Три ворона (англ. The Three Ravens) — народная баллада, напечатанная в песеннике Melismata ^[1], и опубликованная в 1611 году, но, возможно, существовавшая и ранее. Известны более новые варианты (с другой мелодией) вплоть до XIX века.

The Three Ravens

Вариант из «Melismata»^[1]:

There were three rauens^[2] sat on a tree,

downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe,

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

with a downe,

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

They were as blacke as they might be.

With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.

The one of them said to his mate,

Where shall we our breakfast take?

Downe in yonder greene field,

There lies a Knight slain under his shield,

His hounds they lie downe at his feete,

So well they can their Master keepe,

His Hawkes they flie so eagerly,

There’s no fowle dare him come nie^[3]

Downe there comes a fallow Doe,

As great with yong as she might goe,

She lift up his bloudy head,

And kist his wounds that were so red,

She got him up upon her backe,

And carried him to earthen lake,

She buried him before the prime,^[4]

She was dead her self ere euen-song time.

God send euery gentleman,

Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman.^[5]

The Twa Corbies

В этом произведении только две птицы, но это — самое незначительное различие между песнями, хотя и с похожими началами.

Полный текст одного из вариантов:

As I was walking all alane,

I heard twa corbies making a mane;

The tane unto the t’other say,

'Where sall we gang and dine to-day?'

'In behint yon auld fail dyke,

I wot there lies a new slain knight;

And naebody kens that he lies there,

But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair.

'His hound is to the hunting gane,

His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,

His lady’s ta’en another mate,

So we may mak our dinner sweet.

'Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane,

And I’ll pike out his bonny blue een;

Wi ae lock o his gowden hair

We’ll, theek our nest when it grows bare.

'Mony a one for him makes mane,

But nane sall ken where he is gane;

Oer his white banes, when they we bare,

The wind sall blaw for evermair.'

Переводы

А. С. Пушкин, «Шотландская песня» (1828) ^[6][7][8][9] — частичный перевод французского перевода сборника шотландских баллад В. Скотта.^[10]

Ворон к ворону летит,

Ворон ворону кричит:

Ворон, где б нам отобедать?

Как бы нам о том проведать?

Ворон ворону в ответ:

Знаю, будет нам обед;

В чистом поле под ракитой

Богатырь лежит убитый.

Кем убит и отчего,

Знает сокол лишь его,

Да кобылка вороная,

Да хозяйка молодая.

Сокол в рощу улетел,

На кобылку недруг сел,

А хозяйка ждет мило́го,

Не убитого, живого.

Примечания