Tonkaya Ryabina;
Thin Rowan; Тонкая рябина
"Tonkaya Ryabina" is one of the most famous Russian folk songs. The author of the melody is unknown, while the lyrics were written in 1864 by the famous Russian poet Ivan Zakharovich Surikov (1841-1880).
The very fact that Surikow wrote a poem about a rowan is not as strange as it could look at first sight: for the ancient Slavs the rowan tree, together with the oak, the birch and the willow, were considered to be the holy trees. Moreover, the rowan tree (the mountain ash), together with the birch are the poetic symbols in Russian folklore. The berry plants (like viburnum) are considered to be a symbol of the family happiness, of the strong and faithful love and, thus, of a close-knit family. According to a tradition, the rowan tree, like an apple tree, is considered a female tree. It is women who first of all get taken under the rowan`s protection, are given beauty and health. No wonder that no traditional wedding in Russia was complete without the mountain ash. |
In the Russian folk songs, the mountain ash is associated with the image of a woman suffering from separation. The brightest story, which most probably formed the base for Surikov's poem, was told in an ancient legend which originated from one of the oldest cities of Russia, Novgorod.
The legend tells about a merchant's daughter who fell in love with a simple guy. Her father though did not want to hear about a poor son-in-law, and, in order to save the kin from that shame, he resorted to the sorcerer`s help. His daughter accidentally found out about that and decided to run away from home. One dark and rainy night, she hurried to the river bank, to the place where she would meet her beloved. At that very hour the sorcerer appeared at the meeting place and was noticed by the girl's boyfriend. In order to divert the danger from his girl and distract the sorcerer, the brave young man threw himself into the water.
The legend tells about a merchant's daughter who fell in love with a simple guy. Her father though did not want to hear about a poor son-in-law, and, in order to save the kin from that shame, he resorted to the sorcerer`s help. His daughter accidentally found out about that and decided to run away from home. One dark and rainy night, she hurried to the river bank, to the place where she would meet her beloved. At that very hour the sorcerer appeared at the meeting place and was noticed by the girl's boyfriend. In order to divert the danger from his girl and distract the sorcerer, the brave young man threw himself into the water.
The sorcerer waited for him to cross the river, and when the guy was getting ashore, he waved his magic staff. A lightning flashed, the thunder struck, and the young man turned into an oak tree. All that happened in front of the girl, who was late for the meeting because of the rain. The sorcerer bewitched her too: the girl became the trunk of a mountain ash, with the arms-branches extended towards the beloved. So, there stood two lonely trees loving each other on the different banks of the river. In spring, the mountain ash put on a white outfit, and in autumn she shed her red berry tears into the water, grieving that the river was too wide for stepping over it, so deep, that it could make one drown, and that in no way it was possible for the mountain ash to come to the oak tree, while knowing that such a fate was a century long imprecation.
As it always happens to folk songs, in the process of performance the people changed the words of Surikov's poem slightly and the number of verses decreased. |
Ludmila Zykina sings "Tonkaya Ryabina"
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This made the tune easier and the song became truly folk. The song "Tonkaya Ryabina" was ranked among the most prominent ten Russian songs of the year 1910. At that time it was first recorded on gramophone record by the Russian singer Semyon Sadovnikov. Later the song was performed by the famous Russian performers Lyudmila Zykina, Nadeshda Kadysheva, Tamara Sinyavskaya and Yuri Gulyaev and even the VIA "Singing Guitars", though the contemporary singing ensemble "Kvatro" prefered a happy ending and created a completely new verse for that purpose.
The song is widely known among the Russian people and sometimes performed during their friendly get-togethers.
SCORE
The song is widely known among the Russian people and sometimes performed during their friendly get-togethers.
SCORE
Russian text
Что стоишь, качаясь, Тонкая рябина, Головой склоняясь До самого тына. А через дорогу, За рекой широкой Так же одиноко Дуб стоит высокий. Как бы мне, рябине, К дубу перебраться. Я б тогда не стала Гнуться и качаться. Тонкими ветвями Я б к нему прижалась И с его листами День и ночь шепталась. Но нельзя рябине К дубу перебраться, Знать, ей, сиротине, Век одной качаться. |
Transliteration
Chto stoish', kachayas', Tonkaya ryabina, Golovoy sklonyayas' Do samogo tyna. A cherez dorogu, Za rekoy shirokoy Tak zhe odinoko Dub stoit vysokiy. Kak by mne, ryabine, K dubu perebrat'sya. YA b togda ne stala Gnut'sya i kachat'sya. Tonkimi vetvyami YA b k nemu prizhalas' I s yego listami Den' i noch' sheptalas'. No nel'zya ryabine K dubu perebrat'sya, Znat', yey, sirotine, Vek odnoy kachat'sya. |
English text
Why do you stand swaying, Rowan, you thin one And the wind keeps laying Your head always down. And beyond the road, Over the wide river A tall single oak stands and slightly quivers. I, a rowan, need Go to the oak. So I can be freed Of the windy yoke. I would, with my thin arms, Snuggle up to his bark Fondle him with my charms After and before dark. But the rowan can Never go there, She sways lorn, an orphan, Year after year. Translated by Accordeonworld 2020 |
Sources:
https://nickfilin.livejournal.com/154549.html ;
https://zhiznteatr.mirtesen.ru/blog/43152228999/Istoriya-odnoy-pesni.-CHto-stoish,-kachayas,-tonkaya-ryabina ;
https://ulpravda.ru/rubrics/kultpokhod/-tonkaya-ryabina ;
https://lera-komor.livejournal.com/1765542.html ;
http://a-pesni.org/popular20/riabina.htm;
http://с-т-и-х-и.рф/блог/анализ-песни-что-шумишь-качаясь-тонкая-рябина
https://ostihe.ru/analiz-stihotvoreniya/surikova/ryabina ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Суриков,_Иван_Захарович ;
https://myphs.jimdofree.com/2015/01/09/рябина ;
https://nickfilin.livejournal.com/154549.html ;
https://zhiznteatr.mirtesen.ru/blog/43152228999/Istoriya-odnoy-pesni.-CHto-stoish,-kachayas,-tonkaya-ryabina ;
https://ulpravda.ru/rubrics/kultpokhod/-tonkaya-ryabina ;
https://lera-komor.livejournal.com/1765542.html ;
http://a-pesni.org/popular20/riabina.htm;
http://с-т-и-х-и.рф/блог/анализ-песни-что-шумишь-качаясь-тонкая-рябина
https://ostihe.ru/analiz-stihotvoreniya/surikova/ryabina ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Суриков,_Иван_Захарович ;
https://myphs.jimdofree.com/2015/01/09/рябина ;