Hi, Michael!  Many thanks for your prompt reply to Ardith Hinton:

MD>  Here for example you can find several songs with their
MD>  translation but I am not sure one can sing the translation.


          It's quite a challenge at times to work from a translation without
sacrificing the original intent of the words or the music, but I think I can
do well enough to satisfy our daughter in the privacy of our home... [grin].



MD>  They suppose the reader sings the original Russian text
MD>  written using Latin characters.


          In this case, they've hit exactly the right level for what I need.
I listened to some songs while Nora was playing a game & made printed copies
of the ones to which she responded "That's pretty!"  The next day I listened
to the latter again, with my printed copies in hand, while I figured out how
to make the English words fit the tune.  Being able to use the same web site
to do both is wonderful... and I appreciate Kai Kracht's notes as well.  :-)



MD>  http://www.kaikracht.de/balalaika/english/songs/
MD>  And not all songs there are really Russian. For instance,
MD>  "Evening bells" was translated from English, "Suliko" is
MD>  a Georgian song and "Tum Balalaika" is in Jiddish, not in
MD>  Russian.


          Thanks for the warning.  I recognized the tune for "Tum Balalaika"
as soon as I heard it... but this site identifies it as a Russian song which
has been translated into Yiddish.  Either way I will be singing the words in
English.  What Nora wants to know is how people in Russia feel, and how they
express their feelings in music.  I can relate to that.  When you & I have a
bit of time to spare, however, I'd also like to find out more about what the
letter "j" signifies to my modem buddies on the other side of the pond.  :-)



MD>  I do not think the quality of translation is good, sorry.


          No apology needed.  I'll know not to take these songs too seriously
in my own attempts to decipher the Russian language... that is worth knowing.
And I've had the same experience with French, which I understand better.  The
commonly accepted translations don't always agree with my perception....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)