Thursday, December 5, 2019

Here on Earth Life is Short





Наша жизнь коротка

Here on earth life is short,
as a bird flies away;
racing on, rushing past,
ebbing out, ending day.

As a shadow our life
here on earth to us giv'n;
after dusk in the dark
shadows gone, from us driv'n.

Like a flow'r of the grass,
in the morn brightly blooms;
swelt'ring heat of the day
withered then ere night's gloom.

Life is like sounding noise,
sounding out from a block,
sudden fright is our life,
then is gone—see the shock!

Careless soul on life's course,
Don't you think of these things:
Soon you'll die then face God,
brief your time — now threats bring.

Now's the time, time to care,
search for Christ, O my friend!
You will find joy in Him,
His salvation He_will send.


The music as Simon and friends sing it with the English translation.


 Another version, as if a Russian congregation sang it.





Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Наша жизнь коротка — Our Life is Short





Наша жизнь коротка,
Nasha zhizn' korotka,
Our life [is] short
Словно птицы полёт,
Slovno ptitsy polyot,
As if birds flying,
И быстрей челнока
I bystrey chelnoka
And quicker [than a] shuttle
Улетает вперед.
Uletayet vpered.
Flies ahead.


Наша жизнь, словно тень,
Nasha zhizn', slovno ten',
Our life, as if [a] shadow,
На земле нам дана.
Na zemle nam dana.
On earth [to] us [is] given.
И как солнце зайдёт -
I kak solntse zaydyot -
And like sun will set —
Исчезает она.
Ischezayet ona.
Vanishes she (ie, life).


Как цветок полевой:
Kak tsvetok polevoy:
Like flower field  (ie, like field flower)
По утру расцветал,
Po utru rastsvetal,
Upon morning blossomed,
А уж к вечеру в зной
A uzh k vecheru v znoy
And already in evening in heat
Пожелтел и завял.
Pozheltel i zavyal.
Yellowed and withered.


This verse, found in Russian Hymnals, not sung by Simon
Жизнь ведь только как звук,
Zhizn' ved' tol'ko kak zvuk,
Life after all only like [a] sound,
удар молотка,
udar molotka,
[a] blow [of a] hammer,
как нежданный испуг —
kak nezhdannyy ispug
like [an] unexpected fright 
так она коротка.
tak ona korotka.
So she (ie, life) [is] short.



И не думаешь ты
I ne dumayesh' ty
And not think you
Ни о чём, человек:
Ni o chyom, chelovek:
Not about anything, man:
Что ты скоро умрёшь
Chto ty skoro umryosh'
That you soon will die
И короток твой век.
I korotok tvoy vek.
And brief your time.


Позаботься же ты
Pozabot'sya zhe ty
You [singular] take care of {imperative}
(note the word order—“you” is at the end;  “zhe” emphasizes with urgency)
И Христа поищи,
I Khrista poishchi,
And Christ [you, singular] search  (implying for some time) {imperative}
В Нём отраду найдёшь
V Nyom otradu naydyosh'
In Him joy will find
И спасенье души.
I spasen’ye dushi.
And salvation [of the] soul.




Песни Христиан, Том 1 (Песнь Возрождения)
Christian Songs, Vol. 1 (Song of the Renaissance)
https://mscmusic.org/works/PV-711