Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)

Subject: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From:
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 01:05 PM

I have a recording of this song, a great closing song by the way, but I cannot find the lyrics. More specifically, I cannot find the Russian lyrics to this song. I have the English, but since I don't speak Russian, outside of the few swear words I learned from my grandmother years ago, I can't make them out on the album. I would appreciate any help. The best I can find is that they are taken from a song entitled "Proshchai Ty Staraya Derevnya"

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 01:56 PM

Hmmm. I found it was on the Limeliters Tonight: In Person album, which is one I don't have. Eric, can you post the English lyrics you do have, so we at least have something?
There's a brief clip of the song at http://www.mp3.com/albums/74220/summary.html
The Folk Music Index says Proshchai/Proschay (Farewell) was also recorded by Theodore Bikel (Bravo Bikel), and by Cynthia Gooding with Bikel (Young Man and a Maid).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: Proshchay / Proshchai / Farewell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 02:24 PM

Hmmm. I wondered if it might be in that Bikel songbook...

Proshchay
(arranged, adapted, and translated by Theodore Bikel)

Proschay ty novaya derevnya
Proschay tsyganskaya lyubov
Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya

Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Ba, ba,ba, ba ya bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya
Evi dovi dovi dovi
divi davi divi davi divi davi
davi divi da

Proshchay Moskva moya rodnaya
Proshchay Kremlyovski cupalla
Byt mozhet bolshe, ya bolshe nye usslyshu
Kremlyovski tva'yi kalakala.

Proshchay Kavkaz ty moi dalyoky
Proshchay gastinitsa ariant
Proshchay kinaginushka radnaya
Bog znayet uvizhu-l l'ya tehya.

Farewell, my girl,
Farewell, my Gypsy love.
Farewell, my dearest darling.
God knows if ever I'll see you again.

Farewell, my Moscow, my home,
Farewell, you cupolas of the Kremlin.
Alas, it may well be that never again
I shall hear the tinkling of your bells.

Farewell, faraway Caucasus,
Farewell, eastern inn—
Farewell, my native hamlet;
God knows if ever I'll see you again.

from Folksongs and Footnotes, Theodore Bikel, 1960

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 02:29 PM

Proschai Ty Staraya Derevnya..Proschai!

Then it goes into the Russian I can't make out..so I mumble along.
Proshchai proschai
A dubaya......is the best I can make out.

Proschai...Dear friends it's time to leave you. (Proschai)
The time has come to say good bye.
Proshchai, proschai
No matter what the country or the land, Proshchai is one word they
always understand.

Proschai, proshchai.
Adieu, arivaderci, adios, aloha, aloha, auf wedersein, so long.

Perhaps we'll meet in San Francisco, Paris, Hong Kong, or New York.
The world is small and getting smaller every single day, we'll
meet tomorrow, the friends we leave today.

You'll see us all and when it seems we've settled in our tracks, you'll turn around and you will see us coming back.

Chorus

Proschai...We're getting sentimental.
So here's until we meet again.
For auld ange syne, we'll sing a little song or two or three,
and drink a toast to our global jamboree.

That's what I can remember off the top of my head.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 02:31 PM

Thanks for the info. I can now sing along without mumbling.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: babypix
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 04:29 PM

It's possible that this is one of the authentic Russian-sounding songs written for Bikel by the dear and late Gene Raskin who was famous for having written "Those Were The Days" and "Kretchma" and others.

Deborah Robins
Nut Hill Productions, Inc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 09:24 PM

"Proschai, radost'" (Farewell Happiness), the folk song, may be heard here: Proschai
Beautiful, a capella.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 09:41 PM

Proschai, moy syn, sung here: Proschai moy syn
From Boris Gudunov

Not pertinent to this thread, but there are many Russian songs called or beginning with 'Proschai.'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: saulgoldie
Date: 17 Jul 04 - 03:57 PM

I played the Theodore Bikel version in my phonetic Russion (learned from the liner notes) once for some Russion friends who were deeply moved. Great to hear this song in both its versions being discussed. I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who likes this or that, and this is one of them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: Deckman
Date: 17 Jul 04 - 07:57 PM

This song brings back many pleasant memories. Thank you all who conributed to this thread. Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 01:10 AM

In the brief clip I heard, it seemed that the Limeliters were singing half-English, half-Russian. Can anybody give us a transcription of what they sang?
Not that I've added a MIDI to the Bikel version.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 09:03 PM

It is a great LP. On it is also Rumania (which I will be playing this Sunday--along with the original 78 by Aaron Lebidoff).   I wish I could, somehow, supply you with the MP3 of the one you asked about, but not being that versed in doing such things I will have to defer.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 09:50 AM

Joe, I'll have to dig it up and do the transcription. Gimme a few minutes. BTW, I have a lot of other songs transcribed, many with chords (as well as I could figure them out, leastwise) that I would offer to the Cat. You want a list?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: GUEST,saulgoldie
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 09:50 AM

Oops! That guest was me. Guess I lost my cookie, again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 09:54 PM

Hi, Saul - We always welcome lyrics (especially folk lyrics) that we con't have. Use the Filter or search engine to see if we already have the lyrics posted, or if there's an existing thread on that song. If the song hasn't been posted, try to post on an existing thread, if pertinent, or on a new tharead, if not. Be sure to give tell us where you got the song, and give any background information you can find.
Thanks a lot!
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 03:29 PM

Hi folks. I need to resurrect this thread yet again. I've been looking at the lyrics posted here and trying to match them to the lyrics on the Limeliters record and I don't think we have a match. I've been trying to read, sing, and drive at the same time and it gets pretty tricky. I appreciate all the work that everyone has done. The first line of the song goes:"Proshchai Ty Staraya Derevnya, and I can't find anything on the web that starts with that phrase. So I'm going to cast the net out again and see what happens. A lot of great responses to the first time. Thanks,
Eric

Subject: ADD: Proshchai by the Limeliters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 09:02 PM

Hi, Eric -
I came across the CD last night, so I had to buy it. I think your transcription is pretty good. I don't know exactly what the Russian says, but it sounds quite close to the Bikel version. Here's what I hear:

Proshchai
(Gene Raskin & Lou Gottlieb)

Proschai Ty Staraya Derevnya..Proschai!
[Proschay ty novaya derevnya
Proschay tsyganskaya lyubov]?????
Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya

Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Ba, ba,ba, ba ya bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya
Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Ba, ba, ba, ba ya bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya


Proschai...Dear friends it is time to leave you. (Proschai)
The time has come to say good bye.
Proshchai, proschai
No matter what the country or the land,
Proshchai is one word they always understand.

CHORUS
Proshchai, proshchai.
Adieu, arrivederci, adios, shalom, aloha, auf wiedersehen, so long.

Perhaps we'll meet in San Francisco, in Paris, Hong Kong, or New York.
The world is small and growing smaller every single day,
You'll meet tomorrow, the friends you leave today.
You'll see us all and ere the dust has settled in our tracks,
You'll turn around and you will see us coming back.

CHORUS

Proshchai, it's really tough to leave you, Proshchai,
We wish that you would come along.
Around this world we've lots of friends we know you'd like to know,
We'll sing together from Maine to Mexico.

CHORUS (Russian)
Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Ba, ba, ba, ba ya bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya


Proschai...We're getting sentimental.
So here's to when we meet again.
For auld lang syne, we'll sing a little song or two or three,
And drink a toast to our global jamboree.

CHORUS (Russian)
Proschay proschay podruga dorogaya
Ba, ba, ba, ba ya bog znayet uvizhul'ya tebya
CHORUS (English)
CHORUS (Russian)


transcribed by ear from The Limeliters CD, Tonight: In Person

-Joe Offer-
(e-mail sent to requestor)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 09:46 PM

Joe, and all ... I'm VERY impressed with your work on this thread. I also have enjoyed the song for years. Not being a Russian speaker, I'm in awe of your transcription. As the Finns say" "Kittos!" (thanks)CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: Fastauntie
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 08:24 PM

So glad to find this thread, even if several years late. I recently started digitizing my old cassettes and LPs and having reached the Limeliters realized the Web provides a great opportunity to learn the real words and meaning of those songs I've been singing phonetically (and no doubt mangling badly) for decades. Once I think I've got them right I'm replaying the recordings incessantly while singing along to re-train my brain.

This leads me to a couple of comments about Joe Offer's impressive transcription:

1) Joe's second and third lines: [Proschay ty novaya derevnya
Proschay tsyganskaya lyubov]????? I hear only one line here, beginning "Proshchai, ty ..." and continuing with five more syllables, ending with "ya". Could the third word be "gorye" (something to do with mountains)?

2) The second/fourth line of the Russian chorus as I hear it is "Ba, ba ya bog znayet ______ uvizhul'ya tebya." There are fewer filler syllables at the beginning, and another word (or two--two syllables anyway) after "bog znayet." This is a departure from the Bikel version. Sounds to my ear like "tsvoro" but I don't know if that's even a word. Any takers?

3) In the second English verse, "You'll see us all" should, I think, be "You'll see us off". The recording sounds like it could be either, but "off" makes more sense in context.

A thousand thanks, Joe, for shedding light on this mystery that's plagued me for nigh on forty years. And thanks to all the rest at Mudcat. It's good to be here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 08:39 PM

Now I wish I remember how I did the transcription - three years ago. It's obvious I had a lot of help from Bikel's Folksongs and Footnotes.

Thnks for refreshing the thread, fastauntie. Maybe it will help us fill in the rest of the blanks.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: Fastauntie
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 04:15 AM

Wow! I posted to this thread after a three-year gap and Joe replied in fifteen minutes. I am impressed.

Can't tell you how good it feels to have the real words. As I mentioned before, I've been singing them (and a few other songs like the Monks of St. Bernard) incessantly, in order to get rid of what I call the "Go stick your head in a pig syndrome." (A phrase taken from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which there's a reference to a giant sign with a company slogan, "Share and enjoy," which after being partly destroyed appeared to read in another language "Go stick your head in a pig." I've always thought it a useful shorthand for the pitfalls of mispronouncing foreign languages.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: GUEST,michael simkins
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 07:05 PM

this probably has nothing to do with the above , but my dad's xmas party piece used to be a song called proschai, obviously once a jazz or ragtime number , the tune of which closely follows the folk song described above which i've downloaded..

there's an ancient russian story
which sings of love in all its glory
its called proschai
which means goodbye , goodbye my love, don't sigh -
i'll soon be returning to you -

i love you dear
i love you so sincerely
every night when the russian moonlight
reminds me to say proschai

The chorus then consists of singing PROSCHAI a lot..

any ideas anyone ?

mike

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliters
From: GUEST,Leah
Date: 19 May 08 - 02:44 AM

i dont know that song but theres another one thats probably also called Proshchai ..and its like a pop very upbeat russian song and i cant find it...its goes something like Proshchai miya pervaya lubov Proshcha..... something if by any chance u know which song im talking about please let me know thnx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay by the Limeliter
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 09 - 05:37 PM

there is a beautiful recording of this song by a singer called Marusia Georgevskay. It is the same song - the lyrics are slightly different though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay
From: Artful Codger
Date: 14 Sep 09 - 12:27 AM

When I was hunting around for this song, all I turned up (besides the Bikel/Raskin version of dubious provenance) was this:

Прощай, ты новая деревня

Прощай, ты новая деревня!
Прощай, цыганская семя!

Припев:
Прощай, прощай, подруга дорогая
Бог знает, увижу ль я тебя!

Цыгане пойте громче песни...
Прощаюсь нынче с вами я.

Припев

А коль к тебе я не вернуся,
С другим позабудешь ты меня.

Припев


Goodbye to You, New Village

Goodbye to you, new village!
Goodbye, Gypsy blood!

Refrain:
Goodbye, goodbye, my dear friend.
God knows if I'll see you again!

Gypsies, sing the songs a bit louder...
I'm parting from you now, am I.

Refrain

And if I'm not to return to you,
You'll forget me with another.

Refrain

No sources cited.

And in case you want the Russian words to "Farewell, Happiness" (Proshchaj, radost'), go here (YouTube clip) and click on "more info" in the poster's info box.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST,woody
Date: 26 May 10 - 03:18 PM

I have a record of Marushia called "Marushia Sings Gypsy Songs" or something close. I have been looking for any of her recordings for a couple of years. NADA. Any help? Anybody have a record to digital setup? I would loan the record.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 06:19 PM

This is the song Artie Shaw - Prosschai

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 06:02 AM

Here's a clip of another variant, sung by Nicolai Gedda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA3tfrNn_-Y

Ignore the song text below the clip--it doesn't match with what he's actually singing; in fact, it seems to have been pasted in from the same place I found the text above (or recopied from me!)

Regarding Fastauntie's second question, the mystery utterance (tsvoro?) might be скоро (skoro = soon), but I don't have the recording to check against.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 18 - 11:05 AM

Love yuz all.
Aida Pavletich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: Elmore
Date: 05 May 18 - 02:35 PM

This thread has made me miss Theo.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST,Liam... who else could u ever hope that it’d
Date: 27 Apr 19 - 09:40 AM

??????, ?? ?????? ???????, ??????
??????, ?? ???? ? ???
??????-??????, ??????? ???????
Ba, ba, ? ??? ????? ???????? ????
??????-??????, ??????? ???????
Ba, ba, ? ??? ????? ???????? ????

(??????!)
Dear friends, it is time to leave you
(??????!)
The time has come to say, “goodbye”
??????-??????
No matter what the country, or the land
?????? is one word they always understand

??????-??????
Adieu, arrivederci, adios, ?????????,
Aloha, auf wiedersehen, so long!

Perhaps, we’ll meet in San Francisco
(??????!)
In Paris, Hong Kong, or New York!
The world is small
And growing smaller ev’ry single day
You will meet tomorrow
The friends you leave today

You’ll see us all
And e’er the dust has settled in our tracks
You’ll turn around
And you’ll see us coming back

??????-??????
Adieu, arrivederci, adios, ?????????,
Aloha, auf wiedersehen, so long!

(??????!)
It’s really tough to leave you
We wish that you would come along
(??????!)
Around this world
We’ve lots of friends
We know you’d like to know
We’ll sing together, from Maine to Mexico!

??????-??????, ??????? ???????
Ba, ba, ? ??? ????? ???????? ????

(??????!)
We’re getting sentimental
(??????!)
So, here’s to when we meet again!
For Auld Lang Syne
We’ll sing a little song or two or three
And drink a toast, to our global jamboree!!

??????-??????, ??????? ???????
Ba, ba, ? ??? ????? ???????? ????!

??????-??????
Adieu, arrivederci, adios, ?????????,
Aloha, auf wiedersehen!!! Soooooo lonnggg!!!

??????-??????, ??????? ???????
Ba, ba, ? ??? ????? ???????? ????!!!

??????!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 27 Apr 19 - 12:43 PM

The recording I grew up with, in my parent's record collection, was
the Elektra Young Man and a Maid album
with Cynthia Gooding and Theodore Bikel.

"Proshchay," the farewell song, is fittingly
the last song on the album.

So the version I grew up with is the duet version.
Not a word of English, unlike
the Limeliters transcription presented in this thread
-- the Limeliters recording is unknown to me.

The all-Russian word transcriptions I see on this thread
nicely match what Gooding and Bikel sing together.
Bikel sings the first verse;
Gooding and Bikel follow with the chorus, in harmony.
Gooding sings the second verse;
Gooding and Bikel sing together on the following chorus.
Bikel sings the third and final verse alone;
and the two of them close out the song in duet.

The above all sounds very formal and decorous.
Actually the recording is nearly uproarious.
It comes across like a comedy routine.
Cynthia Gooding sings the Tin Pan Alley Russian,
if that's what this is,
and kind of hams it up, cabaret style, with much emotion.
But Theodore Bikel is diabolically humorous,
messing about with the Russian syllables rather like
Tevye singing If I Were A Rich Man with the
ya-ba-di-ba-di-ba ya-ba-di-ba-di-bas, well not exactly that
but it sounds very similar.
The only accompaniment is one guitar,
I am guessing that Bikel plays it.
And as there are no other backup musicians,
the two singers can mess about with the song
without distracting anybody else.

At the very end, the tempo gets cranked up faster,
and Gooding throws out the lyrics altogether
and starts singing the chorus to a full-throated
ay-yay-Ya yay-Ya yay-Ya! while
Bikel ad-libs in harmony.   It's a hoot.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Apr 19 - 12:51 PM

Don't know how this sounds, as I'm on a public-access computer
with no headphones, and the public library with this computer
has controlled the sound
so you can only hear it with headphones on.

But I believe this is the recorded performance of my memory
described in the previous post.
One more thing:
the Elektra album my parents bought had a different picture
on the album sleeve;
had the picture in this YouTube link been on the cover, I assure you,
my mother would never have allowed the recording in the house.

Proschay (Young Man and a Maid)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Proshchai/Proshchay (from the Limeliters)
From: GUEST,JaanusSaar
Date: 29 Apr 21 - 11:53 AM

Hi everyone!

In case someone is looking for the chords (as I was), I believe it's just D G D / D A7 D for the verse, and G D A7 D for the chorus.