Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Dec 13 - 03:08 AM

I always cringe when I see this thread title, which appears to attribute "Waters of Babylon" to Don McLean. I checked a number of sources. Some attribute this setting of Psalm 137 to William Billings (1746-1800) of Massachusetts. Others say it is "erroneously attributed" to Billings. Some sources call it a "traditional Jewish melody." Daniel Harper of Northern California researched the song, and found a copy of the melody in a 1786 book titled The Muses Delight: Catches, Glees, Canzonets and Canons by Philip Hayes, page 105.

Makes it a bit older than old Don McLean, doesn't it?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:56 PM

Yes, and 136 in the Russian Bible, but the words just as they are don't quite fit the tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:42 PM

It's Psalm 137, Volgadon, if that helps.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:32 AM

I couldn't find it yet, but I imagine it's the same text. I'd post the scripture verses in Russian, but I don't know how they adapted them.

Subject: ADD: Al Naharot (Hebrew)(By the Waters of Babylon)
From: Celtaddict
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 10:11 PM

I do not have the Russian words, but the round is older, and I do have the Hebrew if you want. It translates to very nearly what Don McLean sings in English, which is

By the waters, the waters of Babylon
We sat down and wept, and wept, for thee, Zion;
We remember, we remember, we remember thee, Zion.

According to my niece (who has attended Hebrew schools her entire life and was fascinated to hear McLean's for the first time), it is a traditional Hebrew song. In Romanized alphabet:

Al naharot
Al naharot
Al naharot
Bavel
Sham Yashavnu
Yashavnu
Gam Bachinu
Ve Zochreinu
Ve Zochreinu
Ve Sochreinu
Et Tzion.

(Sorry about the random capitalization, lack of punctuation, and possibly odd spacing; this is exactly the way she hand-wrote it for me.)
To make it fit the melody, the first two lines go
A--al na-ha-rot, A-al na--ha--rot, A--al na-ha-rot, BA-a-vel.
BY-y--y--y the WA-a-a-ters, the WA-a--a--ters of BA-by-lon
SHA--a--am   ya-SHAV-nu, ya-SHAV-nu, gam BE--chi-nu
WE lay down and WE-ept, and WE-ept, for THEE Zi-on

Does someone have the Russian (also phonetically)?

Subject: Lyr Req: Don McLean's Babylon, Russian lyrics
From: LeTenebreux
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 11:53 PM

I was at an Esperanto convention in Berlin about a decade ago, and some people started singing something to the tune "Babylon" by Don McLean, but in Russian. I think they were singing it as a round.
This is not the same as the Bob Marley song.