The songs are written in Russian, of course, whereas the main text goes in mixed Russian and English.
The following songs as well as a few comments can be found below.
Many known authors coined in this poetical theme, Esenin and Vysotsky being perhaps the most famous and loved ones. Poems by Sergej Esenin should be available in any campus library (his works are studied in Russian middle schools). Books by Vladimir Vysotsky are more difficult to get a hold of, but there are some. Also, you can sample his songs from a few (remote) depositories of bard songs, although they will not necessarily carry his works of the criminal theme. One song of his, is available locally. (Stolen from http://mars.uthscsa.edu/Russia/Music/Visotsky/ without permission.)
A few books have appeared that list some of these songs. Of course, there is a huge body of authentic GULAG literature which we cannot hope to circumscribe. Instead, we will mention a book when we need a reference. The list of used literature will be attached below.
There is a radio program "V nashu gavan' zaxodili korabli" on the Russian radio which is promoting songs of this kind (blatnnye and priblatnennye). Allegedly, a tape with a few tracks recorded is available. They call this style "pesni iz podvorotni".
This modest text lists a few authentic songs sung by Russian criminals, prisoners, and their kin, which is to say, almost all Russia. All typos and memory lapses are to be excused.
Ya pomnju tot Vaninskij port I vid parohodov ugrjumyj, Kak shli my po trapu na bort, V holodnye, mrachnye triumy. Ot kachki stonali ZK Obnjavshis', kak rodnye bratja, I tol'ko poroj s yazyka Sryvalis' gluhie prokliatja. A utrom rastayal tuman, Utihla puchina morskaya, Vstaval vperedi Magadan, Stolica Kolymskogo kraja. Pjatsot kilometrov tajga, Kachajutsa liudi, kak teni. Mashiny ne hodjat siuda Bredut, spotykajas' oleni. Bud' prokliata ty, Kolyma, Chto nazvana chudnoj planetoj, Sojdesh ponevole s uma, Otsjuda vozvrata uzh netu.
This song is "Vaninskij port", a song of the Stalin's time. It was created by ZK, so, there is no real author and many different versions.
Only one version was relatively "stable" over several years, so I believe there _was_ one author, although we don't know his/her name:
Ya pomnju tot Vaninskij port,
I krik parohodov ugrjumyj,
Kak shli my po trapu na bort,
V holodnye, mrachnye triumy.
Ot kachki stonali ZK,
Obnjavshis', kak krovnye bratja,
I tol'ko poroj s yazyka
Sryvalis' gluhie prokliatja.
Poutru rastayal tuman,
Stonala puchina morskaya,
Vstaval vperedi Magadan,
Stolica Kolymskogo kraja.
Bud' prokliata ty, Kolyma,
Chto nazvana chudnoj planetoj.
Sojdesh ponevole s uma,
Otsjuda vozvrata uzh netu.
Raskinulas' morem tajga,
Kachajutsa liudi, kak teni.
Mashiny ne hodjat siuda.
Bredut, spotykajas', oleni.
Ya znayu, menya ty ne zdyosh'
I pisem moih ne chitaesh'.
Vstrechat' ty menia ne pridyosh',
A esli pridesh - ne uznaesh'.
Bylo esche dva kupleta - navernoe, "prisochinennye":
Pridu ia, i syadu za stol, Voz'mu na koleni gitaru. I esli ty budesh odna, S toboiu spoem my na paru A esli zhe ty ne odna, S toboiu tvoi novyi zhelannyi, Togda mne naleite vina, Naleite v stakan shastigrannyi.
Tsyganka s kartami, doroga dal'nyaya, Doroga dal'nyaya, kazyonnyj dom... Byt' mozhet, staraya tyur'ma tsentral'naya, | Menia, mal'chishechku, po novoj zhdyot. | 2 raza Ref: Taganka, Vse nochi polnye ognja, Taganka, Zachem sgubila ty menja, Taganka, Ya tvoj naveki arestant, Pogibli junost' i talant V tvoikh stenah. Ya znayu, milaya, bol'she ne vstretimsya, Dorogi raznye nam suzhdeny. Opyat' po pyatnitsam pojdut svidaniya | I slyozy gor'kie moyej rodni. | 2 raza Ref.
Eh, tovarischi, dolzhny rasstat'sya my - Vypuskaiut vas iz matushki tur'my. Vam teper' na voliu vol'nuiu letet', Mne zh za krepkoyu reshetkoyu sidet'. Zhal, poslal by ya poklony, da ei-ei - Uzh davno lishilsia blizkih i druzei. Hot' lyubil kogda-to zharche ya ognya, Da teper' uzhe zabyli pro menia. Poklonites' vol'noi vole da vetram, Vsem povolzhskim da torgovym gorodam, Poklonites' Volge-matushke reke Da kabatchiku v tsarevom kabake...
Idut na Sever sroka ogromnye, Kogo ni sprosish' - u vseh ukaz... Vzglyani, vzglyani | V glaza moi surovye, | 2 Vzglyani, byt' mozhet, v poslednij raz.| A zavtra ya pokinu Pryesnyu, Ujdu etapom na Vorkutu, I pod konvoem, | Svoej rabotoj tyazhkoyu, | 2 Byt' mozhet, smert' svoyu najdu. | Druzya ukroyut moj trup bushlatikom, Na holm vysokij menya snesut, I pohoronyat | Dushu moyu zhiganskuju, | 2 A sami tiho zapoyut: | Idut na Sever sroka ogromnye, Kogo ni sprosish' - u vseh ukaz... Vzglyani, vzglyani | V glaza moi surovye, | 2 Vzgliani, byt' mozhet, v poslednij raz.|
Ne znayu ya, kogda k tebe liubimaya
O tom napishet tovarish moi,
Ne plach', ne plach', podruga moya milaya!
Ya ne vernus' k tebe, k tebe domoi.
I eshe est' variaciya drugogo kupleta:
........
I zakopayut v zemliu menia merzluyu,
A sami tixo v barak poidut.
A potom prosto povtoriaetsia pervyi.
Po tundre, po shirokoj doroge,
Gde mchitsa poezd Vorkuta-Leningrad,
My bezhali s toboyu ot prokljatoj pogoni,
Chtoby nas ne nastignul pistoleta razrjad.
Kakoj ritm! Obychno k nej poutsa beskonechnye variacii no ja ih ne
pomnu. I kstati pochemu v etoj pesne Vorkuta- Leningrad ? Mne kazhetsa
chto eta zheleznaja doroga nikigda ne byla zakonchena (ili ja
oshibajus'?)
Po tundre, po shirokoi doroge, Gde mchit kur'erskii Vorkuta-Leningrad, My bezhali s toboyu, uhodya ot trevogi, Opasayas' pogoni, izbegaya zasad.
Ya sizhu v ugolochke i pluiyu v potolochek. Pred zakonom vinoven, a pred Bogom ya chist. Predo mnoi kak ikona vsya zapretnaya zona, A na vyshke s vintovkoi ozverelyi chekist. My s toboyu bezhali, kogda tundra odela, Kogda tundra odela, svoi osennii naryad. My bezhali po tundre vdol' zheleznoi dorogi, Gde kursiruet skoryi Vorkuta-Leningrad. Dozhdik mochit nam ryla i na ruchki naganov [?] Nas Cheka okruzhila, "Ruki vverh!", govoryat. No oni proschitalis', okruzhen'e probito. Tex, kto lyubit svobodu, puli brat' ne hotyat. Rano utrom prosnesh'sya, na poverku postroyat. Vyzyvayut "Vasil'ev", i vyhodish' vpered. Eto Klim Voroshilov i bratishka Budennyi Daroval nam svobody i ih lyubit narodV drugom variante:
Rano utrom prosnesh'sya i otkroesh' gazetu A na pervoi stranice zolotye slova i t.d. Vstretit mama synochka, zarydaet rodnaya, Zarydaet rodnaya - syn vernulsya domoi. Eto Klim Voroshilov i bratishka Budennyi Daroval nam svobodu i ih lyubit narod.
Eto bylo vesnoju, v zelenejuschem maje,
Kogda tundra prosnulas', ravernulas' kovrom.
My bezhali s toboju, zamochiv vertuhaja,
My bezhali iz zony - pokati nas sharom.
Pripev:
Po tundre, po zheleznoj doroge,
Gde mchit kurjerskij Vorkuta- Leningrad,
My bezhali, dva druga, opasajas' trevogi,
Opasajas' pogoni i krikov soldat.
Lebedinye staji nam navstrechu leteli,
Nam na jug, im na sever - kazhdyj hochet v svoj dom.
Eta tundra bez kraja, eti redkie eli,
Etot den' beskonechnyj - nog ne chuja bredem.
Pripev
Veter hleschet po rylam, svischet v dule nagana,
Laj ovcharok vsyo blizhe, avtomaty stuchat.
Ya tebja ne uvizhu, moja rodnaja mama,
Vohra nas okruzhila, "Ruki v goru!" -- krichat.
Pripev
V dohlom severnom nebe voron kruzhit i karchet,
Ne byvat' nam na vole, zhizn' prozhita zazrya.
Mat'-starushka uznayet i tihon'ko zaplachet:
U vseh deti kak deti, a ee -- v lageryah.
Pripev
Pozdno noch'yu zatihnet nash barak posle shmona,
Mirno spit u parashi dohodjaga-marksist.
Predo mnoj, kak ikona, zapretnaja zona,
I na vyshke vsjo tot zhe nenavistnyj chekist.
Pripev
Chto interesno - u menja davnym- davno byla plenka, na kotoroj
kto-to
pel pesnju "Eto Klim Voroshlov i Bratishka Budennyj...",
no na sovershenno drugoj motiv, nezheli eta. Interesno - eto dve
raznye pesni, i prosto kuplety bluzhdajut iz odnoj v druguju,
ili odna, no v raznyh variantah?
Escho kstati: eta pesnja zvuchit v fil'me "Nebesa obetovannye" El'dara Ryazanova.
Po dikim stepjam Zabajkal'ja,
Gde zoloto royut v gorah,
Brodyaga, sud'bu proklinaya,
Taschilsya s sumoj na plechah.
Bezhal iz tyur'my pozdnei noch'yu,
Za pravdu on dolgo stradal.
Bezhat' bol'she ne bylo mochi,
Pred nim rasstilalsa Bajkal.
Brodjaga k Bajkalu podhodit,
Rybackuju lodku berjet
I grustnuju pesnju zavodit,
O rodine chto-to poet.
Brodjaga Bajkal pereehal
Navstechu rodimaja mat'
O zdravstvuj, o zdravstvuj, rodnaja
Zdorovy l' otec moj i brat?
Otec tvoj davno uzh v mogile,
Zemleju syroju zaryt.
A brat tvoj davno uzh v Sibiri,
Davno kandalami zvenit.
Slavnoe more moj drevnij Bajkal
Slavnyj korabl' omulevaja bochka
Ej, barguzin, pozhevelivaj val,
Molodcu plyt' nedalechko.
Dolgo ja tazhkie cepi nosil.
Dolgo brodil ja v gorah Akatuja.
Staryj brodjaga bezhat' posobil.
Ozhil ja volu pochuja.
Zdes' ja stroku zabyl.
...
Gornaja strazha menja ne pojmala,
V debrjah ne tronul prozhorlivyj zver',
Pulja strelka minovala.
Slavnoe more nash drevnij Bajkal
Slavnyj moj parus kaftan dyrovatyj
Ej, Barguzin, poshevelivaj val,
Slyshat'sa groma raskaty.
Ya gimnazistka,
Sed'mogo klassu,
Piyu polituru
Zamesto kvasu!
Ax, sharaban moi, amerikanka!
A ya devchonka, ya xuliganka!
Prodam ya yubku,
Prodam kolgotki,
A mne by kvasu,
A luchshe b vodki!
Ax, sharaban moi, amerikanka!
A ya devchonka, ya xuliganka!
Porvalis' struny
Moei gitary,
Kogda bezhala
Iz-pod Samary!
Ax, sharaban moi, amerikanka!
A ya devchonka, ya xuliganka!
Proshaite, drugi!
Ya uezzhayu!
Komu dolzhna ya -
Ya vsem proshayu!
Ax, sharaban moi, amerikanka!
A ya devchonka, ya xuliganka!
Ax, sharaban moi, amerikanka!
A ya devchonka, ya xuliganka!
Lublyu katasya
Na sharabane
Ischu ya den'gi
V chuzhom karmane
Na Kolyme, gde tundra i tayga krugom, Sredi zamerzshikh yeley i bolot, Tebya ya vstretil s tvoyey podrugoyu, Sidevshikh u kostra vdvoyom. Shel krupniy sneg i padal na resnitzy vam, Vy Severnym Siyan'yem uvleklis', Ya podoshel k vam i ruku podal, Vy vstrepenulis', podnyalis'. I ya zametil blesk tvoikh prekrasnykh glaz, I ruku podav, predloshil druzhit', Ty poklyalasya byt' moyeyu, Naveki vernost' sokhranit'. V lyubvi i laskakh vremya nezametno shlo, Prishla vesna i konchilsya tvoy srok, Ya provozhal tebya togda na pristan', Melknul tvoy belen'kiy platok... S tvoim ot"yezdom nachalas' bolezn' moya, Nochami ya ne spal i vsyo stradal, Ya proklinayu tot den' razluki, Kogda na pristani stoyal. A gody shli. Toskoy sebya zamushal ya, I vstrechi zhdal s toboy, lyubov' moya, Po aktirovke - vrachey putyovke, Y pokidayu lagerya. I vot ya pokidayu svoy suroviy kray, I poyezd vsyo bystreye mchit na yug, I vsyu dorogu molyu ya boga: "Priydi vstrechat' menya, moy drug". Ogni Rostova poyezd zakhvatil v puti, Vagon k Perronu tikho podkhodil, Tebya bol'nuyu, sovsem seduyu, Nash syn k vagony podvodil. Tak zdravstvuy, posedevshaya lyubov' moya, Pust' kruzhitsya i padayet snezhok, Na bereg Dona, na vetku klyona, Na tvoy zaplakanniy platok.
From: rumynin@math.umass.edu (Dmitriy Rumynin) Newsgroups: soc.culture.russian,soc.culture.soviet,relcom.talk Date: 25 Aug 1995 17:18:29 GMT Message-ID: <41l0l5$hkv@nic.umass.edu>together with
From: alex@localhost (Aleksey Linetskiy) Date: 25 Aug 95 15:14:34 EST Message-ID: <41l762$r4v@news.nynexst.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: wilbur.nynexst.comThis is my favourite blatnaya song! The author probably was Arkadiy Severniy but it might be someone earlier. [DR]
V knige "Pesni Nevoli" eta pesnja pripisyvaetsja nekoemu V. Shandrikovu, i ozaglavlena "Seki, Nachal'nik". [AL]
Pokazaniya cheloveka, vypuschennogo na svobodu i zanovo arestogannogo v etot zhe den.
Nu ya otkinulsya,
Kakoy bazar-vokzal.
Kupil bilet
V kolhoz "Bol'shoe Dyshlo".
Ved ya zhelezno
s banditizmom zavyazal,
vse po umu,
no lazha vse zhe vyshla.
Seki nachalnik,
ya gulyal na sklone dnya,
glazel na shlyuh
i mirno kushal ponchik.
Kak vdrug hilyaet
etot fraer do menya.
Krichit:
- A nu, kozel, zaimi ka mne chervonchik.
No ya sderzhalsya,
po nature, vo nutryah,
no, trofiy, ya
mezh rog ego ne dvinul.
Ved nas soznaniyu
uchili v lageryah,
i ya sderzhalsa,
dazhe Shabera ne vynuv.
Skazal emu:
- Provalivay, malysh!
Sovet dayu,
vse chinno, vse zakonno.
- Ty zh za chervonets
na chervonets zaletish.
A tam ne shutki, zemlyachok,
tam vse zhe zona.
A on, khamlo,
khotya po vidu i bosyak,
kastetom, bes,
zaehal mne po morde.
Tut sila voli
moya konchilasya vsya.
I vot ya zdes',
a morda eta
v morge.
Chto b v mure sgnit'
mene, nachalnik, esli lgu.
No esli noch'yu
etu rozhu parazita
postavit' rydom s moey zhopoy na uglu
vse zaorali by: smotrite, dva bandita.
Seki, nachalnik, ya vsyu pravdu rasskazal
i mirno shel syuda v soprovozhdeniii.
Ved ya zhelezno s banditizmom zavyazal.
Vernite spravku o moem osvobozhdenii.
From: makar@mcphy3.med.nyu.edu (Vladimir Makarenko) Newsgroups: soc.culture.russian,soc.culture.soviet,relcom.talk Subject: Re: Russian criminal songs. Date: 24 Aug 1995 19:34:29 GMT Message-ID: <41ik85$clj@cmcl2.NYU.EDU>[Vysotsky:]
Takova uzh *voravskaya* dolya / udarenie na vtoroi slog i V nashei zhizni chasto tak byvaet / yasnoe "a" My na veki rasstaemsya s volei No nash brat nigde ne unyvaet Mozhet zhizn' pogibel' mne gotovit Solnca luch blesnet na nebe redko Dorogaya ved' voron ne lovyat Tol'ko solov'i sidim po kletkam.Kstati o
From: alex@localhost (Aleksey Linetskiy) Newsgroups: soc.culture.russian,soc.culture.soviet,relcom.talk Message-ID: <41kkbm$j59@news.nynexst.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: wilbur.nynexst.comWell... snova beru knigu "Pesni Nevoli".
POSTOJ, PAROVOZ!
Letit parovoz po dolinam, po vzgorjam,
Letit on nevedomo kuda.
Mal'chonka nazval sebya zhulikom i vorom,
I zhizn' ego -- vechnaya igra.
Postoj, parovoz, ne stuchite, kolyosa,
Konduktor, nazhmi na tromoza.
Ya k mamen'ke rodnoj s poslednim privetom
Hochu pokazat'sya na glaza.
Ne zhdi menja, mama, horoshego syna,
Tvoj syn ne takoj, kak byl vchera.
Menja zasosala opasnaja trjasina,
I zhizn' moja -- vechnaja igra.
A esli posadiat menia za reshetku,
V tjur'me ya reshetku prob'yu,
I pust' luna svetit svoim prodazhnym svetom,
A ya vse ravno ubegu.
A esli zametit tjuremnaya strazha,
Togda ya, mal'chishechka, propal.
Trevoga i vystrel, i vniz golovoju
Pod stenu tjuremnuju upal.
Ya budu lezhat' na tjuremnoj krovati,
Ya budu lezhat' i umirat'.
I vy ne pridete, ljubeznaja mamasha,
Menja pered smertju tselovat'.
Letit parovoz po dolinam, po vzgorjam,
Letit on nevedomo kuda.
Ya k mamen'ke rodnoj, bol'noj i golodnoj,
Speshu pokazat'sya na glaza.
Kstati: etu pesnju u menja na uze upominavshejsa plenke pel Vysotsky, i
ya dolgoe vremja byl uveren, chto eto- odna iz ego rannih pesen. A vot
uzhe upomunavshujusa "Eto Klim Voroshilov..." tam pel kto-to sovsem
drugoj...
From: Eugene *fraer* <eugenez@mit.edu> Newsgroups: soc.culture.russian,soc.culture.soviet,relcom.talk Date: 25 Aug 1995 16:25:25 GMT Message-ID: <41kthl$pk@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>V fil'me "Operacija Y" peli esche odin kuplet, neplohoj po-moemy:
Postoj, parovoz, ne stuchite, kolesa,
Est' vremja zaglyanut' sud'be v glaza.
Esche ne pozdno sdelat' ostanovku.
Konduktor, nazhmi na tormoza.
ZK. [ze-KA] or [ZEK], pl. [ze-KA] or [ZE-ki] resp. Originally, an acronym of "Zaklyuchennyj Kanaloarmeec". Denotes a convicted criminal. Used to be part of the official parlance of GULAG and has become a mainstream Russian word.
Chudnaya planeta. Ssylka na izvestnuyu priskazku:
Kolyma, Kolyma, Chudnaya planeta! Dvenadcat' mesyacev -- zima, Ostal'noe -- leto.
Barguzin. A local name of a certain wind that blows steadily over the lake of Bajkal. (Not to be confused with an ethnicity, "gruzin" or something.)
Shmon. {Idish, iz ivrita: shmona -- vosem'} Obysk. Obysk v tyur'max odno vremya (pri care) provodilsya v vosem' chasov, otsyuda proisxozhdenie slova. {Sr. shmonat' -- obyskivat'}
Parasha. 1) Ubornaya. "Tvoe mesto u parashi", vyrazhenie prezritel'nogo otnosheniya: v tyr'me, mesto "u parashi" -- odno iz samyx neprestizhnyx. 2) "Skazka", ili "legenda", t.e. (pridumannaya) istoriya.
Doxodyaga. Chelovek "doshedshij" (ne putat' s "opustivshijsya"), t.e. vlachaschij fizicheski zhalkoe suschestvovanie, no ne obyazatel'no poteryavshij status.
Marksist. K kommunistam vsyakogo tolka na zone otnosilis' bez lyubvi: "za chto borolis', na to i naporolis'".
Zapretka, takzhe zapretnaya zona. Uchastok zemli (obychno vdol' perimetra oxrannoj zony), na kotorom zaklyuchennym zaprescheno naxodit'sya.
Vyshka. 1) Viselica, v bolee shirikom smysle -- smertnyj prigovor. 2) Vyshka chasovogo.
Starushka mat'; mamen'ka rodnaya; lyubeznaya mamasha. Tema materi odna iz samyx vazhnyx v blatnom tvorchestve. (Interesno, chto po etomu povodu mogut skazat' psixologi.) Tipichno, geroj goryuyet o pokinutoj materi (no ne sobiraetsya vozvraschat'sya k nej, estessno); vspominaet, kak mat' v detstve predskazyvala ego gor'kuyu sud'bu (chasto, po analogii s otcom); i t.p. V professional'noj literature, tema xorosho razvita v tvorchestve Esenina.
Po dolinam, po vzgor'yam. Ssylka na slova populyarnoj krasnoj revolyucionnoj pesni:
Po dolinam i po vzgor'yam Shla diviziya vperyod, Chtoby s boem vzyat' Primor'e, Beloj armii oplot.
HV9712.R67 1987.