Song Cycle by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975)

1. Ljubov' Kapitana Lebjadkina

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Note on Transliteration

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) , no title, from Besy (The Devils), Book 1, Part 3, Chapter 9 (first portion); Book 1, Part 4, chapter 2 (second portion); and Book 2, Part 2, Chapter 2 (last portion)

Ljubvi pylajushchej granata
Lopnula v grudi Ignata.
I vnov' zaplakal gor'koj mukoj
Po Sevastopolju bezrukij.
— Khot' v Sevastopole ne byl, i dazhe ne bezrukij, no kakovy zhe rifmy! — [...]1
I porkhajet zvezda na kone
V khorovode drugikh amazonok;
Ulybajetsja s loshadi mne
Ari-sto-kraticheskij rebjonok.
[...]1

Sovershenstvu devicy Tushinoj.
Milostivaja gosudarynja,
Elizaveta Nikolaevna!
O, kak mila ona,
Elizaveta Tushina,
Kogda s rodstvennikom na damskom sedle letajet.
A lokon jejo s vetrami igrajet,
Ili kogda s mater'ju v cerkvi padajet nic,
I zritsja rumjanec blagogovejnykh lic!
Togda brachnykh i zakonnykh naslazhdenij zhelaju
I vsled jej, vmeste s mater'ju, slezu posylaju.2

[...]1
V sluchaje jesli b ona slomala nogu. [...]1
Krasa krasot slomala chlen,
I interesnej vdvoje stala,
I vdvoje sdelalsja vljubljon 
Vljubljonnyj uzh nemalo.
[Sostavil neuchenyj za sporom.]2

2. Tarakan

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Note on Transliteration

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) , no title, from Besy (The Devils), Book 1, Part 5, Chapter 4

Zhil na svete tarakan,
Tarakan ot detstva,
I potom popal v stakan
Polny mukhojedstva --
 
-    Gospodi! Chto takoje? [...]1
-    To jest', kogda letom [...]1 v stakan
nalezut mukhi, to proiskhodit
mukhojedstvo, vsjakij durak poimjot,
ne perebivajte, ne perebivajte, 
vy uvidite, vy uvidite! [...]1
 
[Pozhalujsta, snachala!
 
Zhil na svete tarakan,
Tarakan ot detstva,
I potom popal v stakan
Polny mukhojedstva.]2

Mesto zanjal tarakan,
Mukhi vozroptali,
,,Polon ochen' nash stakan``, --
K Jupiteru zakrichali.

No poka u nikh shjol krik,
Podoshjol Nikifor,
Bla-go-rodnejshij starik ... ...
 
Tut u menja jeshchjo ne dokoncheno,
no vsjo ravno, slovami! [...]1 
Nikifor berjot stakan i, nesmotrja na krik,
vypljoskivajet v lokhan' vsju komediju,
i mukh i tarakana, chto davno nado bylo sdelat'.
No zamet'te, [no]2 zamet'te,
sudarynja, tarakan ne ropshchet! [...]1 
,,Tarakan ne ropshchet.``
Chto zhe kasajetsja do Nikifora, 
to on izobrazhajet prirodu.

3. Bal v polzu guvernantok

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Note on Transliteration

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) , no title, from Besy (The Devils), Book 3, Part 1, chapter 2

Zdravstvuj, zdravstvuj, guvernantka!
Veselis' i torzhestvuj,
Retrogradka il' zhorzh-zandka,
Vsjo ravno teper' likuj!

[...]1

Uchish' ty detej soplivykh
Po-francuzski bukvarju
I podmigivat' gotova,
Chtoby vzjal, khot' ponmarju!
 
[...]1

No v nash vek reform velikikh
Ne voz'met i ponomar';
Nado, baryshnja, ,,tolikikh``,
Ili snova za bukvar'.

[...]1
 
No teper', kogda, piruja,
My sobrali kapital,
I pridanoje, tancuja,
Shljom tebe iz `etikh zal, --
 
Retrogadka il' zhorzh-zandka,
Vsjo ravno teper' likuj!
Ty s pridanym, guvernantka,
Pljuj na vsjo i torzhestvuj!
[Pluy! Likuy! I torzhestvuy!]2

4. Svetlaja lichnost'

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Note on Transliteration

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) , "Svetlaja lichnost'", from Besy (The Devils), Book 2, Part 6, Chapter 3

On neznatnoj byl porody,
On vozros sredi naroda,
No gonimij mest'ju carskoj,
Zlobnoj zavist'ju bojarskoj,
On obrjok sebja stradan'ju,
Kaznjam, pytkam, istjazan'ju,
I poshjol veshchat' narodu,
Bratstvo, ravenstvo, svobodu.
[`Ekh!]1
 
I, vosstan'je nachinaja,
On bezhal v chuzhije kraji
Iz careva kazemata,
Ot knuta, shchipcov i kata.
A narod, vosstat' gotovyj
Iz-pod uchasti surovoj
Ot Smolenska do Tashkenta
S neterpen'jem zhdal studenta.
[`Ekh!]1
 
Zhdal jego on pogolovno,
Chtob idti bezprekoslovno,
Poreshit' v konec bojarstvo,
Poreshit' sovsem i carstvo,
Sdelat' obshchimi imen'ja
I predat' naveki mshchen'ju
Cerkvi, braki i semejstvo!
[`Ekh!]1
Mira starogo zlodejstvo!
[`Ekh!]1

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