THE YOUNG POSTILLION
Russian folk songs with English translations p. 24 #19

Ice-bound, a road-way fair, the Vol-ga lies,
And smooth-ly glides the sledge a-long;
The young pos-til-lion's thoughts are far a-way,
As he sings a hap-less lo-ver's song;
The young pos-til-lion's thoughts are far away,
As he sings a hap-less lo-ver's song.*

What grief, unhappy lad, inspires your song?
His trav'ler gently bade him tell;
No heart so young should be with care oppress'd
When the world is young should all be well.

My lord, before I grew to man's estate,
A dear lass gave me all her heart;
Her father frowned upon our lover's vows,
Cruel fate ordained we two must part.

And now my own dear love is lost to me,
A rich man won her for his own,
My happiness is gone for evermore,
All my way I mow must go alone.

The journey's end is reached at eventide,
The [?] reins his horses three
He strokes their steaming flanks with kindly hand
As he sighs, How bitter love can be.


*second couplet of each verse repeats as third couplet.