Song from the Old Russian

What to the maiden has happened?
What to the gem of the village?
Ah! to the gem of the village.

Seated alone in her cottage.
Tremblingly turned to the window;
Ah! ever turned to the window.

Like the sweet bird in its prison,
Pining and panting for freedom;
Ah! how ’tis pining for freedom!

Crowds of her youthful companions
Come to console the lov’d maiden;
Ah! to console the lov’d maiden.

“Smile then, our sister! be joyful,
Clouds of dust cover the valley;
Oh! see, they cover the valley.

“Smile then, our sister! be joyful,
List to the hoof-beat of horses;
O! to the hoof-beat of horses.”

Then the maid looked through the window,
Saw the dust-clouds in the valley;
O! the dust-clouds in the valley:

Heard the hoof-beat of the horses,
Hurried away from the cottage;
O! to the valley she hurries.

“Welcome! welcome! thou lov’d one:”
See, she has sunk on his bosom;
O! she has sunk on his bosom.

Now all her grief is departed:
She has forsaken the window:
O! quite forsaken the window.

Now her eye looks on her lov’d one,
Beaming with brightness and beauty;
O! ’tis all brightness and beauty.