One useful word for talking about luck is везти́. This post will explain how this word is used and illustrate it — with famous Russian songs!

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Везти́/повезти́

To express the idea of having good luck, we use the verb везти́ (yes, the same one you may already know as a verb of motion meaning “to take someone somewhere by horse/motor vehicle”). The structure is as follows: noun/pronoun in the dative case + везти in a 3rd person singular form:

• Мне повезло́, и я вы́играл маши́ну (I was lucky and won a car).
• Ра́ньше тебе́ не везло́ с сосе́дями (You used to have bad luck with your neighbors).
• Моему́ па́пе не везёт в ка́рты (My dad has bad luck playing cards).
• Е́сли нам повезёт, нам доста́нется но́мер с ви́дом на мо́ре (If we’re lucky, we’ll get a seaview room).

Now on to the songs!

“Ва́ше благоро́дие, госпожа́ Уда́ча”

This song, whose title literally translates to “Your Nobleness, Madam Luck.” The lyrics were written by the Soviet бард (singer-songwriter) Bulat Okudzhava (Була́т Окуджа́ва) especially for the film White Sun of the Desert (“Бе́лое со́лнце пусты́ни”). The song talks about the whims of fate and luck.

Here is one stanza from the song and its loose translation.

Ва́ше благоро́дие, госпожа́ Разлу́ка,
Мы с тобо́й родня́ давно́, вот кака́я шту́ка.
Письмецо́ в конве́рте, погоди́, не рви,
Hе везёт мне в сме́рти — повезёт в любви́.

[Your nobleness, Madam Separation,
We’ve been family for a long time, that’s the thing.
Wait, don’t rip the letter in the envelope.
I have no luck with death — I’ll have better luck with love.]

“О́стров невезе́ния”

Another song from a film, “О́стров невезе́ния” (“Island of Bad Luck”) was sung by the actor Andrey Mironov (Андре́й Миро́нов). It talks about a fictional island whose residents perpetually have bad luck. This song was featured in the cult classic The Diamond Arm (“Бриллиа́нтовая рука́”).

Весь покры́тый зе́ленью, абсолю́тно весь,
О́стров невезе́ния в океа́не есть,
О́стров невезе́ния в океа́не есть,
Весь покры́тый зе́ленью, абсолю́тно весь.

[Completely covered with greenery,
There’s an island of bad luck in the ocean,
There’s an island of bad luck in the ocean,
Completely covered with greenery]

“За тех, кто в мо́ре”

The title of this “Маши́на вре́мени” (“Time Machine“) song means “To Those At Sea.” It praises the bravery of people staying the course — nautically or metaphorically.

Here is the song’s chorus, again followed by a loose translation.

Я пью до дна за тех, кто в мо́ре,
За тех кого́ лю́бит волна́,
За тех кому́ повезёт.
И е́сли цель одна́ и в ра́дости, и в го́ре,
То тот, кто не стру́сил и вёсел не бро́сил,
Тот зе́млю свою́ найдёт.

[I raise my glass to those at sea,
To whose whom the wave loves,
To whose who will be lucky.
If they have one goal in happy times and sad times,
Then those who don’t get scared and don’t drop the oars
Will find their land.]

Have you heard any of these songs before? Do you know any other Russian songs about luck?