Roads (Red Army Choir song)

"The Roads" («Дороги»), also known by its incipit "Oh, the Roads…" («Эх, дороги…»), is a Soviet World War II song, composed by Anatoly Novikov to lyrics by the poet Lev Ivanovich Oshanin. The song is one of the best-known works of the composer, having been popularised by both ensembles carrying the name of the Red Army Choir, namely the Alexandrov Ensemble and MVD Ensemble. Novikov and Oshanin were members of a military troupe at the front and the song was composed under artillery fire at Zhizdra.^[1] Among those who have recorded the song are Muslim Magomayev, Ivan Rebroff (1986), Dmitri Hvorostovsky on the war songs album Where Are You My Brothers, and the Choir of Sretensky Monastery.

This song is not to be confused with another Red Army Choir song "Na doroge" ("On the Road") or "Gej, po doroge!" ("Hey, on the Road!").^{[citation needed]}

Lyrics

Russian original

English translation

Cyrillic script Latin script Припев: Эх, дороги… Пыль да туман, Холода, тревоги Да степной бурьян. I Знать не можешь Доли своей, Может, крылья сложишь Посреди степей. Вьётся пыль под сапогами степями, полями. А кругом бушует пламя Да пули свистят. Припев II Выстрел грянет, Ворон кружит: Твой дружок в бурьяне Неживой лежит… А дорога дальше мчится, пылится, клубится, А кругом земля дымится Чужая земля. Припев III Край сосновый. Солнце встает. У крыльца родного Мать сыночка ждет. И бескрайними путями, степями, полями. Всё глядят вослед за нами Родные глаза. Припев IV Снег ли, ветер, – Вспомним, друзья! Нам дороги эти Позабыть нельзя. Pripev: Eh, dorogi… Pylj da tuman, Holoda, trevogi Da stepnoj burjjan. I Znatj ne možešj Doli svojej, Možet, kryljja složišj Posredi stepej. Bjjotsja pylj pod sapogami stepjami, poljami. A krugom bušujet plamja Da puli svistjat. Pripev II Vystrel grjanet, Voron kružit: Tvoj družok v burjjane Neživoj ležit… A doroga daljše mčitsja, pylitsja, klubitsja, A krugom zemlja dymitsja Čužaja zemlja. Pripev III Kraj sosnovyj. Solnce vstajet. U kryljca rodnovo Matj synočka ždjot. I beskrajnimi putjami, stepjami, poljami. Vsjo gljadjat vosled za nami Rodnyje glaza. Pripev IV Sneg li, veter, – Vspomnim, druzjja! Nam dorogi eti Pozabytj neljzja.

Chorus: Oh, the roads… The dust and mist, The cold and bitterness And wild steppe grass. I You cannot know Your own fate, Perhaps you'll fold your wings Girt by the steppes. Dust swirls under the boots In the steppes and fields. And flames rage all around And the bullets whine. Chorus II A shot will burst, A raven circles: Your friend in the weeds Lies lifeless… But the road rushes on and on, Gathering dust, swirling The land fumes all around A foreign land. Chorus III In pinewood land The sun rises. On the porch of her own A mom for her son waits. And along endless paths The steppes and fields, Everybody looks after us With their own eyes. Chorus IV Be it snow or wind, – Remember, friends! We just cannot forget These very roads.

References

1. Elena Polyudova Soviet War Songs in the Context of Russian Culture 2016 p.149 "L. Oshanin recollected: The song 'Roads' was born when we were lying down on the battlefield under Zhizdra, overtaken by the bombing attack; and a flaxen-haired lieutenant who had fallen next to us, never got up. ... A soloist of the Ensemble Ivan Shmelev was the first singer to perform “Roads." It was then picked up by other soloists and ensembles. Then the song became popular and well-known even for school children. ."