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Revising old translations...
Oct. 9th, 2010 11:30 amIt is a curious circumstance that those people who fly for a living - through the air and in space - also tend to adopt little routines that border on superstitious observance. One of these, among Russian cosmonauts, is to watch the film "White Sun of the Desert" on the night before launch.
It helps that the film is actually pretty good, telling the story of a demobilized Red Army man who, making his way home, is tasked with the job of seeing to the welfare of the several wives of an evil bandit named Black Abdullah while the military detachment that stuck our hero with the job rides off in pursuit of the bandit and his gang.
The song Ваше благородие, which are words used as a form of address when speaking to nobility (LJ friend![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eastexpert has more to say on this in his comment below), is sung during an interlude in the action.
It helps that the film is actually pretty good, telling the story of a demobilized Red Army man who, making his way home, is tasked with the job of seeing to the welfare of the several wives of an evil bandit named Black Abdullah while the military detachment that stuck our hero with the job rides off in pursuit of the bandit and his gang.
The song Ваше благородие, which are words used as a form of address when speaking to nobility (LJ friend
eastexpert has more to say on this in his comment below), is sung during an interlude in the action.Ваше благородиеI was so captivated by the song that I hunted down the lyrics and translated them back in 2002. I recently went back to review my translation, and have come up with what I hope is a final version:
Ваше благородие; госпожа разлука,
Мне с тобою холодно вот какая шутка.
Письмецо в конверте погоди, не рви…
Не везет мне в смерти, повезет в любви!
Ваше благородие; госпожа удача,
Для кого ты добрая, а кому иначе.
Девять граммов в сердце постой не зови…
Не везет мне в смерти, повезет в любви!
Ваше благородие; госпожа чужбина,
Жарко обнимала ты, да только не любила.
В шелковые сети постой, не лови…
Не везет мне в смерти, повезет в любви!
Ваше благородие; госпожа чужбина,
Значит, моя песенка до конца не спета.
Перестаньте черти, клясться на крови…
Не везет мне в смерти, повезет в любви!
(из к/ф «Белое солнце пустыни»)
Please Accept My ComplimentsCheers...
Please accept my compliments, Lady Fare-You-Well!
Though your touch is cold to me, I’m still caught in your spell.
Hold on there, oh, please, don’t tear that letter - it’s not read…
I’ve no luck at dying; I’ll fall in love, instead!
Please accept my compliments, dearest Lady Luck!
You favor some with kindness; the rest of us are stuck.
Please don’t let me catch a slug that leaves me cold and dead…
I’ve no luck at dying; I’ll fall in love, instead!
Please accept my compliments, Lady Foreign Shore!
You hugged me with great passion, although no love you swore,
Please don’t let me fall into the silken web you’ve spread…
I’ve no luck at dying; I’ll fall in love, instead!
Please accept my compliments, Lady Victory!
This means my song's not sung out yet, nor valedictory.
Stop you devils, swearing oaths over which you’ve bled…
I’ve no luck at dying; I’ll fall in love instead!
