Lyr Add: Along the Volga (Vysotsky)(Russian)

Subject: Lyr Add: Along the Volga (Vysotsky)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 05 Jan 08 - 11:30 PM

http://www.kulichki.com/vv/pesni/kak-po-volge-matushke.html
Russian tradition has deep feelings and many songs about the Volga, Mother Volga, it was, after all, not only their life-line, but also where most of the old cities sprang up. Like in Nikolai Nekrasov's poems, it could also symbolise the suffering and injustice of Russian life.
"oh, bitterly, bitterly I wept,
when that morning I stood
on the bank of my native river,
and for the first time named her
the river of slavery and melancholy!..."
I'm sure everone has heard the song of the Volga Boatmen, which is about just that.
I had the chance to live in Volgograd for a few months, and I must say that the river is awe-inspiring. It's interesting that on one side the banks are almost flat, yet on the other, rise very high.
This is Vladimir Vysotsky's take on the tradition, which song wasused in the film "Ivan da Marya", a film based on Russian fairytales and legends.
Strugs were small, one-masted vessels, and ladyas were the longboats of ancient Rus.
"Dubinushka" (club, the wooden variety) was a burlak work song, a bit like a shanty. It might be the same as the Boatmen song, but I'm not sure. They sang it when the anchor was raised and the ropes bit into the shoulder..
What I translated as 'harsher' in the 3rd verse, comes the verb 'to lash'.


    ÊÀÊ ÏÎ ÂÎËÃÅ-ÌÀÒÓØÊÅ

Êàê ïî Âîëãå-Ìàòóøêå, ïî ðåêå-êîðìèëèöå,
Âñå ñóäà ñ òîâàðàìè, ñòðóãè äà ëàäüè.
È íå íàäîðâàëàñÿ, è íå ïðèòîìèëàñÿ -
Íîøà íå òÿæåëàÿ, êîðàáëè ñâîè.

Âíèç ïî Âîëãå ïëàâàÿ, ïðîõîæó ïîðîãè ÿ
È ãëÿæó íà ïðàâûå áåðåãà ïîëîãèå.
Òàì êàìûø øåâåëèòñÿ, ïîïåðåê ëîìàåòñÿ,
Ñïðàâà áåðåã ñòåëåòñÿ, ñëåâà - ïîäíèìàåòñÿ.

Âîëãà ïåñíè ñëûøàëà õëåùå, ÷åì "Äóáèíóøêà",
 íåé âîäà èñõëåñòàíà ïóëÿìè âðàãîâ.
È ïëûëà ïî ìàòóøêå íàøà êðîâü-êðîâèíóøêà,
Ñòûëà áóðîé ïåíîþ âîçëå áåðåãîâ.

Äîëãî â âîäû ïðåñíûå ëèëèñü ñëåçû ñòðîãèå.
Áåðåãà îòâåñíûå, áåðåãà ïîëîãèå,
Ïëàêàëè, èçìûçãàíû îñòðûìè ïîäêîâàìè,
Íî òåïåðü çàëèçàíû çëûå ðàíû âîëíàìè.

×òî-òî ñ âàìè ñäåëàëîñü, ãîðîäà ñòàðèííûå -
Òàì, ãäå ñòåíû äðåâíèå, íà õîëìàõ êðåìëè,
Ñëîâíî ïðîáóäèëèñÿ ìîëîäöû áûëèííûå
È, ÷èñëîì íåñìåòíûå, âñòàëè èç çåìëè.

Ëàïàìè ãðàáàñòàÿ, êîðàáëè ñòàðàþòñÿ,
Òÿíóò áàðæè ñ Êàñïèÿ, òÿíóò-íàäðûâàþòñÿ,
Òÿíóò, íå îãëÿíóòñÿ, è íà âåðñòû ìíîãèå
Çà êðóòûìè òÿíóòñÿ áåðåãà ïîëîãèå.

    KAK PA VOLGYE MATUSHKYE

Kak pa Volgye-Matushkye, pa rekye-karmilitsye,
vsye suda s tavarami, strugi da ladi.
i nye nadorvalasa, i nye pritomilasa -
nosha nye tyezhyolaya, korabli sva'i.

Vniz pa Volgye plavaya, prakhazhu parogi ya
i glyazhu na praviye byerega palogiye.
tam kamysh shyevyelitsa, paperyek lamayetsa,
sprava byereg styeletsa, slyeva - padnimayetsa.

Volga pyesni slyshala khlyeshe, chyem "Dubinushka,
v nyey vada iskhlyestana pulyami vragof.
i plyla pa matushkye nasha krof-kravinushka,
styla buroy pyenoyu vozlye byeregof.

Dolga v vody pryesniye lilis slyozy strogiye.
byerega otvyesniye, byerega palogiye,
plakali, izmyzgany ostrymi padkovami,
no tepyer zalizany zliye rany valnami.

Shto-ta s vami zdyelalas, garada starinniye -
tam, gdye steny dryevniye, na khalmakh kryemli,
slovna prabudilisa malatsy bylinniye
i, chislom nesmyetniye, vstali iz zemli.

Lapami grabastaya, karabli starayutsa,
tyanut barzhi s Kaspiya, tyanut-nadryvayutsa,
tyanut, nye aglyanutsa, i na vyersty mnogiye
za krutymi tyanutsa byerega palogiye.


    Along the Mother Volga

Along the Mother Volga, along the river-breadgiver,
go all the vessels with their wares, vessels large and small (strugs and ladyas).
and not straining, and not wearing out,
their not-so-heavy loads.

Sailing down the Volga, I cross the rapids
and glance at the gently sloping right banks.
there the rushes stir, splitting right across,
on the the right the banks spread, on the left- they rise.

The Volga has heard harsher songs than "Dubinushka",
her water has been lashed by the bullets of foes.
and along mother has flowed our blood our own blood,
the brown foam has cooled around the banks.

Long into the fresh waters poured harsh tears.
Steep banks, flat banks,
they wept, clogged up by sharp horseshoes (fig. obviously),
but now the vile wounds are cleansed by the waves.

What happened to you, ancient towns -
there, where the walls are ancient, on the hills of the kreml (ancient forts),
as if the heroes of ancient lore have awakened
and, in numbers uncountable, risen from the earth.

Stealing with their paws, the ships try,
people pull barges from the Caspian, pull and strain,
pull, without looking back, and for many verts,
behind the steep, the low banks pull.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Along the Volga (Vysotsky)
From: GUEST,Murray on Salt Spring
Date: 06 Jan 08 - 01:05 AM

Dovol'no horosho! Maybe you could give the same treatment to a song I've searched for for a while, namely "Along the Peterskaya", the theme of which turns up in 'Petrushka', perhaps, or one of those pieces by Stravinsky.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Along the Volga (Vysotsky)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 06 Jan 08 - 02:04 AM

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=52764&messages=4

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Along the Volga (Vysotsky)(Russian)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 07:38 PM

Turns out I was wrong, this wasn't for Ivan Da Marya, but apparently written for Vysotsky's French wife, Marina Vlady.
I found an audio of her singing it. One word. Miserable.
http://www.wysotsky.com/0005/