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And the Snow Fell

1 Grief, an old lady, wanders the Earth
happily following in the footsteps 2 of others.
Wherever she went
the flowers wilted beneath her feet.
 
But in the sky, this queen of sorrow
with turquoise eyes,
became more beautiful, each morning.
She still lamented -
 
"Why should I make a golden chariot in the sky,
when I can make sleighs rot on the bad side of town 3?
There's no need to pay tribute to God,
as long as people still snack on sunflower seeds 4, gossiping."
 
Wake up, brothers,
this is how to build a snowman.
this is how to make the children run away from your yard.
Such things are a disgrace. 5
 
La-la-la-la-la.
It's funny, yet sad 6.
La-la-la-la-la.
And, the snow fell, more and more snow.
 
There was a time when one certain depressed poet
sang songs to frozen birds 7
using angry 8 words,
of a "Magic Golden Needle." 9
 
But his songs
kept him from sleeping.
And one day, he was found with a noose around his neck.
Who was that? What was his name? 10
 
"There is no reason to make golden chariots in the sky,
when you can make sleighs rot under fences.
No need to pay tribute to God
as long as people still sit and gossip."
 
Wake up, brothers,
and make a snowman.
as the children run away from your yard.
Such things are a disgrace.
 
La-la-la-la-la.
It's funny, yet sad
La-la-la-la-la.
The snow fell, snow, snow.
 
I wanted a meeting,
so I flew to the frozen birds, 11
and became a scarecrow,
of impenetrable fog. 12
 
That way, I could fly over
but never really see or know
what was rotting on the bad side of town 13.
Yet people 14, kept snacking on sunflower seeds, spreading rumors.
 
Life is such a strange thing -
like winter in early May,
So, come to me and dance Mrs. Grief, you old woman,
You're like my fate:
Crippled on the right foot,
while skipping along on the left.
I'll take you with me wherever I go.
I'll take you - you pitiful thing.
 
La-la-la-la-la.
It is funny, yet sad.
La-la-la-la-la.
And, the snow fell, snow, snow
 
  • 1. A song about the life and works of Sergei Esenin, a Russian poet whose life was as tragic as his poems. Russians familiar with his poems will read a LOT more into this song than this simple translation implies. It is a song which sadly, posthumously, tells of this man's battles with alcohol and depression.
  • 2. "heels"
  • 3. "under fences"
  • 4. Russian poetic terminology
  • 5. Russian poetry
  • 6. "of laughter and sin"
  • 7. This is a direct reference to Sergei Esenin's lyrical poems.
  • 8. "dangerous"
  • 9. An obscure reference, that even Russians familiar with his works argue over its significance and meaning. So, don't expect me (an American) to do any better.
  • 10. This is a rhetorical question, because many Russians know that his name is Sergei Esenin.
  • 11. using Esenin's poetry
  • 12. "mist"
  • 13. "under the fence"
  • 14. "souls"
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Kommentare
Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 20:04

I would love for you to explain that to me in the context of this song. As far as I can see (without understanding subtle nuances), it seems to be about a hag that everyone has living on their backs. (At least as an American, it is the understanding that I got from these lyrics.) Cultural differences, when not explained can drastically change one's understanding. A little help plz.

Treugol'nyTreugol'ny    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:01

Phil, you have a gift to pick the most difficult songs to translate and give those song completely different meanings.
Good night. It's getting late.

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 20:05

I don't do it on purpose, just trying to respond to requests. But, that does seem to be the case. LOL

JadisJadis    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:12

Ah, so the unhappy poet was Essenin, right, he hanged himself (or was helped to do so...) in a hotel room. I was thinking of Tsvetaeva. Anyway, instead of "The old hag known as "Grief", I would have said "Old Woman Grief" for ex. What about the chariot in the sky, the rotten sleighs and the frozen birds ? Does it refer to Essenin's poetry ?

JadisJadis    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:32

Well, with a lot of footnotes... but we have to be helped by Russian natives anyway ! Lyudy, pomogite !

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:50

Lol, you wouldn't. I agree with P, but I don't think he realizes that we, the mortals, sometimes reach for the stars...
Anyway, please check my version and let me know what you think - I got to go to work, but I will add some explanations later to see if I got the right meanings. N, thanks in advance.

JadisJadis    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:52

Well you're lucky, then you can explain us what the heck is" that "Золотая нерукотворная спица". I only found "Спас Нерукотворный", but there doesn't seem to be the faintest link ? (and even less with Yesenin ?)

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:55

Спица can be translated as arm/hand. I believe it means he writes with the divine inspiration

JadisJadis    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 13:58

Спасибо Ваше Величество, уже ждать не можем.

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 14:01

I didn't have much time this morning. And I most struggled with:
Доверяешься братишке,
Как лепили из снега бабу,
Как бежали со двора детишки
Срам завидя и всё такое!

Looking forward to yours

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 14:05

Now you are just shopping for compliments. It's bad enough snowMAN Is in English. But now, you have to know about the nature of gossip that was following him. The drinking - is that the under the fence reference. I'll get killed at work - LT is addictive.

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 15:48

Ah, I was thinking the same. Just not up on gossip. And just for a "change", a disaster at work. Call it holiday special...

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:00

Bad-bad girl, you deleted all comments again. Lol.
Waiting impatiently.
Reading up on Yesenin. I knew he was married to Isadora Duncan, was an alcoholic, and considered antisemitic (still not clear why) but not any other unsubstantiated rumors. If you have any useful links, please include!

Happy Thanksgiving! As a present to all of you, I won't rant on how Indians were treated...

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 20:13

Seems like my translation started an argument, but luckily for me it's between Russians. Have a good conversation about whose translation is "correct", and how to write it. However, my translation, as wrong and off-point as it may be, IS at least understandable. When you start putting in vague references to "cracking sunflower seeds", as much as your translation may be perfect, I can promise you that it will NOT be understandable in English, and after all, isn't that the REASON for a translation? So, best of luck to you all. When you make the definitive translation, I'll delete mine. Hugs.

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:01

It's better than GT! Still, it's not to your fault. I'm trying to let you know that most of this song, which may make sense to Russians (with your vast understanding of poetry) has no meaning to Americans who have no such background. Spitting sunflower sseds (gossiping) might as well just be "gossiping". And, if "Grief" in this song is not a fairytale hag, I really don't know what she is. A real woman whose parents actually named her "Grief"?! Well, if that's the case, her parents should have been arrested for child abuse. Lol. Just saying.
Anyway, I am obviously NOT the person who can translate this song with Russian meaning passing into English. But, when all you Russians figure it out, you should footnote the references at least, because, belive me, no English speaker will understand this otherwise.

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:10

I don't think you should cite all English speakers. Some actually study poetry, research info, and search for a meaning.
I agree this is not an easy piece. Definitely, it is not a cute fairytale.

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:15

Lol. True I can't speak for all English speakers. However, being that most Americans don't even know Mark Twain, I'm pretty sure you'll have a hard time finding an American who would understand an obscure Russian poet who was "hanged" who sang to frozen birds. Good luck on that search. Let me know how it turns out. Lol. ;)

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:12

I asked my full bloodied English speaking husband and said he does not understand your translation.
He asked what does it mean "improved her craft every morning."

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:24

Lol. As an anniversary gift, earlier this month, I stopped drinking his blood...so he fully recovered.... Lol.

I meant he is not a foreigner. He understands "improve craft" just not within this translation.
I was semi-nice to cite just one example - he didn't understand much.
Just be clear, he frequently, most frequently feels the same about my translations and poems.

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:29

Yes, I understand. I"ll revise it. Sorry for my typos. It's cold here and I don't have steady hands.

JadisJadis    Do, 22/11/2018 - 07:18

Never mind, I agree that there are probably many lines in your translation to be corrected or improved, but anyway you tried and made the whole thing progress a little. We shall overcome !

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:20

"Full blooded" (that extra "i" really makes a difference there). Of course, in my incorrect version I thought she was a hag, so I though that vague Russian line "she got better every morning", meant that she "became a better witch every day" (so she improved her (witch)craft". Apparently, she was sick and just got healthier each day.

Phil AmbroPhil Ambro
   Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:31

Got it! I,ll tinker with it when I get home and out of the snow, falling on my head. Lol.

BlackSea4everBlackSea4ever    Mi, 21/11/2018 - 23:36

We will await N, but this poet struggled with the depression and fitting in, he felt at once superior to others and poorly understood, was a heavy drinker so Grief represents all this. I also thought, possibly, last few lines is Grief as Grim Ripper takes the poet away.