Franciszek Lessel
(1780 – 26 December 1838) was a Polish composer. Haydn's pupil
Variations in A minor for piano[Minka Variations]
Original theme: ukrainian folk song "Cossack Was Going Over Danube" (Їхав козак за Дунай):
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTnRCb...]
Beethoven's Variations on the same theme for Violin and Piano:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5-pMQ...]
Szymanowska Lessel Ogiński Smendzianka (playlist):
[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...]
LYRICS of the original song in ENGLISH:
Cossack was going over Dunabe saing - "Girl, good bye
You, my good horse, carry me gaily!"
Stay, stay, cossack, your girl is crying
Who will care of her - did you thought about it?
It would be better, would be better not to go
It would be better, would be better not to love
It would be better, would be better not to know
That now, that now to forget
She went out bending her arms and started to cry heavly -
"How can you leave me - did you think about it?"
"Do not wring your hands, do not torment your eyes
Wait for me from war, I'll come with fame."
It would be better, would be better not to go
It would be better, would be better not to love
It would be better, would be better not to know
That now, that now to forget
"I don't want anything only you
My dear, I wish you be healthy, nothing more."
Cossack sat at the horese whistling - "Be healty
I will come in three years if I won't die."
(lyricstranslate.com)