Roads (Red Army Choir song)

Roads or The Roads (Russian: Дороги) is a Soviet WWII song by Anatoly Novikov to lyrics by the poet Lev Ivanovich Oshanin. The song is one of the best-known works of the composer, having been popularised by both ensembles carrying the name of the Red Army Choir, namely the Alexandrov Ensemble and MVD Ensemble. Novikov and Oshanin were members of a military troupe at the front and the song was composed under artillery fire at Zhizdra.[1] Among those who have recorded the song are Muslim Magomayev, Ivan Rebroff (1986), Dmitri Hvorostovsky on the war songs album Where Are You My Brothers, and the Choir of Sretensky Monastery. The song begins "Ah roads.." («Эх, дороги…») and is not to be confused with another Red Army Choir favourite "На дороге" ("On the road") or "Гей, по дороге!" ("Hey, on the road!").

Lyrics

Russian	Latin transcription	Literal English translation
Chorus
Эх, дороги... Пыль да туман, Холода, тревоги Да степной бурьян.	Eh, dorogi... Pyl da tuman, Kholoda, trevogi Da stepnoj burian.	Oh, the roads... Dust and mist Cold, Alarm And, steppe grass.
First Verse
Знать не можешь Доли своей, Может, крылья сложишь Посреди степей.	Znat ne mozhesh Doli svoej, Mozhet, krylia slozhish Posredi stepej.	You cannot know Your own share, Perhaps you will fold your wings In the middle of the steppes.
First Bridge
Вьется пыль под сапогами степями, полями. А кругом бушует пламя Да пули свистят.	Vetsia pyl pod sapogami stepiami, poliami. A krugom bushuet plamia Da puli svistiat.	Dust swirls under boots And steppes, And fields. While all around flames roar And bullets whistle.
Chorus
Эх, дороги... Пыль да туман, Холода, тревоги Да степной бурьян.	Eh, dorogi... Pyl da tuman, Kholoda, trevogi Da stepnoj burian.	Oh, the roads... Dust and mist Cold, Alarm And steppe grass.
Second Verse
Выстрел грянет, Ворон кружит: Твой дружок в бурьяне Неживой лежит...	Vystrel grianet, Voron kruzhit: Tvoj druzhok v buriane Nezhivoj lezhit...	A shot will burst, The Raven circles: Your friend in the weeds Lifeless lies...
Second Bridge
А дорога дальше мчится, пылится, клубится, А кругом земля дымится Чужая земля.	A doroga dalshe mchitsia, pylitsia, klubitsia, A krugom zemlia dymitsia Chuzhaia zemlia.	The road rushes further It is dusty, And curls And all around the earth smokes A Foreign Land.
Chorus
Эх, дороги... Пыль да туман, Холода, тревоги Да степной бурьян.	Eh, dorogi... Pyl da tuman, Kholoda, trevogi Da stepnoj burian.	Oh, the roads... Dust and mist Cold, Alarm And steppe grass.
Third Verse
Край сосновый. Солнце встает. У крыльца родного Мать сыночка ждет.	Kraj sosnovyj. Solntse vstaet. U kryltsa rodnogo Mat synochka zhdet.	A pinewood land. The sun rises. On a native porch A mother is waiting for her son.
Third Bridge
И бескрайними путями, степями, полями Всё глядят вослед за нами Родные глаза.	I beskrajnimi putiami, stepiami, poliami Vsio gliadiat vosled za nami Rodnye glaza.	And along the endless ways steppes, fields Everybody looks after us The native eyes.
Chorus
Эх, дороги... Пыль да туман, Холода, тревоги Да степной бурьян.	Eh, dorogi... Pyl da tuman, Kholoda, trevogi Da stepnoj burian.	Oh, the roads... Dust and mist Cold, Alarm And steppe grass.
Fourth Verse
Снег ли, ветер, - Вспомним, друзья! Нам дороги эти Позабыть нельзя.	Sneg li, veter, - Vspomnim, druzia! Nam dorogi ehti Pozabyt nelzia.	It doesn't matter if there is snow or wind, - Let us remember, my friends! We cannot forget These roads.

References

Elena Polyudova Soviet War Songs in the Context of Russian Culture 2016 p.149 "L. Oshanin recollected: The song 'Roads' was born when we were lying down on the battlefield under Zhizdra, overtaken by the bombing attack; and a flaxen-haired lieutenant who had fallen next to us, never got up. ... A soloist of the Ensemble Ivan Shmelev was the first singer to perform “Roads." It was then picked up by other soloists and ensembles. Then the song became popular and well-known even for school children. ."

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[1] Elena Polyudova Soviet War Songs in the Context of Russian Culture 2016 p.149 "L. Oshanin recollected: The song 'Roads' was born when we were lying down on the battlefield under Zhizdra, overtaken by the bombing attack; and a flaxen-haired lieutenant who had fallen next to us, never got up. ... A soloist of the Ensemble Ivan Shmelev was the first singer to perform “Roads." It was then picked up by other soloists and ensembles. Then the song became popular and well-known even for school children. ."