Thread: Favorite Russian childhood lullabies & bedtime stories

Hello again,

In the event that you have not read my other posts, please let me first explain why I am asking for assistance. At the request of my teenage daughter, I have been writing a fictional novel. I am almost finished with chapter 18 and each chapter is about 8,000-9,000 words long. The main male character is of Russian decent and I am in need of Russian points of view for character accuracy.

I am interested in knowing about your favorite Russian childhood lullabies and bedtime stories. If there is a link that you can post where I can listen to them or find them somewhere online that would be wonderful (In both English and Russian even better).

If the song or story is short enough that you can post it here, great - the English translation as well, that would be even more fantastic.

Please remember, that I do not speak Russian so if you want to ask me a question or make any comments, please… I beg of you do so in English.

I thank you in advance for your assistance with this project. My daughter (my avatar is a photo of her) has been reading all of your responses as well and finds them very interesting. Rockzmom.

There are lullubies to download:
http://detkam.e-papa.ru/mp/74/

The site also links to bedtime stories in mp3 (http://detkam.e-papa.ru/mp/47/), but I think it won't be of use without knowing the language.

P.S. Daughter, hello!

1. Dedication from "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by A. S. Pushkin for a start.
I believe that it is well-know by Russian-speaking children.
(Please see the full text of the poem - http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/p ... n_ind.html)
A. S. Puskin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pushkin

Dedication
There’s a green oak-tree by the shores
Of the blue bay; on a gold chain,
The cat, learned in the fable stories,
Walks round the tree in ceaseless strain:
Moves to the right – a song it groans,
Moves to the left – it tells a tale.
There’re marvels there: the wood-spite roams,
Midst branches shines the mermaids’ tail;
There are the strangest creatures’ traces
On the mysterious paths and moors;
There stands a hut on hen’s legs, hairless,
Without windows and doors;
There visions fill a vale and forest;
There, at a dawn, come waves, the coldest,
On the deserted sandy shore,
And thirty knights, in armors shone,
Come out the clear waves in a colon,
And their sea-tutor – them before;
There a brave prince, in a fight, shortest,
Makes to surrender a king, dread;
There, to men’ views, a wizard, worthless,
O’er woods and seas, through clouds, aired,
Carries a worrier on his beard;
A princess pines away in prison,
And a wolf serves her without treason;
A mortar, with a witch in it,
Walks as if having somewhat feet;
There’s King Kashchey, o’er his gold withered;
There’s Russian odour… Russian spirit!
And I there sat: I drank sweet mead,
Saw, near the sea, the green oak, growing,
Under it heard a cat, much-knowing,
Talking me its long stories’ set.
Having recalled one of its stories,
I’ll recite it to the world, glorious…

Transliteration
У лукоморья дуб зелёный; - U lukomoriya dub zelenyi
Златая цепь на дубе том: - Zlataya tsep' na dube tom
И днём и ночью кот учёный - I dniem i nochyu kot uchyonyi
Всё ходит по цепи кругом; - Vsyo khodit po tsepi krugom
Идёт направо - песнь заводит, - Idet napravo - pesn' zavodit,
Налево - сказку говорит. - Nalevo - skazku govorit.
Там чудеса: там леший бродит, Tam chudesa, tam leshiy brodit,
Русалка на ветвях сидит; - Rusalka na vetviakh sidit;
Там на неведомых дорожках - Tam na nevedomykh dorozhkakh
Следы невиданных зверей; - Sledy nevidannykh zverei;
Избушка там на курьих ножках - Izbushka tam na kuryikh nozhkakh
Стоит без окон, без дверей; - stoit bez okon, bez dverei;
Там лес и дол видений полны; Tam les i dol videnii polny;
Там о заре прихлынут волны Tam o zare prikhlynut volny
На брег песчаный и пустой, Na breg peschany i pystoi,
И тридцать витязей прекрасных I tridsat' vityazei prekrasnykh
Чредой из вод выходят ясных, Chredoi iz vod vykhodyat yasnykh,
И с ними дядька их морской; i s nimi dyadyka ikh morskoi;
Там королевич мимоходом - Tam koroletitch mimokhodom
Пленяет грозного царя; - Plenyaet groznogo tsarya;
Там в облаках перед народом - Tam v oblakakh pered narodom
Через леса, через моря - Cherez lesa, cherez morya
Колдун несёт богатыря; - Koldun nesyot bogatyrya;
В темнице там царевна тужит, - V temnitse tam tsarevna tuzhit,
А бурый волк ей верно служит; - A buryi volk ei verno sluzhit;
Там ступа с Бабою Ягой - Tam stupa s Baboiu Iagoi
Идёт, бредёт сама собой, - Idet, bredyot sama soboi,
Там царь Кащей над златом чахнет; - Tam tsar' Kashchey nad zlatom chakhnet;
Там русский дух... там Русью пахнет! - Tam russkiy dukh... tam Rusiyu pakhnet!
И там я был, и мёд я пил; - I ya tam byl, i myod ya pil;
У моря видел дуб зелёный; - U moria videl dub zelyonyi;
Под ним сидел, и кот учёный - Pod nim sidel, i kot uchyonyi
Свои мне сказки говорил. - Svoi mne skazki govoril.

2. Korney I. Chukovsky
I wish I had found his poems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korney_Chukovsky
Doctor Aybolit (Айболит),
The Giant Roach (Тараканище),
The Crocodile (Крокодил),
Wash'em'clean (Мойдодыр)

3. Kolobok
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolobok

You are welcome!

Originally Posted by Rtyom

There are lullubies to download:
http://detkam.e-papa.ru/mp/74/

Rtyom,
I tried both links and I get an error that it cannot find the page. Am I doing something wrong? I also tried to cut and paste the link instead of just clicking on it. Still no luck.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

P.S. Daughter, hello!

She is tickled pink that you have said hello to her. She would like to know if you are actually in Russia or are you writing from say around the corner from us and that would not be as cool.

Originally Posted by msbll

1. Dedication from "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by A. S. Pushkin for a start.

msbill,

I cannot thank you enough for all of this! You put so much time and effort into this.

Originally Posted by msbll

2. Korney I. Chukovsky
I wish I had found his poems.

I read the information on the links you provided about Chukovsky and I will see if I can find anything in our libraries here.

Originally Posted by msbll

3. Kolobok
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolobok

I know this story!!! In English It is the Gingerbread Man!
I also learned that, Kolobok is the name for the smiley emoticon theme in ICQ

Thanks again for putting so much time into your response. - Rockzmom

Here's a very well known lullaby that was a theme song of a daily evening TV program for young kids "Spokoinoi Nochi, Malyshi" ("Good night, kids!") for a few decades ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokoinoi_Nochi,_Malyshi ).
[video:2nobajb4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-7BT2CFYNU[/video:2nobajb4]

Tired toys are sleeping, so are books.
Blankets and pillows are waiting for kids.
Even fairy tale goes to bed,
so you could dream of it at night.
Close your eyes,
Bayu-bay...
("Bayu-bay" doesn't actually mean anything, it's something to repeat when you are rocking your kid to sleep)

In the tale you can ride the moon
and to gallop at full speed over the rainbow,
make friends with a little elephant
and catch a feather of the Firebird ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_(Russian_folklore) )
Close your eyes,
Bayu-bay...

Bayu-bay, all people should sleep at night
Bayu-bay, tomorrow is a new day
We got very tired today,
let's say to everyone "Good night",
go to sleep
Bayu-bay...

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Rtyom,
I tried both links and I get an error that it cannot find the page. Am I doing something wrong? I also tried to cut and paste the link instead of just clicking on it. Still no luck.

I guess, your internet provider blocks some sites. Try to use a proxy server.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Rtyom,
I tried both links and I get an error that it cannot find the page. Am I doing something wrong? I also tried to cut and paste the link instead of just clicking on it. Still no luck.

No prob. I can copy direct links here with my translations later.

She is tickled pink that you have said hello to her. She would like to know if you are actually in Russia or are you writing from say around the corner from us and that would not be as cool.

I’m certain that it’s Russian surroundings behind my window now. How can I prove it more?

Originally Posted by Rtyom

I’m certain that it’s Russian surroundings behind my window now. How can I prove it more?

Rtyom,

How much American TV and politics do you watch/follow? My daughter's first comment when she read your reply was "And I can see Russia from my house!" Do you understand this? If not, watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdDqS...eature=related

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

"Spokoinoi Nochi, Malyshi" ("Good night, kids!")

gRomoZeka,

Thank you, thank you, thank you !!

This is too perfect. It is just what I was looking for for a scene in Chapter 11 (remember, I am now on Chapter 19 and filling in some holes and looking for new things to add for depth in future chapters).

And, what is even more ironic... my Dmitri sings this to Valentina and when I was researching the song I found this...

Valentina Mikhaylovna Leontyeva ... She was also the host of the Goluboy ogonyok ("Blue Light"), a New Year's Eve variety show, and Spokoinoi Nochi, Malyshi ("Good Night, Little Ones"), a daily program for children. In 1975, Leontyeva was awarded the USSR State Prize.

How amazing!

Thank you so much for putting the words in English as well so I can put them in the book. My daughter had a kick out of hearing Russian. She has never heard it before.
Rockzmom.