A. Pushkin
The Tale of Tsar Saltan

written by
Valentina & Zinaida Brumberg

Assistent: T. Basmanova, art director K. Kuznetsov
music V. Oransky
Technical ass. T. Fedorova, N Palatkin

artistsK. Malyshev, V. Rodgero, V. Valerianova
animators Irtenev, Faina Yepifanova, Nikolai Fedorov,
O. Kovalenko, Roman Davydov, L. Dikovsky,

Lamis Bredis, L. Popov, Valentin Lalayants,
Tatiana Fedorova, Ye. Sergeyev, Boris Dezhkin

voice artists D. Orlov, Faina Ranevskaya,
Ludmila Koreneva, Maria Babanova, Michael
Zharov, Faina Shevchenko, Leonid Pirogov

cameramen N. Sokolova
sound S. Rensky
Soyuzmultfilm Moscow 1943

"It was once upon a time at New year's eve."

"The land lay in the winter's might"

"It was cold, and it was snowy"

"No time for warfare, a time to wed"

"No time for warfare, a time to wed"

Three fair maidens late one night
Sat and spun by candle light.

- Were a tsar to marry me -

"I would cook and I would bake -

Oh, what royal feasts I'd make.

- Were the tsar to marry me -

- I would weave a cloth of gold
fair and wondrous to behold -

- And if he would marry me -

- I would give our Tsar an heir,

handsome, brave, beyond compare.

Greetings, O my maiden fair!

- my tsaritsa you will be!

And, ere next September's done,

...see that you'll bear me...

...a son!

- As for you, fair sisters two,

leave your home without ado,

leave your home and follow me,

and your sister, bride to be:

Royal weaver, YOU I'll make,

YOU as Royal cook I'll take! -

These were days of war's alarms.
Ere he rode forth for the strife,

Tsar Saltan embraced his wife,
Bidding her to take good care
Of herself and coming heir;

While he battled on the field,
Forcing countless foes to yield,

God gave unto her an heir -
Lusty, large of limb, and fair.

Like a mother eagle, she's
Guarding him most jealously;

But the royal cook, and weaver,
And their mother, sly deceiver,
Sought to ruin her, so they

"Your tsaritsa, sire, last night
Was delivered of a fright -

Neither son nor daughter,...

"Your tsaritsa, sire, last night
Was delivered of a fright -

Neither son, neither daughter,

Neither mouse, neither frog,

it doesn't even look a dog."

At these words, the royal sire
Raved and raged in furious ire,
"Hang that messenger!" roared he,

"Hang him on the nearest tree!"
But, relenting, spared him, and
Sent him back with this command:

- From all hasty steps refrain

till the Tsar comes home again.

Neither mouse, neither frog,
it doesn't even look a dog."

Back the messenger rode fast,
Reached the city gates at last.
But the royal cook, and weaver,

With their mother, sly deceiver,
Made him drunk; and in his sleep
Stole the message from his keep

- From all hasty steps refrain....

And, before he could recover,
They replaced it by another.

- The Tsar instructs his boyars

to act in haste on this ukaz,

Have the queen and have her spawn

Drowned in secret ere the dawn. -

Stars gleam in the dark blue sky,
Dark blue billows heave and sigh.

Storm clouds o'er the blue sky creep,
While the cask rides o'er the deep.

While the babe to manhood grew
As the hours swiftly flew.

"O, you wanton waves so blue --

Free to come and go are you,

Hear my prayer, o waves, and spare us -

Safely onto dry land bear us."

"I wonder, mother, how
We could break our prison now?"

"Some food and drink
Wouldn't come amiss, I think."

"O, tsarevich, champion peerless,

My deliverer so fearless--

I will serve you too, one day;

Tis no swan that you set free,

But a maiden charmed, you see;

'Twas a wizard, not a kite,

That you slew, O noble knight;

I shall ne'er forget your deed"

"Things have only just begun, I see-
My white swan is having fun with me"

That same day began to reign
In his newly-found domain,

Sat in state upon the throne
And was crowned as Prince Guidon.

Sailors, merchants, crowd the decks,
Marvel loud and crane their necks.

Wondrous changes meet their view
On an island which they knew!

Cannons with a mighty roar
Bid the merchants put to shore.

When the merchants land, Guidon
Bids them be his guests anon;
Feasts them first with meats and wine,

May I say, now, masters mine -
Tell me what you have for sale,
Whither bound, and whence you hail?"

We have sailed the seven seas
Costly furs, prince, were our ware.

Silver fox and sables rare.

Now our time is overstayed, East-due east...

...our course is laid,
Past the Island of Buyan,

Back to gracious Tsar Saltan."

"Gentles, May fair breezes speed you on,
And, when Tsar Saltan you see
Bow down low to him for me."

"Greetings, my fair prince," said she--

"Why are you so sad, tell me?
Why are you so dismal, say,
Like a gloomy, cloudy day?

"Grief is gnawing at my breast,
My soul has only one request--

I should like to see my sire."

"Is that all?" was her reply--
"Listen--would you like to fly,
Overtake that ship at sea?

Why, then--a mosquito be!"

"Now, I ask you, masters mine,

Sailed you far across the brine?

Are things well where you have been?

What strange wonders have you seen?"

We have sailed the seven seas;

Peace reigns overseas, serene.

There, we saw this wondrous scene:
There's an island in the sea,

Shores as steep as steep can be;
Cheerless once, deserted, bare -

Nothing but an oak grew there.
Now it has a new-built city,

Stately mansions, gardens pretty,

Churches tall with domes of go
Fair and wondrous to behold.

Prince Guidon reigns there, and
Sends his compliments to thee.'

"If but God prolong my days,

I shall visit this strange isle,
Guest with this Guidon a while."

"That's no wonder, to be sure...

Just a city by the shore!

But have you heard of this before?

There's a little squirrel dwelling
In a fir tree; all day long,

Cracking nuts, it sings a song.

Nuts--most wondrous to behold!

Every shell is solid gold;

Kernels--each an emerald pure!

That's a wonder, to be sure."

Our mosquito waxed most furious
And, with his mosquito might,
Stung his aunt's right eye, in spite.

"You cursed insect, you! Just you wait!

There's a wonder, I confess,
That I'm burning to possess.

this squirrel, that is somewhere dwelling...

"Yes - this rumour does not lie;
Marvel - not-though this may be
strange for you, ...

...'tis not for me.
Grieve not - I will gladly do
This slight service, prince, for you."

"Through the garden there she goes,
Tripping on her dainty toes."

"Through the garden there she goes,
Tripping on her dainty toes."

"Thank you, swan!
God grant you felicity.

Breezes o'er the ocean play,
Speed a barque upon its way;

Sails all spread, it skims the seas,
Running swiftly 'fore the breeze

In the twinkling of an eye
He became a tiny fly,
And he flew across the sea

On an island, far away,
Stands a city, grand and gay -

By the palace grows a fir
In whose shade, O royal sir,
Stands a crystal cage; and there

Dwells a squirrel, strange and rare-

Full of frolic; all day long,
Cracking nuts, it sings a song,

Nuts, most wondrous to behold -
Every shell is solid gold,

Kernels - each an emerald bright;

People live in plenty there,
Not in huts, but mansions fair.

Prince Guidon reigns there, and he
Sends his compliments to thee."

"If but God prolong my days,

I shall visit this strange isle

Guest with this Guidon a while."

Nothing strange in this see I!
Be this true, or but a lie,

I know of a better wonder.
Lo! The ocean swells in thunder,

Surges with a mighty roar,
Overflows a barren shore,

Leaving, wonderful to see,
Thirty stalwart knights and three,

All in mail a-gleaming bright,

Marching proudly left and right;

Each one brave beyond compare,
Tall of stature, young and fair,

All alike beyond belief,
Led by Chernomor, their chief.

That's a wonder, now, for you,
Marvelously strange, but true."

Then the tsar waxed very curious,
And Guidon waxed very furious.

Fiercely buzzed and settled right
On his aunt's left eye, in spite.

"Catch it! Kill that insect there!

O you nasty insect, you!"

"It is by the swan's request

And, at her express behest,

We have come from out the sea

Your fair city's guards to be.

Henceforth, from the ocean blue,

We will always come to you,

Every day, on guard to stand

By your lofty walls so grand.

Now, however, we must go -

to the salty sea below;

We're not used to land, you know;

So she drenched him, head to toe.
In a trice, he shrank, and lo!

Ere he could even gasp,
He had turned into a wasp.

There's an island far away-
On this isle - a city gay;

There, each dawn brings in new wonders:

There, the ocean swells and thunders,
Breakers, with a mighty roar,

Foaming, flood its barren shore,
Leaving, wonderful to see,

Thirty stalwart knights and three,
All in mail a-gleaming bright,

Marching proudly left and right;

Prince Guidon reigns there, and he
Sends his compliments to thee."

"If but God prolong my days,
I shall visit this strange isle,

Guest with this Guidon a while."

Stranger things exist, mark you -
This report, though, is quite true:

There's a young princess, they say,
That she charms all hearts away.

Brighter than the sun at noon,
She outshines the midnight moon,

In her braids a crescent beams,
On her brow, a bright star gleams.

She herself is sweet of face,
Full of majesty and grace.

When she speaks, her voice doth seem
Like the music of a stream.

That's a wonder, now, for you -

Marvellously strange, but true."

Catch it! - Hold it! - Kill it!- O!

Help, help! My God, get it! Get it!

"Greetings, my fair prince, once more -

Why are you so sad, tell me?
Like a gloomy, cloudy day?"

"Grief is gnawing at my breast,"

"Every youth has his own bride -
Only I unmarried bide."

"Who is she you wish to wed?

"There's a fair princess; they say
That she charms all hearts away -

Is this true, though, or a lie?

Yes-this maiden I can find;

But a wife's no mitten, mind,
From your lily hand to cast,

Or unto your belt make fast;
Listen now to my advice:

Weigh this matter well - think twice,
So that on your marriage morrow

You do not repent in sorrow."

"Know, your future bride is here -

I am that princess, my dear."

Prince Guidon reigns there in glory,

He is praised in song and story

Prince Guidon sends his respects,

Bade us say he still expects
You to visit him one day

And regrets your long delay."

"We will sail today!"

"I'm your tsar and not a child!"

Tsar Saltan's fleet, at long last,
O'er the seas was sailing fast.

"Mother dear, come hither, do -
You, my fair princess, come too -

Only look out yonder - there
Sails my father, I declare!"

To the shore Guidon then ran,
There to welcome Tsar Saltan,

And the royal cook, and weaver,
And their mother, sly deceiver.

"Am I dreaming in my sleep?
Who is this I see? who?

Oh how I'm overwhelmed with this surprise
Tears are streaming from my eyes!

The end
Subs by Eus
20 august 2013