Smuglyanka

{{Short description|Soviet folk song}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}

"Smuglyanka", "Smuglianka", or "Smugljanka" ({{langx|ru|Смуглянка}} "the dark girl", from смуглый "dark, swarthy"; also {{lang|ru|Смуглянка-Молдаванка}}, romanized: Smugljanka-Moldavanka "the dark Moldovan girl" (swarthy)) is a Russian song written in 1940 by Yakov Shvedov (lyrics) and Anatoliy Grigorevich Novikov (music). It was commissioned by the Kiev Military District{{'}}s political office for the District Song and Dance Ensemble, as part of a suite in honour of Grigory Kotovsky,{{Cite journal |author = Терновая Людмила |editor= |format= |url= https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/zhenskie-imena-fronta-i-tyla |title= Женские имена фронта и тыла |journal= Государственная Служба|type= |orig-year= | agency = |edition= Государственная служба |year= 2015 |volume= 2|issue= 94 |pages = 18–21 |series= |issn = 2070-8378 |doi = |bibcode = |arxiv = |pmid = |archive-url = |archive-date = |language= |quote= }} leader of two Moldovan rebellions in Bessarabia Governorate against the Russian Empire in 1905 and 1915. It is written in the style of a Moldovan folk song.

The song was intended to glorify the female partisans of the Russian Civil War. The lyrics tell how the singer met a pretty dark-skinned girl gathering grapes and tried to seduce her, but how the girl turns out to be a partisan and convinces him to join the partisans as well.

The song was not performed as part of the suite. In 1940, songs composed for the troops on the front were supposed to be about revenge and victory. By 1942, fashions had changed, and songs with more romantic or lyrical themes were accepted by the military, so Novikov decided to re-release a revised version of the song, which was never performed before the war. Its piano score was lost, and the author only had drafts. When the artistic director of the Red Banner Ensemble A. V. Alexandrov called him and asked him to show songs for his group's new program, Novikov showed "Smuglyanka". Alexandrov liked it, and he immediately began to learn it with the choir and soloists Yuliya Goncharova (Юлия Гончарова, Shvedov's granddaughter) [https://web.archive.org/web/20130317112342/http://www.mk.ru/culture/article/2010/05/04/481936-smuglyanku-ne-puskali-na-front.html "Смуглянку" не пускали на фронт]. Moskovskij Komsomolets № 25343, 5 May 2010. Its first performance came in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, by the Alexandrov Ensemble, with soloist Nikolaiy Ustinov. It was an immediate success, and had to be repeated three times as the audience requested encores. Because the song became famous outside of its original context of the Kotovsky Suite, it was taken as a reference to the then-contemporary Soviet partisans of the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

Smuglyanka was used in the 1973 Soviet film Only "Old Men" Are Going to Battle ({{lang|ru|В бой идут одни "старики"}}), the most popular Soviet film about the Great Patriotic War according to Afisha Daily.[https://daily.afisha.ru/news/36895-v-boy-idut-odni-stariki-priznali-samym-lyubimym-sovetskim-filmom-o-voyne/?ysclid=loclxlugnl129748090 «В бой идут одни старики» признали самым любимым советским фильмом о войне]. In Russian In the film, a young fighter pilot introduces the song to his squadron and so gets nicknamed "the dark girl". The film was first shown on 27 December 1973. Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Pokryshkin was reportedly wiping his eyes as the lights came back on. The film became a blockbuster, seen by 54 million viewers within five months, and Smuglyanka as a consequence became known throughout the Soviet Union, entering the standard repertoire of Russian folk songs. Shvedov had not been told about the use of his song in the film and learned about it from movie-going friends.

One of the most famous Soviet patriotic songs, Smuglyanka has been sung in 21 languages: Russian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7hHlh2IusY|title = 【Red Army Choir: Smuglianka|website = YouTube}} Yakut,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-1MK58cvg|title = Smuglianka (Yakut Version)|website = YouTube}} Ukrainian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZPc8wmsQ1k|title = "Smuglyanka" the famous Soviet song (in Ukrainian) "Смуглянка"|website = YouTube}} Kazakh,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aXCcKwN4M|title = 【Смуглянка на Казахском / Smuglyanka in Kazakh - Kamerad Rossa|website = YouTube}} Hungarian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd6K89IYzvw|title = 02. Sej haj akácfa|website = YouTube}} Estonian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gDif8qPY5M|title = Smuglianka (Estonian Version)|website = YouTube}} Latvian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdslnIHdpu0|title = Tina Notte - Smuglyanka / Смуглянка (Latvian Lyrics)|website = YouTube}} Polish,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnlIdb0UrM8|title = Władysław Michałowski & Krzysztof Bajdor – Smuglianka Mołdawianka («Смуглянка» на польском)|website = YouTube}} Czech,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r63hq3vies|title = Smuglyanka – Смуглянка (Czech Version)|website = YouTube}} Slovak,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIDssKwKJJI|title = Smuglianka Moldavanka in Slovak - "Čiernooká Moldavanka" (CC)|website = YouTube}} Serbo-Croatian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYSmnbh0bKQ|title = Cherkezi United - Smuglyanka (First Version) (Lyrics)|website = YouTube}} Swedish,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms7em6WSedc|title = Smuglianka (Swedish Version)|website = YouTube}} German,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_RywYcMsKc|title = Karl Sternau - Smuglianka Moldowanka / Смуглянка-Молдаванка / Slavin aus Moldavien [German Version]|website = YouTube}} French,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j80iR2GNr4k|title = LA BRUNE (chanson russe en français) - СМУГЛЯНКА (на французском)|website = YouTube}} English,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqnhFgnp5cg|title = Smuglianka (English Version)|website = YouTube}} Hindi,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkhOixR6Lk0|title=1 "स्मगलियानका / ਸਮਗਲਿਆਕਾ" 《Smuglianka in Hindi & Punjabi》|website=YouTube |language=en|accessdate=2023-07-25}}{{cbignore}} Punjabi, Chinese,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ClL_LQ_k4w|title = Smuglianka (Chinese Version)|website = YouTube}} Japanese,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAWnj3qwlSc|title = Deai - Смуглянка (на японском языке)|website = YouTube}} Korean,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV4sAULipvY|title = Smuglianka Korean version With English and Indonesian Subtitle|website = YouTube}} and Hebrew.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWheQDsVmRE|title = נעורי זהב - הגבעטרון - רחוק רחוק - HaGevatron|website = YouTube}}

Lyrics

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Как-то летом, на рассвете,

Заглянул в соседний сад.

Там смуглянка-молдаванка

Собирает виноград.

Я краснею, я бледнею,

Захотелось вдруг сказать:

— Станем над рекою

Зорьки летние встречать!

:Припев × 2:

:Раскудрявый клён зелёный – лист резной.

:Я влюблённый и смущённый пред тобой.

:Клён зелёный, да клён кудрявый,

:Да раскудрявый, резной!

А смуглянка-молдаванка

Отвечала парню в лад:

— Партизанский, молдаванский

Собираем мы отряд.

Нынче рано партизаны

Дом покинули родной.

Ждёт тебя дорога

К партизанам в лес густой.

:Припев × 2:

:Раскудрявый клён зелёный – лист резной.

:Здесь у клёна мы расстанемся с тобой.

:Клён зелёный, да клён кудрявый,

:Да раскудрявый, резной!

И смуглянка-молдаванка

По тропинке в лес ушла.

В том обиду я увидел,

Что с собой не позвала.

О смуглянке-молдаванке

Часто думал по ночам ...

Вдруг свою смуглянку

Я в отряде повстречал!

:Припев × 2:

:Раскудрявый клён зелёный – лист резной.

:Здравствуй, парень, мой хороший, мой родной!

:Клён зелёный, да клён кудрявый,

:Да раскудрявый, резной!

|

Kak-to letom, na rassvete,

Zagljanul v sosednij sad.

Tam smugljanka-moldavanka

Sobirajet vinograd.

Ja krasneju, ja bledneju,

Zahotelos' vdrug skazat':

— Stanem nad rekoju

Zor'ki letnije vstrečat'!

:Pripev × 2:

:Raskudrjavyj kljon zeljonyj – list reznoj.

:Ja vljubljonnyj i smuščjonnyj pred toboj.

:Kljon zeljonyj, da kljon kudrjavyj,

:Da raskudrjavyj, reznoj!

A smugljanka-moldavanka

Otvečala parnju v lad:

— Partizanskij, moldavanskij

Sobirajem my otrjad.

Nynče rano partizany

Dom pokinuli rodnoj.

Ždjot tebja doroga

K partizanam v les gustoj.

:Pripev × 2:

:Raskudrjavyj kljon zeljonyj – list reznoj.

:Zdes' u kljona my rasstanemsja s toboj.

:Kljon zeljonyj, da kljon kudrjavyj,

:Da raskudrjavyj, reznoj!

I smugljanka-moldavanka

Po tropinke v les ušla.

V tom obidu ja uvidel,

Čto s soboj ne pozvala.

O smugljanke-moldavanke

Často dumal po nočam ...

Vdrug svoju smugljanku

Ja v otrjade povstrečal!

:Pripev × 2:

:Raskudrjavyj kljon zeljonyj – list reznoj.

:Zdravstvuj, paren', moj horošij, moj rodnoj!

:Kljon zeljonyj, da kljon kudrjavyj,

:Da raskudrjavyj, reznoj!

|

Once a summer, at dawn,

I glanced at the next garden.

There a swarthy woman, a Moldovan

was picking grapes.

I blushed, I grew pale,

I suddenly wanted to say

"Let's go greet summer dawns

over the river!"

:Chorus × 2:

:The maple all curly and green, its leaves as if carved!

:I'm in love and abashed in front of you.

:The maple is green and curly,

:and curly and carved!

But the swarthy woman, the Moldovan

Said in mood:

"We Moldovan partisans

are forming a squad.

Early the partisans

left their homes.

The road awaits you,

to join them in the dense forest."

:Chorus × 2:

:The maple all curly and green, its leaves as if carved!

:Here, under the maple, we will part.

:The maple is green and curly,

:and all curly and carved!

Then the swarthy, the Moldovan

took the path into the forest.

I was hurt that she left me

without inviting accompany

About the swarthy, the Moldovan

I thought often in the nights ...

Then in the forest, of a sudden,

I found my swarthy one in the ranks!

:Chorus × 2:

:The maple is curly and green, its leaves as if carved!

:Hello, my dear, my darling!

:The maple is green and curly,

:all curly and carved!

Charts

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for "Smuglyanka" {{small|(Alexandrov Ensemble version)}}

! scope="col"| Chart (2025)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Russia Streaming (TopHit){{cite web|url=https://tophit.com/chart/top/internet/hits/ru/weekly/20250509-20250515|title=Top Internet Hits Russia Weekly Chart: May 15, 2025|publisher=TopHit|date=16 May 2025|access-date=5 June 2025}}

| 71

References

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite video |people= |date= 3 September 2011|title= Red Army Choir: Smuglianka.|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7hHlh2IusY|format= |medium= |language= |trans-title= |publisher= |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= 17 May 2012|time= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }}
  • {{cite video |people= |date= 21 August 2014|title=Smuglianka. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeFjn-oiE2g&list=RDP1L-Jfhq2IQ&index=6|format= |medium= |language= |trans-title=보천보전자악 |publisher= |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= 8 May 2017|time= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }}
  • [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9JOGUK5jyw&t=118s Smuglyanka in the Soviet film Only "Old Men" Are Going to Battle] (min. 1:58)

{{refend}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Soviet military songs

Category:Russian folk songs

Category:Russian military songs

Category:1940 songs

Category:Moldovan folk culture

Category:Fakelore