Russian Songs

Ах ты, степь широкая!

(Русская народная песня)

Ah you, wide steppe!

(Russian folk song)

Cossack choir
sings

[akh ty stjep' shyrókaja]
[shyrókaja razdól'naja]
[akh ty vólga mátushka]
[vólga vól'naja]

[akh ty stjep' shyrókaja]
[stjep' razdól'naja]
[akh ty vólga mátushka]
[vólga vól'naja]

[oj da nje stjepnój arjól padymájetsa]
[to rjechnój burlák razguljájetsa]
[nje ljetáj arjól nízka ko zjemljé]
[nje guljáj burlák blízka k bjérjegu]

[akh ty stjep' shyrókaja]
[shyrókaja razdól'naja]
[akh ty vólga mátushka]
[vólga vól'naja]

Ах ты, степь широкая,
Широкая, раздольная!
Ах ты, Волга-матушка,
Волга вольная!

Ах ты, степь широкая,
Степь раздольная!
Ах ты, Волга-матушка,
Волга вольная!

Ой, да не степной орёл подымается,
То речной бурлак разгуляется.
Не летай, орёл, низко ко земле!
Не гуляй, бурлак, близко к берегу!

Ах ты, степь широкая,
Широкая, раздольная!
Ах ты, Волга-матушка,
Волга вольная!

transcription

Ah you, wide steppe,
Wide and spacious!
Ah you, Volga, my river,
Volga, free river!

Ah you, wide steppe,
Spacious steppe!
Ah you, Volga, my river,
Volga, free river!

Oh, it's not an eagle that flies up,
It's a river burlak* that goes for a walk.
Don't fly low, eagle!
Don't go for a walk, burlak, near the river bank!

Ah you, wide steppe,
Wide and spacious!
Ah you, Volga, my river,
Volga, free river!

translated by Natalia Chernega

* burlak was a person who hauled barges and other vessels upstream from the 17th to 20th centuries in the Russian Empire.

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