Sunday, October 28, 2018

Nearer, My God, To Thee — Ближе, Господь, к Тебе



Ближе, Господь, к Тебе, ближе к Тебе,
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe, blizhe k Tebe,
Nearer, O Lord, to You, nearer to You,
Хотя б крестом пришлось подняться мне;
Khotya b krestom prishlos' podnyat'sya mne;
Though by cross had to climb me up;
Нужно одно лишь мне:
Nyzhno odno lish' mne:
Need one only to me:
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе,
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe,
Nearer, O Lord, to You,
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе, ближе к Тебе,
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe, blizhe k Tebe,
Nearer, O Lord, to You, nearer to You.

В пустыне странник я, и ночь темна.
V pustyne strannik ya, i noch' temna.
In [the] desert stranger/wanderer [am] I, and night [is] dark.
Отдых на камне лишь найдёт глава.
Otdykh na kamne lish' naydyot glava.
Rest on [a] stone only will find [the] head
Но сердце и во сне
No serdtse i vo sne
But heart and in dream
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе,
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe,
Nearer, O Lord, to You,
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе, ближе к Тебе.
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe, blizhe k Tebe.
Nearer, O Lord, to You, nearer to You.


И пробудясь от сна песнь воспою;
I probudyas' ot sna pesn' vospoyu;
And waking from sleep/dream [a] song [I] will sing;
Твоей хвалой, Христос, плач заменю.
Tvoyey khvaloy, Khristos, plach zamenyu.
Your praise, O Christ, crying [I] will replace.
В скорби отрада мне:
V skorbi otrada mne:
In grief comfort to me:
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе!
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe!
Nearer, O Lord, to You!
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе, ближе к Тебе.
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe, blizhe k Tebe.
Nearer, O Lord, to You, nearer to You.


Когда земную жизнь окончу я,
Kogda zemnuyu zhizn' okonchu ya,
When earthly life will finish I,
Когда во славу Ты введёшь меня,
Kogda vo slavu Ty vvedyosh' menya,
When to glory You introduce me,
Вечная радость мне:
Vechnaya radost' mne:
Eternal joy to me:
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе.
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe.
Nearer, O Lord, to You.
Ближе, Господь, к Тебе, ближе к Тебе.
Blizhe, Gospod', k Tebe, blizhe k Tebe.
Nearer, O Lord, to You, nearer to You.



Together We with You Believed — Вместе Мы с Вами Верили




Вместе мы с вами верили,
Vmeste my c vami verili,
Together we with you believed
Вместе любили и пели,
Vmeste lyubili i peli,
Together [we] loved and sang,
Вместе дороги мерили
Vmeste dorogi merili
Together [the] road [we] measured (ie, traveled)
Часто под вой метели.
Chasto pod voi meteli.
Often under/beneath howl [of] blizzard.

Труд небольшой, но делали,
Trud nebolshoi, no delali,
[The] job [was] not-big, but [we] completed [it],
Вместе огнем горели,
Vmeste ognem goreli,
Together [we] [as] fire burned
Вместе ночами белыми
Vmeste nochmi belymi
Together [in/during] nights white
В синюю даль смотрели.
V sinyuyu dal smotreli.
In blue distance [we] looked.

Вместе стояли прямо мы,
Vmeste stoyali pryamo my,
Together stood right/just we,
Слыша угрозы злые,
Slysha ugrozy zlyye
Hearing threats/bluster evil
Были пред Богом правыми
Byli pred Bogom pravymi
[We] were before God right
Чисты пред миром были.
Chisty pred mirom byli.
Clean before [the] world [we] were.



В край дорогой и солнечный
V krai dorogoi i solnechnyi
In [the] land dear and sunny
С светлой придем мы песней.
S cvetloi pridem my pesnei
With light come we song
Там, где нет слез и горечи,
Tam, gde het slez i gorechi
There, where not tears and bitterness
Вечно мы будем вместе.
Vechno my budem vmeste.
Eternally we will be together.



Near the Cross I Want to Stand — У Креста Хочу Стоять



1. У креста хочу стоять,
U kresta khochu stoyat',
Near (by) [the] cross [I] want to stand,
Созерцать душою,
Sozertsat' dushoyu,
Contemplate [the] soul]
Как с Голгофы благодать
Kak s Golgofy blagodat'
As with Golgatha's grace
В мир течёт рекою.
V mir techot rekoyu.
In / to [the] world flows river

У креста, у креста
U kresta, u kresta
Near (By) [the] cross, near (by) [the] cross
Честь моя и слава.
Chest' moya i slava.
Honor mine and glory.
Там спасенья полнота,
Tam spasen'ya polnota,
There salvation full / complete
На блаженство право.
Na blazhenstvo pravo.
On bliss / blessedness right / good.

2. У креста меня нашли
U kresta menya nashli
At / near [the] cross me found
Благодать и сила. Светлая
Blagodat' i sila. Svetlaya
Grace and Might. Bright
Твоя звезда
Tvoya zvezda
Your star
Путь мой озарила.
Put' moy ozarila.
Path my lit up (dawned upon / brightened)

3. У креста открылся мне
U kresta otkrylsya mne
Near (by) [the] cross opened to me
Кроткий Агнец Божий.
Krotkiy Agnets Bozhiy.
Meek / gentle Lamb [of] God.
Он привлёк меня к Себе,
On privlok menya k Sebe,
He drew me to Himself,
Стал всего дороже.
Stal vsego dorozhe.
Became (planted itself) most costly/expensive.

4. У креста я буду ждать
U kresta ya budu zhdat'
Near (by) [the] cross I will wait
С верой и надеждой,
S veroy i nadezhdoy,
With faith and hope,
Пока Бог велит принять
Poka Bog velit prinyat'
As long as God wills to accept
В царство безмятежных.
V tsarstvo bezmyatezhnykh.
In [the] kingdom [of the] serene.


And here is a link to the Hymn with the Russian lyrics.



God Be With You — Бог с Тобой



1.
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!
Путь твой Он да охраняет,
Put' tvoy On da okhranyayet,
Path yours He may guard
Каждый шаг твой направляет;
Kazhdyy shag tvoy napravlyayet;
Every step [of] yours directs;
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!

Припев:
Доколе мы свидимся
Dokole my svidimsya
Until we meet [again]
Мы свидимся у ног Христа;
My svidimsya u nog Khrista;
We will meet at the feet [of] Christ;
Доколе мы свидимся
Dokole my svidimsya
Until we meet [again]
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!

2.
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!
Душу Он да ободряет,
Dushu On da obodryayet,
[Your] soul He may encourages,
Манной свыше Сам питает;
Mannoy svyshe Sam pitayet;
Manna [from] above [He] Himself nourishes [you];
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!


3.
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!
Он от зла тебе защита,
On ot zla tebe zashchita,
He from evil your protection [is],
В Нём вся жизнь твоя сокрыта;
V Nyom vsya zhizn' tvoya sokryta;
In Him all life yours hidden;
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!


4.
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!
На Христа, иди, взирая,
Na Khrista, idi, vziraya,
On Christ, go/walk, looking, (Standard English: Looking on Christ, walk)
Всем любовь Его являя;
Vsem lyubov' Yego yavlyaya;
[To] all love [of] His show;
Бог с тобой, доколе свидимся!
Bog s toboy, dokole svidimsya!
God [be] with you, until we meet [again]!

Final words shown on the video:
Because the Lord Himself, at the proclamation, at the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God, will descend from heaven, and then raise the dead in Christ ....

Then we, the survivors, will be delighted with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will we be ...

So comfort each other with these words ...
1 Thessalonians 4:18


---------- Better English approximation of the Russian hymn ----------

1. God be with you till we meet again;
May He guard your path,
Every step of yours direct;
God be with you till we meet again.
Chorus:
Until we meet again,
We meet at the feet of Christ;
Until we meet again—
God be with you till we meet again.
2. God be with you till we meet again;
May He encourage [your] soul,
He Himself feeds [your soul] with manna from Above;
God be with you till we meet again.
3. God be with you till we meet again;
He is your protection from evil,
In Him all your life is hidden;
God be with you till we meet again.
4. God be with you till we meet again;
Looking on Christ walk,
To all His love showing;
God be with you till we meet again.

Index to Translations of Simon's Songs












Many of Simon Khorolskiy's renditions of songs have become favorites of mine—some familiar and many previously unknown to me.  He has placed the names of the composers by a few of the songs, but many have no source nor composer listed.  I asked him about this.  He wrote back:
"All of these songs, besides the ones that have 'original songs' by them, are old Russian hymns from 50-100 years ago that were sung by our grandparents back in the Soviet Union.  I am merely just reviving them.  Thanks for kindly asking, but, you don't even need my permission to translate them. Go forth!"
Thus I have carte blanche to translate these and make them accessible to people here in the States.  It is especially sweet to think that some of these songs were sung during the darkest days of the communistic oppression.    And it increases my desire to make these available to the Body of Christ within the English-speaking world.

NOTE: There will be many songs in both categories.


NOTE
:  Many new translations in the Third Section Below.

Metrical Translations —

(Fits the translation to the music)


Transliteration and Word-For-Word Translations —

(Does not fit the music)

Each line of the song will expand into 3 lines:
   1st Line:  The actual Russian (in the Cyrillic alphabet)
   2nd Line: The Russian represented by English letters
   3rd Line: The translation.
              Words that have to be supplied are in [square brackets].









Other Russian Songs Translated Word-for-Word —

 

Some words about Russian and Translating —

Russian is far different from English, even though both are Indo-European languages.  Some of the difference is superficial: Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, whereas English uses the Roman alphabet.  But the deep-seated differences lie in word order and what happens to words as they are showing different roles in a sentence.  I don't want to delve into the details of Russian grammar, but I want to help you appreciate some of what the Russian language is doing.

For English, the language is strongly dependent on word order:
I book a place.            OR                 I place a book.
These two sentences have vastly different meanings.  In Russian this is not possible because verbs have verb endings that reflect not only the tense (past, present, future, etc.) but also who the subject of the sentence is.  Likewise, nouns have noun endings that mark them as being a subject or an object of a verb or showing possession.  Thus Russian can move words around in ways that seem unnatural to the English mind.  This allows for flexibility in poetry, allowing the cadence to move better.  It also allows something to take focus by placing it first or in a position that highlights its role differently than you could do with English.

Other difference that show up in doing a word-for-word translation are:
  • Russian has no articles: no a, an, nor the.
  • Russian does not (usually)  use the verb to be in the present tense.
    • All you do is put the noun next to the other noun or an adjective
    • "The house is green."   Becomes word-for-word translated: "House — green."
  • Sometimes the preposition that we use in English is embedded in the noun's ending.  In other words, the Russian language does not need to say "The dog of the man."  Instead the noun "man" would be modified to show that it was possessing something: usually the noun just before it.
  • You will see a number of words that look like single consonant letters.  Eg, s, k, v.  They are stand alone words, often prepositions.  However in pronunciation, they are run together with the word that follows.  For example:
    • Бог с Тобой — transliterated:  Bog s Toboi
    • but  this would be pronounced more like Bṓg stəBṒY
    • and the Word-for-Word translation:  "God [be] with you"
  • The English letter transliterations are approximate.  For instance:
    • zh is used to represent   Ж   —  a soft French "j" sound, as in Jacque.
    • sometimes a sound becomes voiced or unvoiced depending on what letters is next to it.  In other words, making it easier to say.
      • For instance: V  voiced   is  similar to  F  unvoiced
      • Likewise:  B  voiced   is  similar to  P  unvoiced
      • etc.
    • And the consonant will become voiced or unvoiced depending on what's immediately in front or after it.
    • "Г" usually pronounced /g/ as in /good/, but sometimes is pronounced /v/ in some words that end in something like: "его"!
      • Thus его ("his") is pronounced /yevo/.

Resources: