von igraet,
Duet, pljuet na menja;
Von — teper' v ovrag tolkaet
Odičalogo konja;
[Tam verstoju nebyvaloj
On torčal peredo mnoj;
Tam sverknul on iskroj maloj
I propal vo t'me pustoj“.

Mčatsja tuči, v'jutsja tuči;
Nevidimkoju luna
Osveščaet sneg letučij;
Mutno nebo, noč' mutna.
Sil nam net kružit'sja dole;
Kolokol'čik vdrug umolk;
Koni stali... „Čto tam v pole ?“ —
„Kto ich znaet? pen' il' volk?“

V'juga zlitsja, v'juga plačet;
Koni čutkie chrapjat;
Vot už on daleče skačet;
Liš' glaza vo mgle gorjat;
Koni snova poneslisja;
Kolokol'čik din-din-din...
Vižu: duchi sobralisja
Sred' belejuščich ravnin.]1

Beskonečny, bezobrazny,
V mutnoj mesjaca igre
Zakružilis' besy razny,
Budto list'ja v nojabre...
Skol'ko ich! kuda ich gonjat?
Čto tak žalobno pojut?
Domovogo li choronjat,
Ved'mu l' zamuž vydajut?

[Mčatsja tuči, v'jutsja tuči;
Nevidimkoju luna
Osveščaet sneg letučij;
Mutno nebo, noč' mutna.]1
Mčatsja besy roj za roem
V bespredel'noj vyšine,
Vizgom žalobnym i voem
Nadryvaja serdce mne...

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   D. Smirnov 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Smirnov.

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Note on Transliterations

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Text Authorship:

  • by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837), "Бесы" [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 Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Бесы", op. 20 no. 4, published 1976 [ voice, flute, percussion, violin, and cello ], from Pechal' minuvshikh dnej, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Dmitri Smirnov) , "The demons", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Martha Gilbert Dickinson Bianchi) , "Goblins on the steppes", appears in Russian Lyrics, first published 1916


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-16
Line count: 56
Word count: 217

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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