Korobeiniki

Korobeiniki, also called "Korobushka", is a nineteenth-century Russian folk song that tells about the meeting between a "korobeinik" and a girl. Korobeiniki were peddlers with trays, selling fabric, haberdashery, books and other small things in pre-revolutionary Russia.
The song is based on a poem with the same name that was written by Russia's greatest civic poet of the 19th century, Nikolay Nekrasov. The poem was written and printed in the Sovremennik Magazine in 1861. Nekrasov had developed a strong interest in the lifes of the poor Russians, for whom he had a great sympathy and his poem was a collage of rural Russia after the emancipation, and a strong political statement.
The poem Korobeiniki tells the sad story about the love between a peasant girl, Katy, and a young peddler. They meet each other in the rye field at night.
Due to its increasing tempo and the dance style associated with it, it quickly became a popular Russian folk song.

He promised her a good deal on the goods he carries, before they are sold in the market at day. She doesn't take any of the goods he offers her, because she isn't interested in having anything without having him. The only thing she takes is a small turquoise ring as a memory and he promises to merry her as he comes back from his commerce trip. The young man continues his journey, his business goes very well and he makes a lot of money, while she waits for him with caution. On his way back he is killed and robbed by a forest ranger whom he asks for directions. He never comes back to merry Katya.
The song however tells only the beginning of the original poem: it recounts Katya's first meeting with the young peddler, when their relation is getting off to a happy start.
Due to the increasing tempo of the melody and the dance style associated with it, Korobeiniki quickly became a popular Russian folk song.


The melody has been rearranged in 1989 by Hirokazu Tanaka as the "Type A" accompaniment in Nintendo's Game Boy version of tetris. Since that moment the melody has become closely associated with the game in Western culture.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korobeiniki
http://www.partitionsdechansons.com/en/download_sheet_music.php?nom=Korobeiniki&id=687
Russian tyrics

Ой полным полна моя кoробушка
Есть и ситец, и парча.
Пожалей, душа-зазнобушка,
Молодецкого плеча.

Выйду, выйду в рожь высокую,
Там до ночки погожу,
Как завижу черноокую,
Все товары разложу.

Цены сам платил немалые,
Не торгуйся, не скупись,
Подставляй-ка губки алые,
Ближе к молодцу садись.

Вот уж пала ночь туманная,
Ждёт удалый молодец...
Чу, идёт! – пришла желанная,
Продаёт товар купец.

Катя бережно торгуется,
Всё боится передать,
Парень с де́вицей целуется,
Просит цены набавлять.

Знает только ночь глубокая,
Как поладили они.
Распрямись ты, рожь высокая,
Тайну свято сохрани!

Ой, легка, легка коробушка,
Плеч не режет ремешок!
А всего взяла зазнобушка
Бирюзовый перстенёк.

Дал ей ситцу штуку целую,
Ленту алую для кос,
Поясок – рубашку белую
Подпоясать в сенокос...

Все поклала ненаглядная
В короб, кроме перстенька:
«Не хочу ходить нарядная
Без сердечного дружка!»

То-то, дуры вы, молодочки!
Не сама ли принесла
Полуштофик сладкой водочки?
А подарков не взяла!

Так постой же! Нерушимое
Обещаньице даю:

Опорожнится коробушка,
На Покров домой приду
И тебя, душа-зазнобушка,
В божью церковь поведу!"

Вплоть до вечера дождливого
Молодец бежит бегом
И товарища ворчливого
Нагоняет под селом.

Старый Тихоныч ругается:
"Я уж думал, ты пропал!"
Ванька только ухмыляется -
Я-де ситцы продавал!
Transliteration

Oy polnym polna mоya korobushka
Yest' i sitets i parcha.
Pozhaley, dusha-zaznobushka,
Molodetskogo plecha.

Vyydu, vyydu v rozh' vysokuyu,
Tam do nochki pogozhu,
Kak zavizhu chernookuyu,
Vse tovary razlozhu.

Tseny sam platil nemalyye,
Ne torguysya, ne skupis',
Podstavlyay-ka gubki alyye,
Blizhe k molodtsu sadis'.

Vot uzh pala noch' tumannaya,
Zhdyot udalyy molodets.
Chu, idyot! – prishla zhelannaya,
Prodayot tovar kupets.

Katya berezhno torguyetsya
Vsyo boitsya peredat',
Paren' s devitsey tseluyetsya,
Prosit tseny nabavlyat'.

Znayet tol'ko noch' glubokaya,
Kak poladili oni.
Raspryamis' ty, rozh' vysokaya,
Taynu svyato sokhrani!

Oy legka legka korobushka
Plech ne rezhet remeshok
A vsego vzyala zaznobushka,
biryuzovyy perstenyok

Dal ey sittsu shtuku tseluyu,
Lentu aluyu dlya kos,
Poyasok – rubashku beluyu
Podpoyasat' v senokos...

Vse poklala nenaglyadnaya
V korob, krome persten'ka:
"Ne hochu hodit' naryadnaya
Bez serdechnogo druzhka!"

To-to, dury vy, molodochki!
Ne sama li prinesla
Polushtofik sladkoy vodochki?
A podarkov ne vzyala!

Tak postoy zhe! Nerushimo
Obeshchanʹitse dayu:

Oporozhnitsya korobushka,
Na Pokrov domoy pridu
I tebya, dusha-zaznobushka,
V bozhʹyu tserkovʹ povedu!"

Vplotʹ do vechera dozhdlivogo
Molodets bezhit begom
I tovarishcha vorchlivogo
Nagonyaet pod selom.

Staryy Tihonych rugaetsya:
"Ya uzh dumal, ty propal!"
Van'ka tol'ko uhmylyaetsya -
Ya-de sittsy prodaval!
English lyrics

Oh, my crate is so full,
I've got chintz and brocade.
Take pity, oh sweety,
Of this lad's shoulder.

I will, I will go out into the tall rye,
I will wait there till the night comes,
Once I see the dark-eyed lass,
I will showcase all my goods.

I paid no small price myself,
So don't bargain or be stingy,
Bring your scarlet lips to me,
Sit closer to this fine lad.

The foggy night has already come,
The daring lad is awaiting,
Hark, it's her! The desired one has come,
The merchant is selling his goods.

Katya is haggling with care,
She is afraid to pay too much,
A lad is kissing his lass,
Asking her to raise the price.

Only the deep night knows,
What they agreed upon.
Straighten up now, oh tall rye,
And keep their secret scrupulously!

Oh, my crate is so light;
The strap is no longer cutting into my shoulders!
And all my lass took
Was one turquoise ring.

I had given her a whole piece of calico,
A scarlet ribbon for her braids,
A little belt—the white shirt
To strap on while haymaking.

The sweet one put everything
back into the box, but for the ring:
"I do not want to go around dressed up
Without a fiancé!"

Oh, you foolish young ones!
Did she herself not bring
The half-flask of sweet vodka?
And she did not take the gifts!

So stay right here!
An unbreakable promise I give:

Once I empty the crate,
I'll return home,
And you, my Sweetheart,
To God's church I will lead!

All through the rainy night,
The young man runs,
And catches up to a grumbling comrade
in the village.

Old Tihonych swears:
"I really thought you were gone!"
Vanka only smirks-
I sold the chintz!
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