Talk:Still White Danube Undulates
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This English translation is my own. It is not perfect, but I am neither a poet, nor a native speaker. It was made especially for this page, so there are no copyright issues. I believe that now the English version is rhythmically and stylistically much closer to the original. There might be some "official" translation somewhere, as the pre-1989 regime tried to showcase Bulgarian culture by commissioning and publishing translations of "important" works of literature in various languages, it would be copyright protected however.
ANRH (talk) 08:41, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
I want to ask, does the complete version have 22 verses? I read it in bulgarian wiki and I'll be glad if someone could put translation and transliteration as I'm neither a Bulgarian nor am using Cyrillic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Adri K. (talk • contribs) 05:10, 5 July 2009 (UTC)
Kiril Kovachev
[edit]To answer your question, first of all, yes, the complete poem has twenty-two verses. The song, to what I could find online, only features 5 or 6 of the verses total. There is no sound file attached to this article of the song, but I will attach one and make any necessary changes. Here is the translation I made of the whole poem:
Quiet, white Danube is excited splashes merrily and Radetzky proudly sails upon golden waves
But when there glimmers the Kozloduy shore, on the steamboat, a horn sounds a banner is unfurled
Young Bulgarian champions I attend/appear there on their foreheads lion emblems, fire in their eyes
Bravely Botev stood there their young leader, thus spoke he to the captain a bare knife in his hand
"I am a Bulgarian voivod these are my men we fly for freedom let us spill blood today
We fly for Bulgaria, help to give and from heavy tyranny to relieve her| # where the song typically ends
Тhe steamboat left us you by gentle ways so the battalion to pass to the native shore
The captain, the same German, refused, then Botev hotly frowned and yelled with a booming voice:
"This I want, I do not plead: you are all in my plan here is seen my will I am the captain!
Hear, there die today the people at war with an awful foe! quickly drive the steamboat on Bulgarian shore"
And his voice becomes scary with these utterings German, pale and frightened hung his head [down]
Quickly the steamboat sails to the desired ends even more, the Danube undulates merrily plays
Lots of time had passed since he last wore {uncertain} burden, for mild him.
And the battalion sings song due to war and the banner is unfurled proudly, with its lion.
The steamboat anchored by the mild coast Botev his hat takes off for he speaks again:
"Come on, brothers, come out, here we will stop and kiss the earth where we shall die!"
And by joy, relieved, and before the lion banner, all fall on their knees upon the holy shore.
"Brothers!" shouts their Voivod with thunderous voice "Soon the people shall meet us joyfully!"
Soon with thunder we will greet Stara Planina a bloody fight, we will lead with Turkish unions!
We in fighting, are not items we are few in count, but our hearts are warm we are thirsty for fight!
Soon, the turk will witness our ugly might justice is our defense the lion is our leader!
And unanimously, voices resound: "Long live Bulgaria! Death to the evil tyranny!"
On another note Please let us re-evaluate 'placid'. It makes sense but I think 'quiet' is a more accurate translation of 'Тих'. Kiril kovachev (talk) 17:56, 24 October 2017 (UTC)