russian-songs
Russian Songs: Videos and Translations
Nobody Like You
How Young We Have Been
Don't Fear, People
How Ravishing the Russian Evenings Are
by White Eagle
How ravishing the Russian evenings are
Love, and champagne, and sunsets over alleys
And walks and the amusements in the summer -
How ravishing the Russian evenings are.
Beautiful women, lackeys, servants, there they are
The waltz of Schubert and the crumbling of french bread and
Love, and champagne, and sunsets over alleys -
How ravishing the Russian evenings are.
How ravishing the Russian evenings are
Sunset aflame and shining like a band and
Only the heavens in the blue eyes of the poet -
How ravishing the Russian evenings are
May all be dream, may love be game - wherefore
For you are all my fits and my embraces?
But in this world my memory remains of
How ravishing the Russian evenings are.
May all be dream, may love be game - wherefore
For you are all my fits and my embraces?
But in this world my memory remains of
How ravishing the Russian evenings are.
How Many Fell In This Abyss
by Marina Tsvetayeva
How many people fell in this abyss,
I fathom from afar!
There will be time, and I will vanish too
From earth's exterior.
All will be still, that sang and that did struggle,
That glistened and rejoiced:
The greenness of my eyes, the gold of my hair,
And this my tender voice.
Life will continue with its soft hot bread,
With day's oblivion.
All will continue — under outstretched heavens
As if I'd never been!
Like children changeable in every mien
And angry not for long,
Who loved the times when in the fireplace
Into ash turned the log,
Violin and cavalcade within the forest
And in the village, bell...
Upon this dear earth — I will be no longer
That was alive and real!
To all — who are the friends and strangers
To me that never knew what was enough -
I turn to you with this my faith's demand
And a request of love.
Both day and night, in word and letter both:
For truth of yes and no,
For that though I am but twenty I am
So often in such sorrow,
For unavoidably my slights and trespasses
Will be forgiven me —
For all of my impetuous tenderness
And look too proud and free —
For quickness of events as they come rushing,
For truth, for play, say I —
Please hear me! But do also please love me
Millions Of Scarlet Roses
by Alla Pugacheva
Once there an artist had been,
Canvases he had and house,
But one actress he loved
Who liked flowers
And then his house he sold,
Sold canvases and the home,
And sea of flowers he bought.
Millions, millions, millions of scarlet roses
From the the window from the window from the window you can see
Who's in love who's in love who's in love seriously
Turned his life to flowers for thee.
At dawn you stand by window, maybe insane,
The square is filled with flowers as if dreaming,
Soul chills, what did this rich man
Poor artist stands barely breathing.
Millions, millions, millions of scarlet roses
From the the window from the window from the window you can see
Who's in love who's in love who's in love seriously
Turned his life to flowers for thee.
The meeting had been quite brief, train in the night carried her,
But in her life there had been a crazy song of the roses.
The artist spent life alone, he suffered many sorrows,
But in his life there had been a square full of flowers.
Millions, millions, millions of scarlet roses
From the the window from the window from the window you can see
Who's in love who's in love who's in love seriously
Turned his life to flowers for thee.
Tell Me Birds
by Alla Pugacheva
Tell me, birds, what leads you into sky.
Over my head daringly you fly.
Maybe you fly with such easiness
For you aren't aspiring to success.
For you aren't tormented by the slights
From your flying past, your gorgeous past.
Fully, fly and keep flying,
It is midnight, in the zenith sun stands.
Verse by verse to the whole planet
Give away this song I'm singing
And the sun showers' silver threads.
Verse by verse to the whole planet
Give away this song I'm singing
And the sun showers' silver threads.
Tell this to me birds, time has arrived,
That our planet - is like fragile glass.
The clean birches, rivers and the fields,
All - more delicate than chandeliers.
Would from every side we soon be hearing
The crystal ringing, the farewell ringing?
Fully, fly and keep flying,
It is midnight, in the zenith sun stands.
Verse by verse to the whole planet
Give away this song I'm singing
And the sun showers' silver threads.
Verse by verse to the whole planet
Give away this song I'm singing
And the sun showers' silver threads.
Raspberry
by Valentina Legkostupova
You'd remember the fairy tale dream,
Will about you it ever forget,
Raspberry ringing flew through the field,
And shone brightly the raspberry light.
Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,
Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,
How had shimmered all these sparkles at the sunrise
And how sweet the raspberry was.
Quietly rustled the enchanted grove,
Just for us in it sang nightingales,
And your lips, so delightful and warm,
Of the ripe and red raspberry smelled.
Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,
Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,
How had shimmered all these sparkles at the sunrise
And how sweet the raspberry was.
Give to me as a gift just one word,
Over which do not rule centuries.
And let rush from the luminous dawn
River pouring with ripe raspberries.
Raspberry the berry lured us to its lair,
Raspberry the berry in the summer called us,
How had shimmered all these sparkles at the sunrise
And how sweet the raspberry was.
Little Noses
by Valentina Tolkunova
Finally, having climbed half the world around,
My small boys are in bed fast asleep
Fast asleep my green-eyed nations, sleep my treasures dirty-faced,
Little noses, little schnoses, sniff.
So peaceful and good they are while sleeping
In the world there are no better kids
Bruises like bright peas
Burning on their knees and
Blankets thrown aside upon the bed
Bruises like bright peas
Burning on their knees and
Blankets thrown aside upon the bed.
But tomorrow if you know ahead as to
Into which directions their paths lead
If without invitation
To go to a drawing lesson and
Into outer space barefoot to tread
If without invitation
To go to a drawing lesson and
Into outer space barefoot to tread .
Tiredly over them the clock is beating
Peacefully on earth the children sleep
Sleep my little desperadoes
Sleep my Titovs and Gagarins
Little noses, little schnoses, sniff
Sleep my little desperadoes
Sleep my Titovs and Gagarins
Little noses, little schnoses, sniff.
Evenings In Moscow Countryside
In the garden you can't hear anything,
Everything till the morning subsides.
If you only knew how I treasure these
Evenings in Moscow countryside.
River moves along then moves not along,
All alit in moon's silver shine.
You can hear the song and not hear the song
In these silent and peaceful nights.
Why then, my dear one, do you look aslant,
Turning your head to the side?
It's hard to express and to not express
Everything that is on my heart.
And the dawn is coming along more clear,
So, please then, be so kind
Don't forget these beautiful, summer
Evenings in Moscow countryside.
Katyusha
Blossomed apple trees and pear trees blossomed,
Over river's water sailed the fog.
On the shore Katyusha went out often,
On the shore of river, steep and tall.
She would sing, each time that she went there,
Of a greyish eagle of the steppe,
Of the one whom she loved and held dear,
Of the one whose letters she would keep.
Oh, you song, you song of a young lady,
After the bright sun please fly away.
And to soldier in far foreign country
Send Katyusha's greetings every day.
Let him be reminded of girl simple,
Let him hear her songs from far away,
Let him keep the land that is most dear
And the love, Katyusha will maintain.
Bending Were Trees, Chestnuts Made Sound
Bending were trees, chestnuts made sound,
And the night was extremely dark
A single pair of two lovers
Partied till morning all the night
And they awoke in the morning
Around them all the grass was bent
Bent not was only grass around them
But maiden's beauty too was spent
I'm heading home, and there they'll ask me
Where I spent the night and with whom
And I'll say I walked in the garden
And could not find the pathway home
Bending were trees, chestnuts made sound,
And the night was extremely dark
A single pair of two lovers
Partied till morning all the night.
On the Chestnut Street
by Yuri Antonov
There are the city center streets, the high ones, the important ones
With plexi-glass shop windows, adorned by many lights,
But I prefer the quiet ones, the simple single-story ones,
And from their tender names the spirit fills with light.
I'll walk along the Apricot, into the Grape I'll make a turn,
And on the Shady Avenue I'll stand inside the shade
The Cherry and the Pear ones
The Green ones and the Chilly ones
As if to long-gone childhood they carry me away.
And maybe on the Lilac Street and maybe on the Chestnut Street
And if not on these little streets then on the Meadow Street
With my first love I then will meet Unasked for and unheralded
And walking till the midnight there Myself I will not be.
I'll walk along the Apricot, into the Grape I'll make a turn,
And on the Shady Avenue I'll stand inside the shade
The Cherry and the Pear ones The Green ones and the Chilly ones
As if to long-gone childhood they carry me away.
There are the city center streets, the high ones, the important ones
With plexi-glass shop windows, adorned by many lights,
But I prefer the quiet ones, the simple single-story ones,
And from their tender names the spirit fills with light.
I'll walk along the Apricot, into the Grape I'll make a turn,
And on the Shady avenue I'll stand inside the shade
The Cherry and the Pear ones The Green ones and the Chilly ones
As if to long-gone childhood they carry me away.
Arbat
by Bulat Okudzhava
Like a river you run, a strange appellation
And the asphalt's transparent, just like river flows.
Ah Arbat my Arbat! You are my vocation.
You're my happiness and you are my woe.
Your crosswalks - with small-time people they are smidgeoned:
They are hurrying to work and stomping their heels.
Ah Arbat my Arbat! You are my religion.
All your ramparts are there lying under me.
Of your love I cannot be cured, I understand,
Though forty thousand other roads I may adore.
Ah Arbat my Arbat! You are my Fatherland,
And I won't reach your end forevermore.
Island of Childhood
by Michail Boyarsky
I can talk of this without beguiling,
To it not having too much to add.
In my dreams I see a little island
You won't find it upon a map.
And to no place, to no place can I flee from this,
Night outside, nobody in the yard.
Only in morning will with shining dawn arise
Beautiful island of my childhood.
Here I swim in a winding river,
Feeling the strong arms of my dad,
And for this I am happy and carefree
And for this I can swim with no end.
And to no place, to no place can I flee from this,
Night outside, nobody in the yard.
Only in morning will with shining dawn arise
Beautiful island of my childhood.
Parting with childhood is a sadness,
The white ship has left, does not come back.
And the luminous feelings of memories
Will be stronger the older you get.
And to no place, to no place can I flee from this,
Night outside, nobody in the yard.
Only in morning will with shining dawn arise
Beautiful island of my childhood.
After Gypsy Star
from film Cruel Romance
Fuzzy bumblebee on a fragrant ambary
Dances at the edge of the pond
And the gypsy bride for beloved at night
By the kinship of vagrant soul
So ahead after wandering gypsy star
Into sunset where sails palpitate
And with desolate longing the eyes will stare
Into flaming skies overhead
And together on path, to meet the fates,
Not to guess if to heaven or hell,
Thus we need to go not fearing the road
To the end of the world to the end
So ahead after wandering gypsy star
Rendezvous flying into sunrise
Where, tender and quiet, the wave alights
With pink in the morning light
So ahead after wandering gypsy star
Into latitudes north and south
If the waves of the sea warm will be
Ocean wave will fly over us
So ahead after wandering gypsy star
Into sunset where sails palpitate
And with desolate longing the eyes will stare
And with desolate longing the eyes will stare
I'm In Love With You to Tears
by Alexander Serov
Lift your lovely eyes up to Christmas heavens,
Conjure up the substance of your dreams,
Before you in my life I was never this happy,
Just for you, as you love them, it seems,
Take these flowers from me.
I'm in love with you to tears,
Every sigh just like first time,
Rather than more pretty lies
This rose cloud, my dear.
With the petals of white rose
I will carpet our home,
I'm in love with you to tears,
I'm in love madly.
In the splendor of your majestic hair,
In the whiteness of your hypnotizing skin
I take a delight, you are the most dear,
All has just begun between you and me.
I'm in love with you to tears,
Every sigh just like first time,
Rather than more pretty lies
This rose cloud, my dear.
With the petals of white rose
I will carpet our home,
I'm in love with you to tears,
I'm in love madly.
Northern Lights
by Aquarium
Veronica on the porch
In the house sleeps the beast,
in the house waits the angel;
In the house it is far from dawn.
Veronica on the porch, on the other side of window
And I would open the door
If I knew, where it was.
The list of ships
None would read to the end; who needs to -
To see in it their names...
We went to the wall, where there was supposed to be one
But there's only morning there
And the shadow of your face.
Tear away from the earth, Northern Light;
You know, how the end must transpire;
With your tenderness fill me up.
With the earth under you, I see no reason to be careful -
In the house is the beast, Veronica on the porch.
If you so wish, thus the earth will die out;
If you so wish - stones will sing glory to you;
If you so wish - then take off now
This veil that is over my heart.
Tear away from the earth, Northern Light;
You know, how the end must transpire;
With your tenderness fill me up.
With the earth under you,
I see no reason to be careful -
In the house is the beast, Veronica on the porch.
The key to the north lies there, where nobody is seeking,
The key to the north waits in the beating of your heart.
I know, why you cannot sleep at night now:
Song for Film
by Angelina Moysov
They are speaking of what's stylish,
They are living day by day
And I'm looking at them as if they are fools,
Life goes on in its way.
Today, today the day has finished
And we all came to bury it,
But no one knows
That the shining star has died.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
It is dark in city towers, I got nothing at all
And you did not get much, believe.
However I don't fear pain,
What is she? To her I pray
She is a friend of mine.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
I am speaking of what's stylish,
I am living day by day
And I'm looking at me as if I'm a fool,
Life goes on in its way.
It is good the day is finished
But not all came to bury it
And no one knows
That the shining star still lives.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
And I stand on the other shore,
Where I see all things
I stand on the other shore.
Come, stand with me on the shore
Where I see all things
Come, stand with me on the shore.
I Like It
by Marina Tsvetayeva
I like it that you're burning not for me,
I like it that it's not for you I'm burning
And that the heavy sphere of Planet Earth
Will underneath our feet no more be turning
I like it that I can be unabashed
And humorous and not to play with words
And not to redden with a smothering wave
When with my sleeves I'm lightly touching yours.
I like it, that before my very eyes
You calmly hug another; it is well
That for me also kissing someone else
You will not threaten me with flames of hell.
That this my tender name, not day nor night,
You will recall again, my tender love; T
hat never in the silence of the church
They will sing "halleluiah" us above.
With this my heart and this my hand
I thank You that - although you don't know it -
You love me thus; and for my peaceful nights
And for rare meetings in the hour of sunset,
That we aren't walking underneath the moon,
That sun is not above our heads this morning,
That you - alas - are burning not for me
And that - alas - it's not for you I'm burning.
Under Caresses of an Ivy Plaid
by Marina Tsvetayeva, performed by Pelageia
Under caresses of an ivy
Plaid I recalled yesterday's dream.
Whose victory? Who's been defeated?
What has it been?
Rethinking everything once more,
Torturing myself once again.
In this, for which no word I know,
Love it has been, love it has been.
Who was the hunter? Who - the hunted?
All is reversed as if by Satan!
What did the loudly purring
Siberian Cat, understand?
In this self-willing one another
Who in whose hand was but a ball?
Whose heart flew - yours or mine,
Do you recall?
And still again - what has it been too?
What do I want, what do I pity?
And I don't know: Did I win?
These Eyes Across From Me
by Valeriy Obodzinsky
These eyes across from me - kaleidoscope of fire.
These eyes across from me - warmer and ever brighter.
These eyes across from me - the color of tea.
These eyes across from me - what? What it may be?
Maybe, maybe I fall
Into sentiments and woe.
These eyes across from me
Shattering my free will.
And so the fate has joined, and so the fate has joined,
And so the fate has joined us
. Only do not betray, only do not betray,
Only don't turn away eyes.
These eyes across from me - may all years rush by.
These eyes across from me - now and for all time.
These eyes across from me - and there is no more end.
These eyes across from me - my silent friend.
Maybe, I do not know
If I'll find joy or sorrow.
Haunting me endlessly -
These eyes across from me.
And so the fate has joined, and so the fate has joined,
And so the fate has joined us.
Only do not betray, only do not betray,
Yellow Tulip Flowers
by Natasha Koroleva
Fountains have dried out,
Suddenly ends summer,
Yellow tulips flowers
You strangely to me give.
You know how is cruel
This clear reminder
Yellow tulip flowers,
Yellow tulip flowers.
Yellow tulip flowers,
Messengers of parting,
Color of forgotten
Early morning star,
Early morning star.
Yellow tulip flowers
Remember your arms,
Remember your lips,
These severe flowers,
These severe flowers.
Yellow tulip flowers
Remember your arms,
Remember your lips,
These severe flowers,
These severe flowers.
You will leave me shortly,
Loud city will empty,
After our quarrel,
Maybe you are right
And I do not argue
That the dreams are broken
Flowers aren't at fault.
Yellow tulip flowers,
Yellow tulip flowers.
Yellow tulip flowers,
Messengers of parting,
Color of forgotten
Early morning star,
Early morning star.
Yellow tulip flowers
Remember your arms,
Remember your lips,
These severe flowers,
These severe flowers.
Yellow tulip flowers
Remember your arms,
Remember your lips,
These severe flowers,
And In Departing I Will Say
from film "Cruel Romance"
And in departing I will say
And in departing I will say
Farewell - to love me do not promise
I'm going insane or I ascend
Into the highest states of madness
The way you loved you did impart
Of death - but that is not the matter:
The way you loved you killed my heart
But murdered it you so ineptly
And in departing I will say
My mind is working just a bit
A little bit but hands have fallen
And like a flock flying aslant
The sounds and the tastes desert me
And in departing I will say
And in departing I will say
Farewell - to love me do not promise
I'm going insane or I ascend
Into the highest states of madness.
Moments
by Joseph Kobzon
Don't view the seconds as something beneath
The time will come and you yourself will know this:
Like bullets by the temple they all whizz -
The moments, the moments, the moments.
Each moment has its reason and its aim,
Its own ringing bells and its reality,
The moments give to some people their shame,
To some - inglory, to some - immortality
From tiny moments woven is the rain
From sky the common water keeps on pouring
And half your life you stay here and you wait
When it will come into the world, your moment
Like gulp of water, huge, it will arrive -
The gulp of water in the summer scorching sun
And we remember dues we have in life
From moments - the initial to the final one -
Into the years the moments are compressed
The moments are compressed into the centuries
And sometimes I still fail to understand
Which moment is the first, which is the end of them -
Don't view the seconds as something beneath
The time will come and you yourself will know this:
Like bullets by the temple they all whizz -
The moments, the moments, the moments.
Nobody Like You
By Daniela Vranic
Never did I dream that life could be so painful
God gave me good looks and all I ever wanted
But no one ever knew what was hidden in my soul.
Nobody like you, in this world of deception
Knew how to save me from my destiny's intention
After all these years
I now stand before you
I am not afraid of life.
Nobody like you, in my world of sorrow
Has seen the single color of the rainbow
In those eyes
I now stand before you
I am not afraid of love.
Who will ever believe that the dead man's breathing
I did never have the real reason
To change myself
Nor will to survive
Nor someone to admire
Nobody like you, in this world of deception
Knew how to save me from my destiny's intention
After all these years
I now stand before you
I am not afraid of life.
How Young We Have Been
By Dmitri Horostovsky
Look around, unfamiliar passerby,
Familiar is my incorruptible sight.
Maybe, I am younger,
We won't ourselves always recognize.
Nothing on the earth passes without a trace,
And immortal was our passed away youth.
How young we had been, how young we had been,
How sincerely we loved, how we in ourselves believed.
Without ridicule had met us
All flowers on the roads of the Earth.
To our friends we forgave errors,
We could not forgive betrayal.
Nothing on the earth passes without a trace,
And immortal was our passed away youth.
How young we had been, how young we had been,
How sincerely we loved, how we in ourselves believed.
The first half we played
And just this we could understand,
That not to be lost on the earth,
You must not lose yourself.
Nothing on the earth passes without a trace,
And immortal was our passed away youth.
The lightning has burned out in the sky,
And thunder in the heart has gone quiet.
Not to forget the beloved faces,
Not to forget our dear eyes.
Nothing on the earth passes without a trace,
And immortal was our passed away youth.
How young we had been, how young we had been,
How sincerely we loved, how we in ourselves believed.
Don't Fear, People
By Alexander Galich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0g_SBpGNHQ
To the chatterboxes the joy,
Of my darkness I’m not ashamed,
I cannot be Ptolemy
And to Engels I cannot fit.
But from eternal flight in the soap,
With one’s device languishing,
I see – something’s wrong with the world,
I’d like to be busy with it,
Only century tenaciously holds me,
In progress quenches any fit,
And there’s no prescription from sorrow,
Given in archive – all that has been.
And still, I risk to pass for
A fool, a buffoon, a jester,
And at night, I insist on one thing –
We don’t need, people, to fear!
Don’t fear the jail, don’t fear the sums,
Don’t fear the sea and the sight,
But fear only just the one,
Who’ll say: “I know how it must!”
Who’ll say: “People, after me come,
I’ll teach you, how it must!”
And, crumbling with petty demon,
And vowing to all in love,
He’ll pass on the earth as iron
And will drown it in blood.
And he will lie such lies,
And will weave such a tale,
That not one story in barracks
In bitter hour you’ll recall.
The tears of blood aren’t more salty,
Free expensive product!
History rushes – Salome
With the John’s head.
Land – ash and water – resin,
And, it appears, to succumb nowhere,
Inscrutable are roads of evil,
But we don’t need, people, to fear!
Don’t fear ash, don’t fear blasphemy,
Don’t fear hell and roast,
But fear only the one
Who will say: “I know, what must!”
Who’ll say: “To all, who will after me come,
Heaven on earth is reward.”
Pushing in department of wine,
I will come to drunken friends,
In partaking of half
We will talk by the souls,
Alcoholics strictly observe,
That would not pour a drop.
“They laugh – we did not meet God?”
“Here’s to God, did not lead.”
May in best happenings the pub
Talk about evil and good,
But his “best one” we have seen
On the table in white slippers.
To some “knot,” cognac to some,
To authority – for whom to smolder?
And I repeat to them, like a fool:
We don’t, brothers, need to fear!
It is madness that there’s not travel,
And we can’t without account enter,
And to fear only the one
Who will say: “I know how it must!”
Chase him! Don’t believe him!
He lies! He doesn’t know – how it must!