Who is singing in this video, and what is he singing? Read on to find out.

«Дорогие читатели!» [Dear readers!] «Как прошли выходные?» [How was your weekend?] Mine was quite lovely–I went to a bookstore, read a book «о Сталине» [about Stalin], and drank «какао» [cocoa, hot chocolate]. And yes, I know Stalin is not the most conventional topic to read about, but I’m a historian of Russia, so «меня интересует Сталин» [I’m interested in Stalin or Stalin interests me].

But enough about Stalin–let’s talk about someone who was actually an admirable person: «Фёдор Шаляпин» [Feodor Chaliapin–I realize this is not the most conventional transliteration of his name into English, but it is the transliteration most often used, so it is the one I shall use]. «Кто такой Шаляпин?» [Who is Chaliapin?] «Он был великим оперным певцом». [He was a great opera singer.] «Он родился в Казани 13 (тринадцатого) февраля 1873 (тысяча восемьсот семьдесят третьего) года.» [He was born in Kazan on February 13, 1873.] «В детстве он был певчим.» [In his childhood he was a choirboy.]

When he was seventeen, he left Kazan and «путешествовал по Российской Империи» [traveled around the Russian Empire]. He went to Moscow and Saint Petersburg and sang many roles over the years: «Мефистофель («Фауст»), Руслан («Руслан и Людмила»), Хан Кончак («Князь Игорь»)» [Mephistopheles (Faust), Ruslan (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Khan Konchak (Prince Igor)]. «После революции, он эмигрировал в Францию, где он умер в 1938 (тысяча девятьсот тридцать восьмом) году.» [After the revolution, he emigrated to France, where he died in 1938.]

«Шаляпин» did not just sing opera. In the video at the beginning of this post, he sings a Russian folk song, «Очи чёрные» [Dark Eyes]. You can watch the video and then look at the lyrics. As a side note, there are many different variations of this song out there, but this is the version «Шаляпин» sings.

«Очи чёрные, очи жгучие,
Очи страстные и прекрасные!
Как люблю я вас! Как боюсь я вас!
Знать, увидел вас я не в добрый час!

Очи чёрные, очи жгучие,
Очи страстные и прекрасные!
Как люблю я вас! Как боюсь я вас!
Знать, увидел вас я не в добрый час!»

I admit, I am not much of a translator when it comes to verse, but I’ll do my best.

[Dark eyes, burning eyes,
Passionate and splendid eyes!
How I love you! How I fear you!
You know, I saw you at an ill-fated moment!

Dark eyes, burning flames!
And they beckon to far countries,
Where love rules, where peace rules,
Where there is no suffering, where enmity is banned!

If I hadn’t met you, I would not suffer so,
I would have lived life smiling.
You have destroyed me, dark eyes,
Taken my happiness forever.

Dark eyes, burning eyes,
Passionate and splendid eyes!
You have ruined me, passionate eyes,
Taken my happiness forever…

Dark eyes, burning eyes,
Passionate and splendid eyes!
How I love you! How I fear you!
You know, I saw you at an ill-fated moment!]

I hope you enjoyed the song!