Alabiev: The Nightingale (Соловей) - Rita Streich, 1954 - Decca DL 9873

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Rita Streich (18 December 1920 – 20 March 1987) was one of the most admired and recorded lyric coloratura sopranos of the post-war period. She was born in Barnaul, southern Siberia, to a German father who had been a prisoner of war there, and a Russian mother.

Solovey (Соловей, The Nightingale) is a Russian-language art song by Russian composer Alexander Alyabyev (1787-1851) based on the poem Russkaya pesnya by Anton Delvig. It was composed while Alyabyev was in prison, in 1826. The song is a showpiece for coloratura sopranos and is the only work of Alyabyev to become part of the standard performance repertory.

My nightingale, nightingale,
Vociferous nightingale!
Where are you, where are you flying
Where will you sing all night?
My nightingale, nightingale,
Vociferous nightingale!

Someone poor like me
The night will listen to you
Without closing your eyes
Drowning in tears?
My nightingale, nightingale,
Vociferous nightingale!

Visit all countries
In villages and cities:
Can't find you anywhere
Hotter than me.
My nightingale, nightingale,
Vociferous nightingale!

Соловей мой, соловей,
Голосистый соловей!
Ты куда, куда летишь,
Где всю ночку пропоешь?
Соловей мой, соловей,
Голосистый соловей!

Кто-то, бедная, как я,
Ночь прослушает тебя,
Не смыкаючи очей,
Утопаючи в слезах?
Соловей мой, соловей,
Голосистый соловей!

Побывай во всех странах,
В деревнях и городах:
Не найти тебе нигде
Горемычнее меня.
Соловей мой, соловей,
Голосистый соловей!