Kudesnik (Agnivtsev, set by S. Prokofiev) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


V starom zamke, za goroju,
Odinokij zhil kudesnik...
Byl na ty on s satanoju -
Tak pojotsja v staroj pesne...
Byl osoboj on zakvaski:

Ne ljubil on vkusa pudry
I ne veril zhenskoj laske,
Potomu chto byl on mudryj!
No bez zhenskoj laski,

Pravo, zhizn' kak budto khromonoga...
Den'gi, pochesti i slava bez ljubvi?
Da nu ikh k bogu! 
I sidel on vecher kazhdyj,
O vzajimnosti toskuja.
I zadumal on odnazhdy
Sdelat' zhenshchinu takuju,
Chtob ona byla dushoju
Napodobije kristalla,
Ne branilas' jezhednevno i ne lgala!

I, sklonjas' k svojim retortam,
Sdelal zhenshchinu kudesnik,
Ibo byl, na ty on s chjortom -
Tak pojotsja v staroj pesne.

I chista i neporochna iz retorty
V rezul'tate vyshla zhenshchina...
Nu, tochno lotos Ganga v zhenskom plat'je!
I s ulybkoj ochen' miloj celyj den'
Ona nesmelo za kudesnikom khodila
I v glaza jemu smotrela.
I nemedlja, po prikazu vse zhelan'ja ispolnjala
I ne vskriknula ni razu,
I ni razu ne solgala...

Rovno cherez dve nedeli 
Vyshel iz domu kudesnik
I povesilsja na jeli...
Tak pojotsja v staroj pesne!

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

Authorship

Nikolai Yakovlevich Agnivtsev (1888-1932)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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