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I Went to the Ash Tree (Я Спросил У Ясеня)

From Ирония Судьбы (The Irony of Fate)

 Video of English translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7E_wZ5QHuo

I went to the ash tree. Asked, “Where is my loved one?”

Ash tree didn’t answer me. It merely shook its head.

I went to the poplar then. Asked, ‘Where is my loved one?”

Poplar threw some leaves at me. Autumn leaves so dead.

 

I went to the autumn then. Asked, “Where is my loved one?”

And the autumn answered me with a brisk downpour.

I went to the rain and asked. Asked, “Where is my loved one?”

For a long time, the rain weeped outside my window.

 

I went to the moon and asked. Asked, “Where is my loved one?”

The moon hid behind a cloud. It did not reply.

I went to the cloud, inquired, “Say, where is my loved one?”

But the cloud went and dissolved up in the dark blue sky.

 

You, my friend, my dearest friend. Tell me, “Where’s my loved one?”

Maybe you know where she is? Do you know where she hides?

My loyal friend replied to me. My honest friend replied to me.

“She used to be your loved one. She used to be your loved one.

She used to be your loved one. But now she is my wife.”

 

I went to the ash tree, I went to the poplar, I went to the autumn…

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Magical Country of Love (Любовь– Волшебная Страна)

From Жестокий Романс (A Cruel Romance)

 

A butterfly lured to the fire,

I tried to reach without abandon

Love, a magical empire,

Where I would be called a loved one.

 

Where every day is filled with hope

Where failure’s not part of existence

The magical country of love, country of love

For only there one can be happy.

 

The times have changed, all is fading

With reckless lies you kept me waiting

I understand, love’s a country

Where every human is a faker.

 

It is my flaw, but not my fault

To keep naiveness, I aspire

Deceitful country of love, country of love

All its inhabitants are liars.

 

Why do I cry in front of you?

And smile when I should tell you “later”?

Love is a difficult country,

Where every human is a traitor.

 

But grass will resprout all over

Across insuperable barriers

The flourishing country of love, country of love

For only there, one can be happy

One can be happy.

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Tenderness (Нежность)

From Три Тополя На Плющихе (Three Poplars)

 

 

 

Know, your absence has emptied the world

A few hours more I cannot breathe

The leaves in the gardens fall like before

Somewhere, hurriedly, rush the taxis

Oh, how empty is the world!

So empty without you!

And you, you fly off and the stars, they grant you

Their tenderness.

Oh, how empty it became on this earth

Even when Exupery had flown

The leaves in the gardens fell like before

And it couldn’t be imagined by the Earth

How was she supposed to live

While he went and flew?

He flew and all of the stars, they granted

Their tenderness.

Know, your absence has emptied the world

If you can, I beg you, fly back home!

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