Колыма-мама
Александр Маршал Lyrics
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Серебристая даль тает будто во сне,
Черный снег, непогода и голод,
Всюду липкая грязь по весне.
Мошкара съест короткое лето,
А потом заливают дожди,
Колыма, солнце спряталось где-то,
Колыма-ма, мама.
Колыма-ма, мама.
А перед сном да у стены помолиться,
Прикрываясь нательным крестом.
Черный снег, облака будто птицы,
И заря полыхнула костром, полыхнула костром.
Колыма-ма, мама.
Колыма-ма, мама. Колыма, Колыма.
Александр Маршал's song "Колыма-мама" is a heartfelt tribute to the people who were exiled and imprisoned in Kolyma, one of the most notorious labor camps in the Soviet Gulag system. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of the region's harsh climate, with "eternal cold" and "black snow" that melts "as if in a dream," creating a landscape of mud and misery. The singer describes the mosquitoes that devour the short summer before the rains come, and how the sun hides itself in Kolyma, refusing to show kindness to those who have suffered so much.
Despite the hardships, the exiles find comfort in their faith, as they pray by the wall, clinging to their crosses for hope and protection. The dawn breaks with a sudden burst of flame, as if a fire has been lit in the darkness, but even that momentary light cannot dispel the enduring darkness of Kolyma. The song is a powerful reminder of the human cost of Stalin's oppressive regime, and a tribute to the resilience of those who survived.
Line by Line Meaning
Черный снег, по ночам вечный холод,
In Kolyma, the snow is so black that it turns the nights cold; the silver distance melts like a dream.
Серебристая даль тает будто во сне,
In Kolyma, the silver distance melts like a dream due to the black snow and eternal cold.
Черный снег, непогода и голод,
Kolyma is characterized by black snow, bad weather, and hunger everywhere.
Всюду липкая грязь по весне.
In the spring, the ground everywhere in Kolyma is sticky mud.
Мошкара съест короткое лето,
The mosquito swarm eats away the short summer in Kolyma.
А потом заливают дожди,
After the summer, Kolyma is inundated by rainfalls.
Колыма, солнце спряталось где-то,
In Kolyma, the sun is hidden somewhere unseen.
Колыма, снисхождения не жди.
In Kolyma, one should not expect patronage or leniency.
Колыма-ма, мама.
Kolyma is like a cruel mother to her children.
Колыма-ма, мама.
Kolyma is like a cruel mother to her children.
А перед сном да у стены помолиться,
Before sleeping, people in Kolyma pray by the wall, hiding behind their pectoral crosses.
Прикрываясь нательным крестом.
They cover themselves with the pectoral cross while praying.
Черный снег, облака будто птицы,
The black snow in Kolyma makes the clouds look like birds.
И заря полыхнула костром, полыхнула костром.
The sunrise shines like a burning fire in Kolyma.
Колыма-ма, мама.
Kolyma is like a cruel mother to her children.
Колыма-ма, мама.
Kolyma is like a cruel mother to her children.
Колыма, Колыма.
Kolyma, Kolyma.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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