Эдуард Анатольевич Хиль (Eduard Anatolyevich Khil; born 4 September 1934 in… Read Full Bio ↴Эдуард Анатольевич Хиль (Eduard Anatolyevich Khil; born 4 September 1934 in Smolensk, U.S.S.R. - died 4 June 2012) was a Russian baritone singer. Khil was the original performer of many songs popular in the Soviet Union during the 1960s, such as "Лесорубы" ("Woodcutters") and "Песня о друге" ("Song About a Friend"). He also performed hits such as "Берёзовый сок" ("Birch Tree Juice"), "Солнечная баллада" ("Sun Ballad"), and "Как хорошо быть генералом" ("So Good to Be a General").

Khil's musical career began in 1955 when he attended the Leningrad Conservatory; five years later, he graduated. During his studies, he began performing various lead operatic roles, including Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro. Post-graduating, he became enamored with pop music after witnessing a performance by K.I. Schulzenko.

Several awards and decorations were bestowed upon Khil: in 1968, he was granted the title of Meritorious Artist of the Russian Federation, and in 1974 he was the People's Artist of the Russian Federation. In 2009, he was given the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class. Furthermore, he participated in and won the Russian and International Variety Performers Contests.

More recently, Khil became the subject of an internet meme, owing to a performance of the song "Я очень рад, ведь я, наконец, возвращаюсь домой" ("I Am Very Glad, Because I'm Finally Returning Back Home" uploaded onto YouTube in 2009. The video performance dated back to 1966, and Khil's catchy and quirky performance quickly caught the eye of the internet at large, to which the song became known as "Trololo" due to the particular vocalization utilized in the song; by extent, Khil himself became known as "Mr. Trololo." When made aware of his new-found success, Khil responded with an invitation to write lyrics for the previously exclusively-vocalized song.

А цыган идет
Эдуард Хиль Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Мохнатый шмель – на душистый хмель
Цапля серая – в камыши
А цыганская дочь – за любимым в ночь
По родству бродяжьей души

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой
На закат, где дрожат паруса
И глаза глядят с бесприютной тоской

В багровеющие облака

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой
На закат, где дрожат паруса
И глаза глядят с бесприютной тоской
В багровеющие облака

И вдвоем по тропе, навстречу судьбе
Не гадая, в ад или в рай
Так и надо идти, не страшась пути
Хоть на край земли, хоть за край!

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой
На свиданье с зарей, на восток
Где тиха и нежна, розовеет волна
На рассветный вползая песок

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой
До ревущих южных широт
Где свирепая буря, как Божья метла
Океанскую пыль метет

Так вперед!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Эдуард Хиль's song А цыган идет describe a gypsy girl who, following her lover, wanders through unknown places with an adventurous spirit. The first stanza describes how different creatures mingle together, such as the furry bumblebee and the fragrant hops, or the grey heron and the reeds swaying in the wind. Among them, the gypsy girl is likewise wandering through the night, following her beloved, and her vagabond nature is emphasized by her connection with the "roaming soul."

In the second stanza, the song takes on an even more vivid and adventurous tone, calling for the gypsy girl and her lover to follow the nomadic star toward the sunset, where the sails shudder and the eyes gaze with a helpless yearning into the crimson clouds. They walk along the path towards destiny, not knowing whether it leads to heaven or to hell, unafraid of the unfamiliar, whether they end up at the edge of the world or on it.

The third and final stanza paints a picture of them, holding hands, walking towards dawn, over the waves' pinkish hue and fine, dawn sand, to the East. They continue to follow the guiding star, willing to go to the land's roaring southern latitudes, where the wrathful wind sweeps the ocean's dust, as they continue on their adventure.

Line by Line Meaning

Мохнатый шмель – на душистый хмель
Comparing a fuzzy bumblebee to fragrant hops

Цапля серая – в камыши
A grey heron hiding in the reeds

А цыганская дочь – за любимым в ночь По родству бродяжьей души
A gypsy daughter following her lover at night with the wandering spirit of her kin

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой На закат, где дрожат паруса И глаза глядят с бесприютной тоской В багровеющие облака
Moving ahead towards the nomadic gypsy star at sunset on the rolling sea, with eyes fixed on crimson clouds, filled with a boundless yearning

И вдвоем по тропе, навстречу судьбе Не гадая, в ад или в рай Так и надо идти, не страшась пути Хоть на край земли, хоть за край!
Walking together along the path towards destiny, without knowing if it leads to heaven or hell, but still moving forward without fear, even if it takes us to the ends of the earth

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой На свиданье с зарей, на восток Где тиха и нежна, розовеет волна На рассветный вползая песок
Forth towards the nomadic gypsy star, to meet the dawn in the east, where the waves turn soft and pink, lapping gently against the sunrise sand

Так вперед – за цыганской звездой кочевой До ревущих южных широт Где свирепая буря, как Божья метла Океанскую пыль метет
Forth towards the nomadic gypsy star, to the roaring southern latitudes, where a raging storm sweeps the ocean floors like a divine broom

Так вперед!
Onward!

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrej Petrov, Grigorij Kruzhkov, Red'yard Kipling

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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