< Reading 9—Жизнь—чудесный дар
< Reading 9—Жизнь—чудесный дар
This reading assignment is to learn the Russian version of the song The Miracle of Life, song number 141 from Sing out Joyfully to Jehovah. With the help of the vocabulary printed below try to understand how the ideas are expressed in Russian. Some of the examples are different from what is in the English version.
Once you have figured out the meaning of the text, practice singing it so we can sing it together in class.
The title in Russian is “Жизнь—чудесный дар”. Word-for-word this means “Life is a marvelous gift”. The dash stands for the word “есть” (is) which is often omitted in Russian.
The first verse begins with with the word “каждый” (each) followed by a list of marvelous things:
новый день—new day
капелька дождя—little drop of rain. The word “капле” (drop) has been turned into “little drop” by adding the diminutive ending -ка. The word “дождь” (rain) has been turned into “of rain” by changing the ending.
лучик солнца—little ray of sun. The world “луч” (ray) has been turned into “little ray” by adding the diminutive ending -ик. The world “солнце” (sun) has been turned into “of sun” by changing the ending.
стебелёк—diminutive of стебель, stalk
горстка зерна—little handful of grain. From “горсть” (handful) and “зерно” (grain)
Творец чудес—The Creator of marvels. From “чудеса” (a miracle or wonder)
Им—by means of Him. The instrumental form of “он” (he).
живём—we live. The pronoun “мы” (we) is implied.
наш отец—our father
Кто-то—someone
может—might, could
руки опустить—to lower the hands (to give up, to stop trying)
надежду потеряв—надежда is hope. Потеряв is a form of the verb “потереть” (to lose).
смерти просить—Смерть is death. Просить means to make a request. Having given up and lost hope the person asks for death.
Мы же сознаём—we recognize. From “сознавать” (to be recognizing). The word “же” emphasizes the word “мы” (we) creating a contrast.
за подарок—in response to the present. A form of the word “дар” (gift) used in the title of the song.
самый дивный дар—the most marvelous gift. Дивный means “provoking astonishment and wonder”.
ты её цени—Value life! Literally “thou her value”. Here “её” (her) refers to жизнь (life).
миг—a moment
наслаждаться—to enjoy an experience
Бога люби—love (command form, ты implied) God
Усердьем и трудом её не заслужишь—Усердие is earnest effort. Труд is hard work. The endings have been changed so that they mean “by earnest effort” and “by hard work”. Заслужить means to earn a reward. Here it is in the “ты” form, literally “thou can’st not earn”.
с небес—from the heavens