Thread: трын-трава

So what does this really mean, I never figured it out.

косим мы трын-траву

http://masterrussian.net/mforum/viewtop ... 0%E0%E2%E0

I suspect трын-трава is a colloquialism meaning something like "it's all the same to me/her/him," based on the context I've heard it used, but...not sure on that one.

"Мне всё трын-трава" means "I don't care a fig".

-------------------
Припев:

А нам все равно
А нам все равно
Пусть боимся мы
Волка и сову

Дело есть у нас
В самый жуткий час
Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву

Hmmm... I don't know if that is true...

Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву

-

We mow(/graze I suspect?) magic whatevers???

трава means grass. Трын is used for the rhyme. It doesn't have any meaning.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Hmmm... I don't know if that is true...

Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву

-

We mow(/graze I suspect?) magic whatevers???

mow - косить
graze - пасти(сь) (про домашних животных)

трын is a fictional name of some magic grass

Originally Posted by DenisM

трын is a fictional name of some magic grass

Magic grass for a magic dragon

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Hmmm... I don't know if that is true...

Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву

I confirm, there is an obsolete saying (if my memory serves me well): Всё это трын-трава, it means that this is all insignificant, inconsequential. So, трын-трава is something that does not make us worry [about it], thereby the meaning of the song (А нам все равно). I vaguely remember hearing that трын-трава is the short stems (cuttings?) remaining after a lawn has been mowed, something that does not have much of value or does not require care, but I won't bet my life on whether it's true or not.

The song-writer(s) just played the saying, and made a knew "magic" meaning out of it.

I am utterly and totally confused. What the Заяц is this song about then?

В темно-синем лесу,
Где трепещут осины,
Где с дубов колдунов
Облетает листва.
- In essence: In the forest the wizards hang out

На поляне траву
Зайцы в полночь косили.
И при этом напевали
Странные слова.
- In essence: Hares are mowing the grass at midnight singing strange words

А нам все равно.
А нам все равно.
Пусть боимся мы
Волка и сову.
-We don't care, let us be afraid of wolves and owles

Дело есть у нас
В самый жуткий час.
Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву.
-We do our business even in the worst of moments, we don't care.

А нам все равно,
А нам все равно
Твердо верим мы
В древнюю молву.
- We don't care, we believe strongly in the old rumor

Храбрым станет тот,
Кто три раза в год-
В самый жуткий час
Косит трын-траву
-The brave one is the one who, three times a year, at the most terrible of moments, doesn't care.

А дубы колдуны,
Что-то шепчут в тумане,
У поганых болот,
Чьи-то тени встают.
-But the wizards whisper something in the fog, and in the swamps someone's shadow stands up

Косят зайцы траву,
Трын-траву на поляне
И от страха все быстрее
Песенку поют.
-The hares keep on not caring, and from fear sing the song even faster

...

А нам все равно,
А нам все равно.
Станем мы храбрей
И отважней льва.
- We don't care, we will become braver than the brave lion

Устоим сейчас.
В самый жуткий час-
Все напасти нам
Будут трын-трава.
- we remain standing. In the most terrible of moments, we don't care about all the calamaties.

So, is it basically a song about the hares taking a stand against all that frightens them?

http://www.russiandvd.com/store/album_a ... Fnumber=14

Hare is a symbol of cowardness, gentleness, and weakness in the Russian folklore. So, it's obvious why they try to stand against all fears.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

I am utterly and totally confused. What the Заяц is this song about then?

В темно-синем лесу,
Где трепещут осины,
Где с дубов колдунов
Облетает листва.
- In essence: In the forest the wizards hang out

oak-wizadrs leaves fall.

oak-wizadrs are trees that are look mysterious at night

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Дело есть у нас
В самый жуткий час.
Мы волшебную
Косим трын-траву.
-We do our business even in the worst of moments, we don't care.

we are mowing the magic 'tryn'-grass

It's a wordplay. In this song they are really mowing a grass named трын-трава.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Храбрым станет тот,
Кто три раза в год-
В самый жуткий час
Косит трын-траву
-The brave one is the one who, three times a year, at the most terrible of moments, doesn't care.

The brave one will be the one who, three times a year, at the most terrible of moments is mowing the 'tryn'-grass

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Косят зайцы траву,
Трын-траву на поляне
И от страха все быстрее
Песенку поют.
-The hares keep on not caring, and from fear sing the song even faster

The hares keep on mowing the 'tryn'-grass, and from fear sing the song even faster

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

So, is it basically a song about the hares taking a stand against all that frightens them?

Yes, it reflects the state of mind of Semyon Gorbunkov. Remember him saying Я не трус, но я боюсь?

AHA! I was watching обыкновенное чудо and noticed in a song:

Приходит день, приходит час,
Приходит миг, приходит срок -
И рвется связь.
Кипит гранит, пылает лёд,
И лёгкий пух сбивает с ног
Что за напасть?
И зацветает трын-трава,
И соловьем поет сова
И даже тоненькую нить
Не в состояньи разрубить
Стальной клинок!

Thanks to you I understood it!!!