Lermontov's Lullaby

I was a busy child and attended two schools: the usual one five days a week and Russian School or “Russkaya Shkola” on Saturdays. At first, this Russian school was primitive and more like a little red schoolhouse, located in an old house next to the Holy Virgin Protection Church.

Eventually, with the generous donations of parishioners and philanthropists, a new school was built and stands today on the same grounds in Nyack, New York.

I spent thirteen years, all the way through high school, learning the Russian language and difficult Cyrillic alphabet, history, geography, literature and Russian Orthodox religion. The children in the school, which exceeded 100 students in the heyday, also sang Russian melodies and performed plays in the annual Christmas show called the yolka, literally, Christmas tree.

Sometimes, we’d travel to other parishes for competitions. The St. Alexander Nevsky Church and School in Howell, New Jersey was one I’d visit often. Not far from the church was a large hall, called Rodina, which means motherland in Russian. The halls of this building were striking, because they were a museum of sorts, lined with the portraits of famous Russian writers.

The distinguished gentlemen that gave the tours was a descendent of Mikhail Lermontov.

After Pushkin, Lermontov is probably one of Russia’s best known Romantic poets and writers. It is said that he is a descendant of a Scottish officer who came to Russia to serve in the military in the seventeenth century.

Lermontov was born in 1814 and lived a scant twenty six years. His life ended as many lives did during this epoch: in a duel in 1841.

Although he enrolled in Moscow University, his time as a student there lasted only two years. Afterwards, Lermontov entered the military in the Cadet School in St. Petersburg and began writing poetry. The poem Borodino, about the Napoleonic war and invasion, was written during this time.

I came to appreciate Lermontov's work as a young babe, when my Mama sang me his Cossack lullaby.

This is my translation of the first stanza, which has been commonly adapted into a Russian folksong and lullaby.

Sleep, my darling baby,
Bayoushkee--bayou
The silvery moon quietly gazes
Into your crib
I’ll tell you tales
I’ll sing you a song
You slumber, close your eyes,
Bayoushkee--bayou


Spee, mladenetz moi prekrasny
Bayoushkee bayou
Tikho smotrit myesyatz yasny
V kolibel tvoyu.
Stanu skazyvat ya skaski
Pesencoo spayou
Tyzh dremli, zakrivshki glaski
Bayoushkee bayou

Lermontov was first recognized after he penned, “Death of the Poet,” written about Pushkin’s death. His other well known works include the Hero of Our Time, Borodino, Rusalki, The Prisoner of the Caucasus and The Demon.

The Demon is on my reading list. It’s a tale of an angel that falls in love with a woman and is reminiscent of the movie, “City of Angels.” I’ll be sure to provide you with a review.