Ah Vy, Seni, Moi Seni
Oh You, My Porch, You, My Nice Porch; Ах, вы, сени, мои сени
The Russian folk song is one of the most known.
In ancient Russia big noble houses were divided into different parts: for women and for men, for living (an upper floor), for guests etc. The front porch usually connected all the parts. The so called "porch girls" used to sit there and work. There was an expression: "девка в сени взята, на барский двор" (the girl has been taken into the porch, to the noble yard). Those young girls, sitting together for a long time, composed and sang their special songs, and that is the one. The song is also a dance, letting the girls to have a short rest from their monotonous needlework and waiting for the nobles` orders. |
It is said to be a real historical joke, that one French Dame got the Leo Tolstoy`s allowance to translate his famous monumental novel "War And Peace" into French. When Leo Tolstoy received the ready part of the translated book, he threw it down and trampled, tearing his beard. The reason for that was the translation of the song "Ah Vy, Seni, Moi Seni" as "Vestibule, Ma Vestibule", that was absolutely unacceptable to any person having the language flair. Tatyana Kuzminskaya, a far female relative of Leo Tolstoy, described that case in her memoirs.
The song is sometimes used by classic composers for bringing the folk colour into their music, as a very well-known and purely Russian motive. |
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For example, it was only thrice that Shostakovich himself quoted Russian folk songs, his versions being but a travesty: “Ah vy, seni, moi seni” in his vocal set “Satires” and “Ya na gorku shla” along with “Svetit mesiac, svetit yasny” in his operetta “Moscow-Tcheriomushky”.
"Ah, vy, seni, moi seni" was also used by the famous Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in the fourth scene, third act, of his ballet "Petrushka" (1911).
It was not only in the film "War and Peace " that the song played a role, it was also to be heard in the 2009 French film "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky", directed by Jan Kounen.
From Wikipedia:
The song tells a simple story about a girl who is in love with the young brewer, Vanya, but her strict father forbids them to see each other. The song became known all over the world from the epic 1968 Soviet film War and Peace (Voina i Mir) based on Leo Tolstoy's novel and directed by Sergei Bondarchuk. The first part of the film includes a scene with Russian soldiers singing that song while marching through an Austrian village.
The first lines of the song are commonly taught to small children in Russia for that they learn to sing, as the song`s beginning is known nearly by everybody, and the motive is simple and easily recalled.
"Ah, vy, seni, moi seni" was also used by the famous Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in the fourth scene, third act, of his ballet "Petrushka" (1911).
It was not only in the film "War and Peace " that the song played a role, it was also to be heard in the 2009 French film "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky", directed by Jan Kounen.
From Wikipedia:
The song tells a simple story about a girl who is in love with the young brewer, Vanya, but her strict father forbids them to see each other. The song became known all over the world from the epic 1968 Soviet film War and Peace (Voina i Mir) based on Leo Tolstoy's novel and directed by Sergei Bondarchuk. The first part of the film includes a scene with Russian soldiers singing that song while marching through an Austrian village.
The first lines of the song are commonly taught to small children in Russia for that they learn to sing, as the song`s beginning is known nearly by everybody, and the motive is simple and easily recalled.
The scores: Simple Two accordions variations
Russian text
Ах, вы, сени, мои сени, Сени новые мои, Сени новые кленовые, Решетчатые. Как и мне по вам, по сеничкам, Не хаживати, Мне мила друга за рученьку Не важивати. Выходила молода За новые ворота, Выпускала сокола Из правого рукава. На полетике соколику Наказывала - Ты лети, лети, соколик, Высоко и далеко. И высоко, и далеко На родиму сторону, На родимой на сторонке Грозен батюшка живёт. Он грозен, сударь, грозен, Он не милостивой, Не пускает молоду Поздно вечером одну. Я не слушала отца, Спотешала молодца, Я за то его спотешу, Что один сын у отца. Что один сын у отца Уродился в молодца, Зовут Ванюшкою, Пивоварушкою. Пивовар пиво варил, Зелено вино курил, Зелено вино курил, Красных девушек манил. "Вы пожалуйте, девицы, На поварню на мою, На моей ли, на поварне Пиво пьяно на ходу. На моей ли, на поварне Пиво пьяно на ходу, Пиво пьяно на ходу, И на сладком на меду." Ах, вы, сени, мои сени, Сени новые мои, Сени новые кленовые, Решетчатые. |
Transliteration
Ah vy, seni, moi seni, Seni novye moi, Seni novye, klenovye, Reshotchatye. Kak i mne po vam, po senichkam, Ne hazhivati, Mne mila druga za ruchen'ku Ne vazhivati. Vyhodila moloda Za novye vorota, Vypuskala sokola Iz pravogo rukava. Na polyotiky sokoliku Nakazyvala - Ty leti, leti, sokolik Vysoko i daleko. I vysoko, i dalyoko Na rodimu storonu, Na rodimoy na storonke Grozen batyushka zhivyot. On grozen, sudar', grozen, On ne milostivoy, Ne puskaet molodu Pozdno vecherom odnu. Ya ne slushala otca, Spoteshala molodca. Ya za to ego spoteshu, Shto odin syn u otca. Shto odin syn u otca Urodilsya v molodca, Zovyt Vanyushkoyu, Pivovarushkoyu. Pivoval pivo varil, Zeleno vino kuril, Zeleno vino kuril, Krasnykh devushek manil. "Vy pozhaluite, devitsy, Na povarnyu na moyu, Na moyei li, na povarne Pivo p'yano na khodu. Na moyei li, na povarne Pivo p'yano na khodu, Pivo p'yano na khodu I na sladkom na medu." Ah vy, seni, moi seni, Seni novye moi, Seni novye, klenovye, Reshotchatye. |
English text
Oh you, my porch, you, my nice porch, New and dear, so you are, My porch new and made of maple tree, The latticed you are. I am not let go along the porch, Free and careless, Holding the arm of my dear friend And drawing him in. A young lass came out of The new gate for leaving off, She released the falcon from Her right wide and fancy sleeve. When the falcon flew away she said, She put her spell on - You, my falcon, start your fly now, Fly that high and very far. Fly, you falcon, far away now To my dear native land, In my native land you see how My severe farther lives. Very hard he is, so hard, He is not merciful, He does not let me, the young, Late in night to walk alone. To obey him I used not, I amused my dear guy, I will entertain him finely For his father has him one. For his father has him one, The son`s born as a nice guy! And his name is Ivan, And a brewer he is. Ivan used to brew the beer, The strong wine he used to make, The strong wine he used to make, Pretty lasses he drew in. "Pretty lasses, come in here, To my brewery you come, At my brewery you find the Getting ready tasty beer. At my brewery you find the Getting ready tasty beer, Getting ready tasty beer, Which includes the honey sweet." Oh you, my porch, you, my nice porch, New and dear, so you are, My porch new and made of maple tree, The latticed you are. Translation by Alexander. |
http://oaji.net/articles/2014/774-1413785701.pdf
https://books.google.be/books?id=zXv9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=history+seni+moi+seni&source=bl&ots=xwjzgBCyAm&sig=byjbzImzSxZfeoKDIKUboRnWE1E&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK5dKD6qbTAhXQPFAKHQghCeAQ6AEIUzAJ#v=onepage&q=history%20seni%20moi%20seni&f=false
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/folk-song; https://otvet.mail.ru/question/79559917;
http://vera-every.livejournal.com/304891.html;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_Vy,_Seni,_Moi_Seni;
https://books.google.be/books?id=zXv9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=history+seni+moi+seni&source=bl&ots=xwjzgBCyAm&sig=byjbzImzSxZfeoKDIKUboRnWE1E&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK5dKD6qbTAhXQPFAKHQghCeAQ6AEIUzAJ#v=onepage&q=history%20seni%20moi%20seni&f=false
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/folk-song; https://otvet.mail.ru/question/79559917;
http://vera-every.livejournal.com/304891.html;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_Vy,_Seni,_Moi_Seni;