Dark Eyes, the famous Russian Romance Song
- Comment by Marina V:
The lyrics were written in 1843 by a Russian-Ukranian poet Yevhen Hrebinka, but the music origin has been attributed to a Cuban musician Sindo Garay in 1890s, when an opera company from Russia came to visit Cuba. I have known this song my whole life but was very surprised to learn (on Wikipedia) about the song's origin. How amazing and what an odd "collaboration" spanning lifetimes, cultures and locations!
Lyrics (and translation) are below.
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ОЧИ ЧЁРНЫЕ (DARK EYES)
Yevhen Hrebinka & Sindo Garay
Очи чёрные, очи страстные,
Очи жгучие и прекрасные!
Как люблю я вас, как боюсь я вас!
Знать, увидел вас я в недобрый час!
Ох, недаром вы глубины темней!
Вижу траур в вас по душе моей,
Вижу пламя в вас я победное:
Сожжено на нём сердце бедное.
Но не грустен я, не печален я,
Утешительна мне судьба моя:
Всё, что лучшего в жизни Бог дал нам,
В жертву отдал я огневым глазам!
1. Black eyes, passionate eyes,
Burning and beautiful eyes!
How I love you, how I fear you,
It seems I met you in an unlucky hour!
2. Oh, not for nothing are you darker than the deep!
I see mourning for my soul in you,
I see a triumphant flame in you:
A poor heart immolated in it.
3. But I am not sad, I am not sorrowful,
My fate is soothing to me:
All that is best in life that God gave us,
In sacrifice I returned to the fiery eyes!
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! Marina