Kazanka

 
     
 

Vdol da po ryetshke,
vdol da po Kazanke
sizý syelezyen plývyot,
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
sizý syelezyen plývyot.

There on the river,
there on the Kazanka,
there swam a greyish blue drake,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
there swam a greyish blue drake.

 
 

Vdol da po byereshku,
vdol da po krutomu,
dobrý maladyets idyot,
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
dobrý maladyets idyot.

There on the bank,
there on the steep bank,
there went a good young man,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
there went a good young man.

 
 

Sam on so kudryami,
sam on so rusými,
razgavarivayet on,
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
razgavarivayet on:

He had curly hair,
blond and curly hair,
and he begins to talk,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
and he begins to talk:

 
 

"Komuzh mayi kudrý,
komuzh mayi rusý
dostanutsya rastshesat',
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
dostanutsya rastshesat'?"

"To whom my curly hair,
my blond and curly hair,
will allow to comb them,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
will allow to comb them?"

 
 

Dostavalis kudrý,
dostavalis rusý
krasnoi dyevitse tshesat',
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
krasnoi dyevitse tshesat'.

There his curly hair,
his blond and curly hair,
allowed a beautiful maid to comb them,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
allowed a beautiful maid to comb them.

 
 

Ana ikh i tsheshet,
ana ikh i gladit,
volos k volosu kladyot,
aida lyuli lyuli, aida lyuli lyuli,
volos k volosu kladyot.

And she combs his curls,
and she smooths his curls,
and puts hair to hair,
aida Lyuli Lyuli, aida Lyuli Lyuli,
and puts hair to hair.

 
 



Words and music: Russian Folksong
Pronunciation:
       a as in "bar", e as in "bed", i as in "bid", o as in "bore", u as in "blue"
       y = as in "yellow" / ý = dull i, as in "bill"
       s = always voiceless, as in "son" / z = voiced, as in "zone"
       sh = voiceless, as in "mesh" / zh = voiced, like the s in "measure"
       kh = mostly rough, like the ch in Scotch "loch", but smooth when "e" or "i" follows
       a, e, i, o, u, y = the underlined vowel signifies the stressed syllable of a word.
Transcription and analogous translation: Kai Kracht
Comment:
       "Lyuli" obviously was the name of an old-slavic goddess of the earth, and of spring, love, and fertility – as the traditional heavenly ally of the Russian agricultural population, but also of the young people in love, Lyuli survived the christianization and is still alive in quite a lot of folksongs, as in "Kalinka", and in this song, too:
The lonely young man takes a walk to the river to ask Lyuli who will ever comb his curls, and the helpful goddess of love immediately sends a beautiful young girl – there are still miracles in this world!
© Kai Kracht 2002