Lyrics Бородин - 1 действие. Хор бояр Мужайся, княгиня

(Clever boyars enter and bow to Yaroslavna)

YAROSLAVNA - Welcome, boyars!
I am glad to see you!
You are my faithful Duma, princely council
Both in joy and in grief are reliable friends
I am glad to see you!
Tell me, however, what does your coming mean?
Unexpected, unexpected?
He worries me, I feel bad!
Tell me! I want to know!

BOYAR - Take courage, princess
The bad news we bring to you, Princess ...
We have come to tell you, Princess, bad news!
Take courage!

YAROSLAVNA - What happened? Speak!

BOYAR - They went to Russia, the enemy regiments came to us
And they are coming close to us!

Yaroslavna - Oh, God!

BOYAR - Go to us:
And formidable forces to us on Putivl
Leads the Polovtsian Khan Gzak, a formidable Khan!

YAROSLAVNA - Surely there was little grief for us!
Where is our army?
And where is our prince?
Tell me, boyars, where is the prince?

BOYAR - Thunderstorm after thunderstorm, misfortune after misfortune, the Lord sends us!
Nobody will leave God's judgment, nobody, believe me.

YAROSLAVNA - Has the army been beaten?
Has the prince died?
Tell me!

BOYAR - In an unequal battle with a myriad of bones the entire army was killed!
All the shelves!
And the prince himself was wounded, and he was taken prisoner with his brother and son!
All in captivity!

YAROSLAVNA - Ah! Is Lado wounded and captured ?!
Not! Not! I do not believe! I do not believe! Not! Not!

(Yaroslavna falls without feelings)

(Comes around)

So is it true that the prince is a prisoner?
What is he injured?
What enemy is coming here on us ?!

(Excitedly)

Boyars, tell me what to do and what should we do?
No prince, no ratification, no help ?!
Who is the city behind? Who! Who!

BOYAR - To us, the princess, not for the first time under city walls
At the gate to meet enemies
The city is strong, be calm, the walls are strong, the ditches are deep
And our jail is reliable; the city is strong, be calm
God will help, overcome!
Defend Putivl!
The city is not strong by the walls, our fortress is not in the prison
Not in the trenches, not in the ditches;
Our fortress is faith in God, loyalty to the prince and to you!
Princess!
And love for the motherland!

YAROSLAVNA - Thank you, boyars, to me your speeches
I believe you, boyars, in that word I hear the truth.
From grief, lack of space I lost heart
But your word of truth inspired me again
And a ray of hope again lit in my soul

(Bows to the boyars)

(Alarm bell behind the scene. Boyars are listening)

BOYAR - Ringing! Alarm! Alarm!
And indeed the alarm! Boyars! Ringing, ominous ringing!
The misfortune threatens, princess, he!
Now the enemy is coming, then a formidable enemy!

YAROSLAVNA - Really? Oh my God!
That enemy came to us here!

(A glow of fire is visible in the window)

Enemy attacked! Oh my God! Who will be with us!

WOMEN - (behind the scenes vote)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh

BOYAR - Fire!
The suburb is burning!
The jail is on fire!
Polovtsy prowl in the field!
Look!
Women howl, people flee: rob, burn posad!
Boyars, hurry, hurry to the walls, hurry to the city walls!

YAROSLAVNA - Holy lady, help!
Either God's punishment, God's anger, then God's anger!
Oh my God! That is God's anger, then God's punishment!
God's wrath punishes us!

BOYAR - That is God's punishment, God's wrath!

(Several boyars leave. The rest are girded with swords and prepared for defense)

That God's anger punishes us!
That God's anger punishes us!
That God's anger punishes us!

YAROSLAVNA - You will not leave anywhere from God's judgment!
You will not go away from God's judgment!
You will not go away from God's judgment!

BOYAR - You will not go away from God's judgment!
You will not go away from God's judgment!
You will not go away from God's judgment!

(A curtain)