O butterfly, O Moslem-woman | O butterfly, O Moslem-woman

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by Osip Emil'evich Mandelstam (1891 - 1938)

Translation © by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020)

О бабочка, о мусульманка

Language: Russian (Русский)

Our translations: ENG

О бабочка, о мусульманка,
В разрезанном саване вся —
Жизняночка и умиранка,
Такая большая, сия!
С большими усами кусава
Ушла с головою в бурнус.
О, флагом развернутый саван, —
Сложи свои крылья — боюсь!

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Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

by Osip Emil'evich Mandelstam (1891 - 1938), no title, written 1933, appears in Восьмистишия (Vos'mistishija), no. 3 [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), "О бабочка, о мусульманка", op. 53 no. 2, published 1989 [ soprano, flute, horn, harp, and string trio ], from Восьмистишия = Vos'mistishija, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "O butterfly, O Moslem-woman", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Dmitri Smirnov

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-22
Line count: 8
Word count: 34

O butterfly, O Moslem‑woman

Language: English after the Russian (Русский)

O butterfly, O Moslem-woman,
All wrapped in a cut shroud,
Living and dying
So big a one!
With long moustaches, a biter,
All plunged in an Arabian mantle.
O shroud unfolded like a flag,
Fold up your wings, I am afraid!

Text Authorship:

by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "O butterfly, O Moslem-woman", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Russian (Русский) by Osip Emil'evich Mandelstam (1891 - 1938), no title, written 1933, appears in Восьмистишия (Vos'mistishija), no. 3
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-22
Line count: 8
Word count: 41