Ancient Russian Song by George Borrow
Ancient Russian Song is a collection of traditional songs and ballads from Russia compiled by George Borrow in the early 19th century. The book includes translations of over 200 songs, many of which were collected during Borrow's travels through Russia. The songs cover a wide range of topics including love, war, religion, and everyday life.
By George Borrow · First published 1835 · Genre: Poetry, Folklore, Historical · 886 words
First lines
i. The windel-straw nor grass so shook and trembled; / As the good and gallant stripling shook and trembled; / A linen shirt so fine his frame invested, / O'er the shirt was drawn a bright pelisse of scarlet / The sleeves of that pelisse depended backward, / The lappets of its front were button'd backward, / And were spotted with the blood of unbelievers; / See the good and gallant stripling reeling goeth, / From his eyeballs hot and briny tears distilling; / On his bended bow his figure he supporteth, / Till his bended bow has lost its goodly gilding; / Not a single soul the stripling good encounter'd, / Till encounter'd he the mother dear who bore him: / O my boy, O my treasure, and my darling! / By what mean hast thou render'd thee so drunken, / To the clay that thou bowest down thy figure, / And the grass and the windel-straws art grasping? / To his Mother thus the gallant youth made answer: / 'Twas not I, O mother dear, who made me drunken, / But the Sultan of the Turks has made me drunken / With three potent, various potations; / The first of them his keenly cutting sabre; / The next of them his never failing jav'lin; / The third of them his pistol's leaden bullet.
What this Textopian page supports
Ancient Russian Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by George Borrow, dated 1835 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: George Borrow
- Date: 1835 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Folklore, Historical, Epic, Tragedy
- Length: 886 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Ancient Russian Song by George Borrow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse form with a rhythmic and lyrical quality, characteristic of poetry.
- Folklore — The narrative style and themes reflect traditional stories and cultural elements typical of folklore.
- Historical — References to historical figures and events, such as the Tsar and the Sultan, suggest a historical context.
- Epic — The grand themes of heroism and conflict align with the epic genre.
Tags
Russian culture · folklore · traditional music · poetry · history · literature · ethnography · song lyrics · oral tradition · cultural heritage · Slavic studies · national identity