Thread: I need help for a song !

Priviet everybody,
I’ve been trying to translate a song, but although I can understand (or find in a dictionary) most of the words, I’ve some trouble in understanding the sentences.
Of course, I know things in songs are often implicitly expressed and maybe songs are not the easiest texts to study. But still I would really like to understand it.
So, here is the song, with my attempts of translation.
Could someone help me ?
Спасибо !

Когда поймешь умом, что ты один на свете,
When you’ll understand with your mind ( ?) that you’re alone on earth,
И одиночества дорога так длинна,
And the road of loneliness is so long,
То жить легко и думаешь о смерти,
Then to live is easy and you think about death (??)
Как о последней капле горького вина.
Like the last drop of bitter wine


Вот мой бокал, в нем больше ни глотка
Here is my glass, there is no drop in it any more
Той жизни, что как мед была сладка.
(Something with life)??? that was sweet like honey
В нем только горечь неразбавленной печали,
In it there is only the bitterness of unsolved sadness
Оставшейся на долю старика.
(I can’t find the infinitive of this verb) on the lot of an old man.


Бокал мой полон, но друзей не стану
Я больше угощать питьем своим.
My glass is full, but I won’t start any more to offer my drink to my friends (I’m really not sure about all this sentence because it seems стать can mean “to start” and “to stop”)
Я их люблю, дай боже счастья им.
I love them, god give them happiness.
Пускай они пьют воду из под крана.
I wish they drink tap water (???)

На свете сделал я много славных дел,
I’ve done lots of good things on earth,
Во веки вечные их не забудут люди.
People won’t forget them (=the good things ?) in the eternal centuries ( ? here my problem is веки : I thought the plural of век was векa ? )
И если выйдет все, как я хотел,
And if everything is like I wanted,
То, боже милый, мир прекрасным будет.
Then, nice god, the world will be wonderful.

Послав отчаянье на голову мою,
By sending despair on my head (???)
Послав страдания душе моей правдивой,
By sending sufferings to my sincere soul ( ???)
Пошли мне веру, я о ней спою,
They brought me faith, I’ll get drunk about it ( ???)
И дай мне силы, стану я счастливым.
And give me strength, I’ll become happy.
И перед смертью богу помолюсь.
And through the death, I’ll pray god.

Той жизни, что как мед была сладка.

Той жизни - Genitive of "Та жизнь".

Оставшейся на долю старика.

Оставшейся- looks like some kind of verbal adverb, or past particliple, at any rate, it means "Stoped/stayed".

Пускай они пьют воду из под крана.

Let them drink water from under the crane (very well could be a tap )

То, боже милый, мир прекрасным будет.

Since they seem to be using "Свет" as earth so much, here "мир" probly means "peace". But who knows, i'm always wrong.

Послав отчаянье на голову мою,

Having sent dispair to my head.

я о ней спою

about her i shall sing.

***i hope these are right***

Бабочка, very good job, indeed. You just stumbled over the real difficulties.

As there will be many qoutes, I will qoute your parts with ">"

>Когда поймешь умом, что ты один на свете,
>When you’ll understand with your mind ( ?) that you’re alone on earth,

Something like 'when you really understand...'

>И одиночества дорога так длинна,
>And the road of loneliness is so long,

>То жить легко и думаешь о смерти,
>Then to live is easy and you think about death (??)
>Как о последней капле горького вина.
>Like the last drop of bitter wine

The thing is, these two lines are one compound sentence (leaving alone that it is a part of the greater sentence ), the second part of which is another complex sentence and, furthermore, with incomplete main part. I'm not sure, but I think there should be comma after 'легко'.

The first part: То жить легко,... - then to live is easy - correct

The second part: и думаешь о смерти, как о последней капле горького вина. Here the subject (ты) is missing, which is OK in Russian. So you did well, but you should join the two lines:
...and you think about death like about the last drop of bitter vine.

>Вот мой бокал, в нем больше ни глотка
>Here is my glass, there is no drop in it any more
>Той жизни, что как мед была сладка.
>(Something with life)??? that was sweet like honey

Once again, one sentence. Ни глотка той жизни, что как мед была сладка.
No drop of the life which was sweet like honey.

>В нем только горечь неразбавленной печали,
>In it there is only the bitterness of unsolved sadness

OK

>Оставшейся на долю старика.
>(I can’t find the infinitive of this verb) on the lot of an old man.

It's not a verb, it's a past participle (причастие прошедшего времени). The corresponding verb is "оставаться". Actually, "оставаться на долю" is a common phrase, meaning 'to fall to lot'
...sadness, which fell ('left') to/on(?) the lot of an old man.

>Бокал мой полон, но друзей не стану
>Я больше угощать питьем своим.
>My glass is full, but I won’t start any more to offer my drink to my friends (I’m really not sure about all this sentence because it seems стать can mean “to start” and “to stop”)

No, it's just a form of 'to be', namely 'will' "я не стану" = "я не буду" = I will not. However, in some sense you are right, it can be understood like 'I will not start offering them...', which is essentially the same thing.
So ...I won't offer any more...

>Я их люблю, дай боже счастья им.
>I love them, god give them happiness.
>Пускай они пьют воду из под крана.
>I wish they drink tap water (???)

"Пускай" is used like 'Let...' (Пусть...), but without expression of any wishes. Just like letting the things happen. E.g. a single exclamation: Пускай! ~ Ну и пусть! ~ Let it be.

So the meaning is, It's better they drink tap water (than my bitter vine).

>На свете сделал я много славных дел,
>I’ve done lots of good things on earth,
>Во веки вечные их не забудут люди.
>People won’t forget them (=the good things ?)

Yes

>in the eternal centuries ( ? here my problem is веки : I thought the plural of век was векa ?)

You are right. But "Во веки вечные" is an old idiomatic expression. Means: forever. (Or never, like here: people will never forget...)

>И если выйдет все, как я хотел,
>And if everything is like I wanted,
>То, боже милый, мир прекрасным будет.
>Then, nice god, the world will be wonderful.

Good.

>Послав отчаянье на голову мою,
>By sending despair on my head (???)

yes...

>Послав страдания душе моей правдивой,
>By sending sufferings to my sincere soul ( ???)

yes.....

>Пошли мне веру, я о ней спою,
>They brought me faith, I’ll get drunk about it ( ???)

no! Пошли is an imperative of "послать" - to send. Yes, it looks the same as past plural of the verb, which is confusing.
Secondly, "спою" is a future in perfect form of "петь". Imperfect form is "буду петь" (generally); "спою" means "I will sing once (one song)", or "I will have it sung". The word "пить" has the same form "выпью" (or, if you are talking about alcohol, 'I'll get drunk', then "напьюсь").

Therefore: By sending...bla bla..., Send me faith, I'll sing about it.

>И дай мне силы, стану я счастливым.
>And give me strength, I’ll become happy.
>И перед смертью богу помолюсь.
>And through the death, I’ll pray god.[/quote]

Good. Or may be '...before the death'.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

То, боже милый, мир прекрасным будет.

Since they seem to be using "Свет" as earth so much, here "мир" probly means "peace". But who knows, i'm always wrong.

The trick is, both senses are implied It's not just a coincidence that these meanings are joined in one word in Russian. But in translation, 'the world' is closer here.

Originally Posted by babotchka

When you’ll understand with your mind ( ?) that
you’re alone on earth,

When you'll realize that you're alone on earth

То жить легко и думаешь о смерти,
Then to live is easy and you think about death (??)
Как о последней капле горького вина.
Like the last drop of bitter wine

Then to live is easy and you take death
As the last drop of bitter wine.

Вот мой бокал, в нем больше ни глотка
Here is my glass, there is no drop in it any more
Той жизни, что как мед была сладка.
(Something with life)??? that was sweet like honey

Here is my glass, there is no drop in it any more of that life that was sweet like honey. - is it correct in English?

to be continued...

Originally Posted by babotchka

Когда поймешь умом, что ты один на свете,
When you’ll understand with your mind ( ?) that you’re alone on earth,

When you realize that you're alone in this world

И одиночества дорога так длинна,
And the road of loneliness is so long,
То жить легко и думаешь о смерти,
Then to live is easy and you think about death (??)
Как о последней капле горького вина.
Like the last drop of bitter wine

... and you consider death
The last drop of bitter wine

Вот мой бокал, в нем больше ни глотка
Here is my glass, there is no drop in it any more
Той жизни, что как мед была сладка.
(Something with life)??? that was sweet like honey

... of the life that...

В нем только горечь неразбавленной печали,
In it there is only the bitterness of unsolved sadness

... bitterness of undiluted sadness

Оставшейся на долю старика.
(I can’t find the infinitive of this verb) on the lot of an old man.

... remaining/that remains/that falls...

Бокал мой полон, но друзей не стану
Я больше угощать питьем своим.
My glass is full, but I won’t start any more to offer my drink to my friends (I’m really not sure about all this sentence because it seems стать can mean “to start” and “to stop”)

Full is my glass, but treat my friends
I shall no more to my drink

Я их люблю, дай боже счастья им.
I love them, god give them happiness.
Пускай они пьют воду из под крана.
I wish they drink tap water (???)

Let them...

The author means that anything is better that his lot, is being a bit humorous here.

На свете сделал я много славных дел,
I’ve done lots of good things on earth,
Во веки вечные их не забудут люди.
People won’t forget them (=the good things ?) in the eternal centuries ( ? here my problem is веки : I thought the plural of век was векa ? )

… in the ages to come to be remembered by people

И если выйдет все, как я хотел,
And if everything is like I wanted,
То, боже милый, мир прекрасным будет.
Then, nice god, the world will be wonderful.

God Graceful

Послав отчаянье на голову мою,
By sending despair on my head (???)
Послав страдания душе моей правдивой,
By sending sufferings to my sincere soul ( ???)
Пошли мне веру, я о ней спою,
They brought me faith, I’ll get drunk about it ( ???)

... send me faith, I'll sing...

What a great song! "Воскресенье" is a greates band of all times (after "Машина Времени", of cause )

Thanks a lot everybody, things are much clearer now.
And now that I understand the song better, I really like it.

Great lyrics
So let’s translate one more song by Воскресенье.
I start and you correct my mistakes, OK?

Ночная птица
A night bird

О чем поет ночная птица одна в осенней тишине?
What does a night bird sing about? It’s in autumn silence alone.
О том, с чем скоро разлучится и будет видеть лишь во сне
It sings about what it will be separated from so it will see that only in its dreams.
О том, что завтра в путь неблизкий, расправив крылья, полетит
It sings tomorrow it will spread its wings and start its long way.
О том, что жизнь глупа без риска, и правда все же победит.
It sings life without risk is silly and truth will win anyway.

Ночные песни птицы вещей мне стали пищей для души.
Night songs of the prophetic bird became food for my soul.
Я понял вдруг простую вещь: мне будет трудно с ней проститься.
Now I’ve understood a simple thing: it will be hard for me to say goodbye to it.
Холодным утром крик последний лишь бросит в сторону мою
In a cold morning the bird will just throw its last cry in my direction.
Ночной певец, я твой наследник, лети, я песню допою
Fly, the night singer, I’m your successor so I’ll keep and finish singing your song.