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.
Зима
Эдуард Хиль Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Жила зима в избушке.
Она снежки солила
В березовой кадушке.
Она сучила пряжу,
Она ткала холсты,
Ковала ледяные
Да над реками мосты.
Потолок ледяной,
Дверь скрипучая,
За шершавой стеной
Тьма колючая.
Как пойдешь за порог
Всюду иней,
А из окон парок
Синий-синий.
Потолок ледяной,
Дверь скрипучая,
За шершавой стеной
Тьма колючая.
Как пойдешь за порог
Всюду иней,
А из окон парок
Синий-синий.
Ходила на охоту,
Гранила серебро,
Сажала тонкий месяц
В хрустальное ведро.
Деревьям шубы шила,
Торила санный путь,
А после в лес спешила,
Чтоб в избушке отдохнуть
Потолок ледяной,
Дверь скрипучая,
За шершавой стеной
Тьма колючая.
Как пойдешь за порог
Всюду иней,
А из окон парок
Синий-синий.
Потолок ледяной,
Дверь скрипучая,
За шершавой стеной
Тьма колючая.
Как пойдешь за порог
Всюду иней,
А из окон парок
Синий-синий.
Потолок ледяной,
Дверь скрипучая,
За шершавой стеной
Тьма колючая.
Как пойдешь за порог
Всюду иней,
А из окон парок
Синий-синий.
The lyrics to Эдуард Хиль's song "Зима" paint a portrait of winter, personified as a solitary figure living in a small cottage on the edge of the forest. The winter is portrayed as busy and hardworking, salting snowflakes in birch bark containers, spinning yarn and weaving canvases, and forging icy bridges over rivers. The cottage is described as cold and dark, with a frozen ceiling and creaky door, but with blue steam rising from the windows. Despite the harshness of winter, she is depicted as going hunting and sewing fur coats for the trees, carving paths through the snowy forest and resting in her cottage.
The imagery used in the lyrics is vivid and melancholic, reflecting the bleakness and beauty of the winter landscape. The repetition of the lines "Потолок ледяной, Дверь скрипучая, За шершавой стеной, Тьма колючая" further emphasizes the isolating and inhospitable nature of the winter.
Overall, the song "Зима" captures the essence of the Russian winter and its effect on the human soul, conveying both the harshness and the magic of this time of year.
Line by Line Meaning
У леса на опушке
On the edge of the forest
Жила зима в избушке.
Winter lived in a small house.
Она снежки солила
She salted the snowballs
В березовой кадушке.
In a birch bucket.
Она сучила пряжу,
She combed the wool
Она ткала холсты,
She weaved canvas
Ковала ледяные
She made icy
Да над реками мосты.
And bridges over the rivers.
Потолок ледяной,
The ceiling made of ice,
Дверь скрипучая,
The creaky door,
За шершавой стеной
Behind the rough wall
Тьма колючая.
Thorn-bearing darkness.
Как пойдешь за порог
As you cross the threshold
Всюду иней,
Hoarfrost everywhere,
А из окон парок
And steam from the windows
Синий-синий.
Blue-blue.
Ходила на охоту,
She went hunting,
Гранила серебро,
She was polishing silver,
Сажала тонкий месяц
She planted the thin moon
В хрустальное ведро.
In a crystal bucket.
Деревьям шубы шила,
She sewed furs for the trees,
Торила санный путь,
She cleared the path for the sleds,
А после в лес спешила,
And then hurried back to the forest,
Чтоб в избушке отдохнуть
To rest in her little house.
Contributed by Anthony S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.