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Shine, Shine, My Star
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Wikipedia article
'"Shine, Shine, My Star"' is an acclaimed Russian romance.
The authorship of the song was uncertain for some time, being ascribed to various people, including Nikolay Gumilyov and Ivan Bunin. A popular belief attributed it to Russian Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak until the 1847 sheet music was found in archives.
According to Russian romance researcher Yelena Ukolova, the song was created amid celebrations of the 700th anniversary of Moscow in January 1847. The music was composed by Pyotr Bulakhov ( ), and the lyrics written by student Vladimir Chuyevsky ( ). However, the romance did not become popular until the eve of World War I when singer Vladimir Sabinin re-arranged it. The breakthrough came in 1915 when Sabinin's gramophone record appeared.
During the Soviet years, the romance was labelled a 'white one' and obliterated for a while. In 1944 it was performed on record by Georgi Vinogradov. But, according to Ukolova, it was the 1956 American film 'War and Peace' that made it possible for this romance to make a true comeback in USSR.
The romance itself persisted only in tenors' repertoire until the bass singer Boris Shtokolov broke the custom.
Lyrics
The lyrics were later adapted into 3 verses. The most famous version of this song, as sung by Anna German, has the following lyrics:
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The following version, by Peter Farnbank, can be sung to the melody of "Gori, gori, moya zvezda".
;Oh shine, oh shine, my wondrous star
;1.
Oh shine, oh shine, my wondrous star,
Oh star of love, you welcome are.
||: Here in my heart are you the precious one:
No place for more: there can be none! :||
;2.
Tho_a million stars light up from high,
On cloudless nights, both earth and sky,
||: Tis none but you, my wondrous star so bright,
That shine on me such glorious light! :||
;3.
Enchanted star of love divine,
Of cherished bygone days of mine.
||: But come what may, in my tormented soul
There shall you stay to keep me whole! :||
;4.
How brightly beams your heav'nly ray.
Shine on my paths of life today.
||: Forever shine! Ev'n on my grave afar!
Oh brightly shine, my wondrous star! :||
References
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