Good Night
First recorded for the 1988 album Группа крови (Blood Type), this KINO song was re-recorded for the Последний герой (Last Hero) collection, and it is that later and in my opinion better version that is given below. The song reads like a Soviet-era Plato’s Cave — a nocturnal landscape filled with people intent on sleeping, and a chosen few who insist on leaving this world of shadows behind. This distinction between those who value comfort and security, and those who “set out” on a solitary path, who fight for some ideal, is a common one in Viktor Tsoi’s lyrics — as is the theme of those who have long been silent suddenly, at long last, ceasing to be silent. The opening verse is typically bleak — the city, scattering “gunfire of light” into the sky, is overwhelmed by the power of darkness. But, as he sometimes does, Tsoi allows us a glimpse of some higher order — a “heavenly shepherd” grazing the clouds like sheep (the moon, perhaps).
One is tempted to hear a note of sarcasm or disdain in the chorus, as Tsoi wishes the sleepers a good night (literally, a “calm” or “peaceful” night), and peaceful dreams. But one could also hear genuine pity, if not a kind of envy — after all, their ignorance does seem blissful. But Tsoi chooses another path, like that of those very few (Plato’s philosophers) who escape the cave into daylight.
This song has a nice example of a “stressed не-” construction, which students often struggle with. This is added to question words to get new words like “некогда,” which means “there is no time,” and is used subjectlessly — that is, with the dative (compare with the more common negative form “никогда,” which simply means “never”). So, “мне некогда” would mean “I have no time,” or more literally “no when” — and we could add an infinitive, as in “мне некогда читать” (I have no time to read). In the song, we have the form нечего — “there is nothing” — in this case, “nothing to wait for.” “Те, кому нечего ждать, отправляются в путь” — literally, “those for whom there is nothing to wait (for), are departing.” Note also here the “тот, кто” (he who, one who) construction, seen here in the plural “те, кто” (those who).
Good Night
The roofs of the buildings tremble beneath the weight of days,
The heavenly shepherd leads the clouds to pasture,
The city scatters bullets of light into the night,
But the night is stronger; great is its power.
To those who are going to sleep —
Sweet dreams. Good night.
I waited for this time, and now this time has come.
Those who were silent have ceased to be silent.
Those who have nothing to wait for are mounting their saddle.
There’s no catching them, no catching them anymore.
To those who are going to sleep —
Sweet dreams. Good night.
The neighbors come, they’re hearing the rumble of hooves,
It’s keeping them from sleeping, troubling their dreams.
Those who have nothing to wait for are departing.
Those who are saved, those who are saved.
To those who are going to sleep —
Sweet dreams. Good night.
Спокойная ночь
Крыши домов дрожат под тяжестью дней,
Небесный пастух пасёт облака,
Город стреляет в ночь дробью огней,
Но ночь сильней, её власть велика.
Тем, кто ложится спать —
Спокойного сна. Спокойная ночь.
Я ждал это время, и вот это время пришло,
Те, кто молчал, перестали молчать.
Те, кому нечего ждать, садятся в седло,
Их не догнать, уже не догнать.
Тем, кто ложится спать —
Спокойного сна. Спокойная ночь.
Соседи приходят, им слышится стук копыт,
Мешает уснуть, тревожит их сон.
Те, кому нечего ждать, отправляются в путь
Те, кто спасён, те, кто спасён.
Тем, кто ложится спать —
Спокойного сна. Спокойная ночь.
крыша: roof • дом (pl. дома) house; building • дрожать ЖАend: to tremble, shake • тяжесть, и: weight • день, дня: day • небесный: adj. from небо: sky, heaven • пастух: shepherd • пасти Сend: to graze (sheep, etc.) • облако: cloud • стрелять АЙ / выстрелить И: to shoot, fire (в что: at something) • ночь, и: night • дробь, и: here: small shot, small-caliber ammunition, etc. • огонь, огня: fire; light • сильней: comparative of сильный: strong, powerful • власть, и: power • великий: great • ложиться Иend / лечь Гstem: to assume a lying position • спать (сплю, спишь): to sleep • спокойный: calm, peaceful • ждать n/sA: to wait, expect • время, времени: time • вот: behold, look, here • приходить И / прийти: to come, arrive (on foot) • молчать ЖАend: to be silent • переставать АВАЙ / перестать Нstem: to stop, to cease • нечего + inf. “there is nothing” (for someone to do, etc.) • садиться Иend / сесть Дstem: to assume a sitting position • седло: saddle • догонять АЙ / догнать (догоню, догонишь): to catch up with someone • сосед (pl. соседи): neighbor • слышать ЖА / услышать ЖА: to hear • стук: pounding, stomping, clattering • копыто: hoof • мешать АЙ / помешать АЙ кому: to hinder, impede, bother • уснуть НУ: to fall asleep (perf.) • тревожить И / встревожить И: to trouble • отправляться АЙ / отправиться И куда: to depart • путь, и (m.): path • спасён: short-form PPP from спасать АЙ / спасти Сend: to save
