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

  1. ↑ "The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree/ В лесу́ роди́лась ёлочка". www.italki.com. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)