Play and Learn: Young Cossack Walks Along Don

Playing and singing songs is one of the best ways to learn a language. Here, you can learn how Russian sounds by playing and singing the classic Russian folk song “Po Donu guljaet kazak molodoj” (Young Cossack Walks Along Don). You can find notes and video lessons on how to play this song on guitar or piano below.

Lyrics

Po Donu guljaet, po Donu guljaet,
Po Donu guljaet kazak molodoj.

A tam deva plachet, a tam deva plachet,
A tam deva plachet na bystroj rekoj.

«O chem, deva, plachesh’, o chem, deva, plachesh’,
O chem, deva, plachesh’, o chem slezy l’esh’?»

A kak mne ne plakat’, a kak mne ne plakat’,
A kak mne ne plakat’, slez gor’kih ne lit’!»

Cyganka gadala, cyganka gadala,
Cyganka gadala, za ruchku brala.

Ne byt’ tebe, deva, ne byt’ tebe, deva
Ne byt’ tebe, deva, zamuzhnej zhenoj
A byt’ tebe, deva, naveki odnoj

Ne ver’, dorogaja, ne ver’, dorogaja,
Ne ver’, dorogaja, ne ver’ nikomu
Pover’, dorogaja, lish’ mne odnomu

Po Donu guljaet, po Donu guljaet,
Po Donu guljaet kazak molodoj.