In the late '60s and early '70s, Baez came into her songwriting own, penning many songs (most notably "Diamonds & Rust," a nostalgic piece about her ill-fated romance with Bob Dylan, and "Sweet Sir Galahad," a song about sister Mimi Fariña's ( of Richard & Mimi Fariña fame) second marriage, and continued to meld her songcraft with topical issues. She was outspoken in her disapproval of the Vietnam war and later the CIA-backed coups in many Latin American countries.
She was also instrumental in the Civil Rights movement, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King on many occassions and being jailed for her beliefs. In 1963, her performance of "We Shall Overcome" at the Lincoln Memorial just prior to Dr. King's famous "I Have A Dream..." speech helped confirm the song as the Civil Rights anthem.
In December 1972, she traveled to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and was caught in that country's "Christmas Campaign," in which the U.S. bombed the city more times than any other during the entire war. While pregnant with her only son, Gabriel, she performed a handful of songs in the middle of the night on day one of the 1969 Woodstock festival. She is considered the "Queen of Folk" for being at the forefront of the 1960s folk revival and inspiring generations of female folksingers that followed. On July 28, 2019, following dates across Europe, Baez performed her final concert at Madrid's Teatro Real. In January 2021, Baez received a 2020 Kennedy Center Honor.
Soyuz Druzyei
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
достоин будет худшей кары.
И я за жизнь его тогда
не дам и самой ломаной гитары.
Как вожделенно жаждет век
нащупать брешь у нас в цепочке...
Возьмемся за руки, друзья,
друзья, возьмемся за руки,
Среди совсем чужих пиров
и слишком ненадежных истин,
не дожидаясь похвалы,
мы перья белые свои почистим.
Пока безумный наш султан
сулит дорогу нам к острогу,
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
возьмемся за руки, ей-богу.
Когда ж придет дележки час,
не нас калач ржаной поманит,
и рай настанет не для нас,
зато Офелия всех нас помянет.
Пока не грянула пора
нам отправляться понемногу,
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
возьмемся за руки, ей-богу.
The lyrics of Joan Baez's song "Soyuz Druzyei" (which translates to "Friendship Union") talk about the importance of unity among friends and the consequences of betraying that unity. The opening lines warn that anyone who raises a sword against their union will face punishment, and that the singer would even sacrifice her beloved guitar to protect their friendship. The second verse speaks of the desire to break free from the chains that bind them, holding hands together to avoid getting lost in a world of unreliable truths and unfamiliar faces. In the final verse, the singer acknowledges that their time together is limited and that they will eventually be separated by fate. Still, she urges her friends to hold on to each other and cherish their moments together while they can.
The song seems to celebrate the idea of camaraderie amongst friends, particularly in the face of external threats. The use of swords and chains as imagery underscores a sense of danger and oppression that hangs over the group, and the song implies that only by standing together can they hope to overcome it. The reference to Ophelia at the end adds a layer of melancholy, suggesting that the passing of time will inevitably lead to loss and separation. Nevertheless, the call to join hands and stand together remains a powerful one, promoting the universal value of friendship and solidarity.
Line by Line Meaning
Поднявший меч на наш союз
If anyone threatens our union, they will face the worst punishment.
достоин будет худшей кары.
This punishment will be fitting for their crime.
И я за жизнь его тогда
I am willing to defend our union with my life.
не дам и самой ломаной гитары.
I will not give up even my most prized possessions.
Как вожделенно жаждет век
The world eagerly seeks to find weakness in our chain.
нащупать брешь у нас в цепочке...
They want to exploit any vulnerabilities in our unity.
Возьмемся за руки, друзья,
Let's hold hands, my friends,
друзья, возьмемся за руки,
and not let anyone slip through the cracks.
чтоб не пропасть поодиночке.
Let's stay together and not fall apart.
Среди совсем чужих пиров
In a sea of strangers and false truths,
и слишком ненадежных истин,
we will keep our white feathers clean without waiting for praise.
не дожидаясь похвалы,
We cannot trust the mad sultan who leads us to the jailhouse.
мы перья белые свои почистим.
Let's take each other's hands and swear to stay united.
Пока безумный наш султан
Until the day when we have to split our ways,
сулит дорогу нам к острогу,
we will remember Ophelia and stand as one.
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
Let's hold hands my friends,
возьмемся за руки, друзья,
and let nobody be forgotten.
возьмемся за руки, ей-богу.
Let's promise to stay together, so help us God.
Когда ж придет дележки час,
When our time comes to part ways,
не нас калач ржаной поманит,
let's not be tempted by things that do not matter,
и рай настанет не для нас,
Our reward will not be in paradise,
зато Офелия всех нас помянет.
but Ophelia will remember us all.
Пока не грянула пора
Until our time comes,
нам отправляться понемногу,
let's stay united and hold each other's hands.
Contributed by Sadie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@charleschavesdasilva1018
Dear Ian Anderson, I think the translation is this:
Circle of Friends
Raised his sword to our union
worthy is the worst punishment.
And I for the life of him then
and not give itself a broken guitar.
So fervently the age
we find a gap in the chain ...
Join hands, friends,
friends, join hands,
so as not to perish one by one.
At alien feasts
and too unreliable truths
without waiting for praise,
we will clean their feathers are white.
While our mad Sultan
promises us the way to jail,
join hands, friends,
join hands, friends,
take my hand, I swear.
When will come carve hour
We do not loaf of rye beckon,
and there will be no paradise for us
But all of us to remember his Ophelia.
It is not yet time to burst
We go slowly,
join hands, friends,
join hands, friends,
take my hand, I swear.
@hartacerata
Шикарный голос и замечательная певица. Политик и просто неравнодушный человек.
@ottodagson6883
почему нет ни одного коммента на русском, обожаю просто, и песню и исполнение, знаю насколько сложен наш язык даже фонетически, и понимаю сколько Джоан стоило сие разучить и передать... еще конечно надо было бы упомянуть что это песня Булата Окуджавы но я так понимаю тут люди культурные все и так знают хехе ))
@Kotik_Kompotik.
Возьмемся за руки, друзья! :) Джоан - молодец! Не все современное поколение поймет даже, о чем Булат пел ;)
@n13arkotik
Будь в названии ролика слова на русском, комментов было бы больше.)
@user-yz9kg1oz1f
Это действительно смелый поступок - петь на русском языке. Вызывает уважение, как собственно все ее творчество. Очень музыкально с пониманием общего настроя песни.
@user-kp3ul9dq1u
Это исполнение вызывает у меня мурашки в хорошем смысле.
Her performance is so strange and hauntingly beautiful for me as a russian, it gave me goosebumps.
@1234549084
Thank you again I do not understand the words but stilll listen to her all night !!
@hljorge
Muy hermoso, tan hermoso. Tantas gracias, Scout...
@danielecosta958
Bellissima.
@LJG907
I see she is performing in my area in June. Thank you, my friend !!