The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree
The forest raised a Christmas tree (Russian: В лесу родилась ёлочка, V lesu rodilas yolochka) is a famous children's New Year song in Russia, by Raisa Kudasheva and Leo Beckmann.
History
The song began as a poem by Raisa Adamovna Kudasheva, a teacher, librarian and poet who wrote poems, tales and songs for children. The poem "Christmas Tree" (Russian: Ёлка, Yolka) was written in 1903 and published in the Christmas issue of "Baby" magazine (Russian: Малютка, Malyutka). In 1905 the poem was set to music by an amateur composer, Leonid Karlovich Beckmann, as a gift to his daughter. Beckmann was a scientist and agronomist by profession.
Kudasheva's original text had 56 lines, but was later shortened. It began with the words:
- Гнутся ветви мохнатые
- Вниз, к головкам детей,
- Блещут бусы богатые
- Переливом огней...
- Shaggy branches curve
- Down to the heads of children
- Beads shine richly
- Overflowing with lights...
There are translations of the lyrics into Azerbaijani, English, Estonian, Greek, Finnish and Ukrainian.
Russian lyrics
- В лесу родилась ёлочка,
- В лесу она росла.
- Зимой и летом стройная,
- Зелёная была.
- Метель ей пела песенку:
- "Спи, ёлочка, бай-бай!"
- Мороз снежком укутывал:
- "Смотри, не замерзай!"
- Трусишка зайка серенький
- Под ёлочкой скакал.
- Порою волк, сердитый волк,
- Рысцою пробегал.
- Чу! Снег по лесу частому
- Под полозом скрипит
- Лошадка мохноногая
- Торопится, бежит.
- Везет лошадка дровенки
- На дровнях мужичок
- Срубил он нашу ёлочку
- Под самый корешок.
- И вот она, нарядная,
- На праздник к нам пришла,
- И много, много радости
- Детишкам принесла.
- В лесу родилась елочка,
- В лесу она росла.
- Зимой и летом стройная,
- Зеленая была.
English lyrics by Arthur Durando and Irina Popova (2009)
- The forest raised a Christmas tree,
- 'Twas silent and serene
- In winter and in summer
- It was slender and so green.
- The wind sang it a lullaby:
- Sleep Christmas tree, sleep tight!
- The snow was making clothes for it:
- It was a pretty sight!
- A trembling bunny put himself
- Beneath its arms so wide;
- The hungry wolf just passed him by -
- A lovely place to hide!
- Some sleigh bells rang throughout the woods,
- The snow was crisp and clean,
- A horsey brought a forester
- To hew that tree so green.
- And now it comes to visit us,
- With lights and garlands bright,
- While all the children dance and sing
- To greet it with delight![1]
English lyrics by Joe White (another version)
- There was a Fir-Tree born in woods,
- And there she was grown,
- In winter and in summer both
- The grace and green she was
- The Snowstorm sang a song for her:
- «Sleep, Firry, sleep tight-tight»
- The Frost was covering with snow:
- “Don't freeze in such cold night”
- A yellow-bellied Bunny there
- Was leaping under fir
- From time to time an angry Wolf
- Was running over near
- The snow around the thicky woods
- Is creaking under skid
- A shaggy Gee-Gee frisks ahead
- In greatest rush indeed
- The Gee-Gee's carrying firewoods
- On them there is a Man
- He chopped down our little Fir
- At the very rootlet
- And now in gallant here she is
- On feast to us she came
- And many many joyances
- All little kids she gave
External links
References
- ↑ "The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree/ В лесу́ роди́лась ёлочка". www.italki.com. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
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