Song from "The Irony of Fate" - "I Have Asked the Ash Tree"

The following song comes from The Irony of Fate, or "Enjoy Your Bath!" - the quintessential Russian Christmas movie. Well, New Year movie. Winter Holiday movie, if you prefer. 

Other sites, will give better summaries and overviews. For us, it will suffice to know that the film's songs remain one of its distinguishing characteristics - words of top-notch Russian poets set to the music of Mikael Tariverdiyev (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikael_Tariverdiev): definitely worth your while. 

The singer performing the one below is the same Sergei Nikitin who performs my favorite version of he poem "Every Man Chooses for Himself" by Yury Levitansky  (see previous post). Here it is to music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0YtojZT2Xs

Of course, as a result of this film, few can immediately name the poet. Vladimir Kirshon was a Soviet playwright, but I personally know none of his other works. 

Thanks to the following site for the Russian words: 
http://romance.ru/cgi-bin/index.cgi?page=140&item=54

And so:  

I Have Asked the Ash Tree...
by Vladimir Kirshon
translated from Russian

I had asked the ash tree - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
The ash tree didn't answer me,
But merely shook its head.

I had asked the poplar tree - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
It gave no answer, pelting me
With autumn leaves instead.

So I asked the autumn - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
But rain and thunder were the only
Answer I could hear;

 And the rain I also asked - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
Long outside my window then
The rain had shed its tears.

I had asked the crescent moon - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
The crescent hid behind a cloud
Rather than reply. 

And so I asked it of the could - 
"Where has my beloved gone?"
The cloud melted in the blue
Of the open sky.

My one, my true, my only friend - 
Where has my beloved gone?
To where could she have disappeared
So wholly from my life?

My friend responded faithfully; 
My friend responded truthfully -   
"The one you called beloved once
Has since become my wife." 


Я спросил у ясеня
Владимир Киршон

Я спросил у ясеня,
Где моя любимая.
Ясень не ответил мне,
Качая головой.

Я спросил у тополя,
Где моя любимая.
Тополь забросал меня
Осеннею листвой.

Я спросил у осени,
Где моя любимая.
Осень мне ответила
Проливным дождем.

У дождя я спрашивал,
Где моя любимая.
Долго дождик слезы лил
За моим окном.

Я спросил у месяца,
Где моя любимая.
Месяц скрылся в облаке.
Не ответил мне.

Я спросил у облака,
Где моя любимая.
Облако растаяло
В небесной синеве.

Друг ты мой единственный,
Где моя любимая?
Ты скажи, где скрылася?
Знаешь, где ока?

Друг ответил преданный,
Друг ответил искренний:
— Была тебе любимая,
А стала мне жена.