«Quietly the water splashes, a ribbon of blue...» — this line refers to the popular Soviet song "Iz Vagantov" ("Of the Wandering Scholars," also known as "The Student's Little Song," or simply "Student"), written by composer David Tukhmanov for the concept album "On the Wave of My Memory" (1976). The lyrics are a free translation by Lev Ginzburg of the 13th-century Goliard (wandering-scholar) Latin song "Hospita in Gallia," from the handwritten collection "Carmina Burana," discovered in a German monastery in Beuern relatively recently, in 1803.
The song tells of a student setting off to study "in the land of France, on an alien planet," bidding his friends farewell. This track became the most popular on the album thanks to its simple verse-and-chorus structure, which made it easy to remember and to sing. In Tukhmanov's own words, he sought to capture in the music "the mischievous, irrepressible spirit common to student brotherhoods of every era."
The song's first performer was Igor Ivanov, at the time a soloist with the vocal-instrumental ensemble "Nadezhda." The recording was made in 1975–1976. Interestingly, to create the atmosphere of student revelry, musicians from "Nadezhda" took part in the recording as backing vocalists. According to one of them, Lyudmila Shabina, they were told to "sing like it was a send-off to the army — that is, after two glasses of vodka — and laugh like lunatics."
For the album version, the lyrics were significantly trimmed — the third and fifth stanzas of the original translation were cut. The third stanza mentioned God, which could have gotten the song banned by Soviet censors.
The song quickly became a cult favorite and remains popular to this day. It has been performed repeatedly by other artists: Maxim Leonidov in the TV film "Old Songs About the Main Thing 3" (1997), Sergei Lazarev at a jubilee concert for David Tukhmanov (2010), and members of the band "Premier-ministr" in the musical film "On the Wave of My Memory" (2006). The composer David Tukhmanov himself recorded his own version of the song in 2000.
Igor Vladimirovich Ivanov (b. June 15, 1953, Moscow) — the first performer of "Iz Vagantov," continues to perform it in concert more than 45 years later. He began his career with the ensemble "Teatr Estrady" (1972), then performed with the ensembles "Leisya, Pesnya" and "Nadezhda," where David Tukhmanov noticed him. After the success of "Iz Vagantov" and other hits ("Proshchai," "Pesenka pro Sapozhnika"), Ivanov formed his own ensemble, "Salyut" (later "Iks"), released solo albums, and toured extensively. In the 1980s he hosted the popular TV program "Shire Krug." In 1983, a survey by the magazine "Smena" placed him among the country's most popular performers. In 2003 he held a jubilee concert at the Kremlin, and in 2014 he received a state award for his contribution to the development of culture. The singer continues to perform in concert to this day.
Lyrics of "Iz Vagantov"
In the land of France,
On an alien planet,
I am bound to study
At the university.
How I long for home —
No words can say it —
So weep, my dear friends,
Bitter tears for me.
In farewell let us clasp
Each other's hands,
And the martyr of learning
Shall leave his father's house.Here I stand, oar in hand,
In a moment I'll cast off.
My poor heart is seized
By sorrow and by grief.
Quietly the water splashes,
A ribbon of blue,
Remember, now and then,
Your student, won't you.Many winters, many years
We have lived together,
Keeping the sacred vow
Of loyalty and honor.
So may you always be
Alive and well,
I believe the day will come
When we meet again.
I will gather you all together,
If in a foreign land
I don't happen to perish
From my own Latin studies.+++ // Lines left out of the song:
Tears burst forth from my eyes…
How could tears not fall?
I shall pray to the Lord
For every one of you,
That the merciful God,
By His highest power,
Might cherish and keep you
From every misfortune,
As a father dotes
And coddles his own children,
As a shepherd watches over
And loves his own sheep.+++
If I'm not driven mad
By Romans and Greeks,
Who filled whole volumes
For the library shelves.
If those very professors
Who teach the students
Don't torment this poor wretch
Of a scholar to death.
If I don't drink myself
To death at some rowdy feast,
I will surely return
To you, my dear friends.Here I stand, oar in hand,
In a moment I'll cast off.
My poor heart is seized
By sorrow and by grief.
Quietly the water splashes,
A ribbon of blue,
Remember, now and then,
Your student, won't you.+++ // Lines left out of the song:
That's all! Farewell, farewell,
My beloved Swabian land!
Your son has longed
To see the light of learning!..
Greetings, university,
Dwelling place of wisdom!
Greetings, palace of the mind!
Let me cross your threshold
With a downcast look,
But once my studies run their course —
I too shall be a scholar.
My thoughts will grow wings
Within these proud walls,
To dig up the treasured hoard
Of precious knowledge!