Original subtitles

MOSFILM

Artistic Association "Yunost"

RUSLAN AND LUDMILA

Based on the poem by A.S. PUSHKIN

Part II

Grave news I bring to you, my lord:

Ruslan does angry here make speed,

And being armed with the magic sword, Chopping your beard is all his heed.

Ruslan, Naina, slain must be Or it shall be the worse for thee.

I hear, my lord. I haste away To do your bidding without delay.

He loves me, he loves me not,

He loves me, he loves me not.

He loves me, he loves me not...

Call mermaids to a clear glade, Tell them a round dance to make.

We'll have to lead Ruslan astray

And then entice him into the lake.

His horse you drug with sleeping grass

To make its footsteps falter forlorn.

The man shall pay for his defiance.

You hear that sound? He blows his horn!

In the wisps of pre-dawn fog we're sailing

To the backwaters' stillness and gloom.

Alluring songs are prevailing

On a traveler to come down to his doom.

On the sea bottom we make our dance.

Come down, the handsome, young stranger.

And the blissfully magical trance

Of water will swallow you for ages.

Oh Ruslan mine, don't me disdain!

Dismount and be all mine again!

You're lying, witch. Begone I say!

Wake up, my steed! Wake up! Away!

I'm thirsty!

Water!

Please!

Make haste, Oh tiger, pounce on the man

And kill my hated foe Ruslan!

Help! Help me!

Help me! Help!

Help!

Kill him!

Kill him!

Dance and jump, my dear girls! Go, the storm, in howls and whirls!

Swirl in round after round, Over the forest, out of bound!

Our dances full of fire, Our charms will you inspire!

Our caresses you bid no danger! Stay with us, our lovely stranger!

You'll forget your dear mate. We will find you a new maid.

A black swan, she'll be a catch For which Ludmila is no match!

Begone, begone you imps of hell. Forward my steed, and bear me well.

Ride on, ride on, But don't you forget

Naina swears She'll stop you yet!

Here stand I, Ruslan, all alone!

No, maid. Call not your love to thee.

You're Chernomor's till eternity!

Ludmila, speak, give me a sign.

Where are you, sweet love of mine?

That face, that bearing, that hair...

Do I gaze on my Ruslan there?

His eyes are dim. He cannot stand,

And he's pierced with an arrow...

Oh Ruslan!

She can't resist! Oh, joy divine

That which I coveted! She's mine!

Ho, Chernomor!

Come out to me! To mortal combat I challenge thee!

Now, warrior, your blood shall spill today.

Chernomor's might shall overcome and slay!

This is no fight, 'tis an embrace.

Wizard, that mace of yours, that mace!

Ah, listen, knight unto my plea. I'll let you go, I promise thee.

Your gallantry and youthful fire I freely confess that I admire.

Pay heed, sir, you shall not come to harm...

- No, you shall die this day! - Pay heed, good warrior!

No, vile worm, You who stole my wife away.

Ruslan won't hear your imploring!

His sword is pulled, your ploy ignoring.

Know, tyrant, that this sword of mine

Is fit to trim off that beard of thine!

No, warrior, I ask your mercy:

I weaken fast, I hardly breathe.

Oh spare my life, I'm in your power,

And put your sword back in its sheath.

Trembling are you, aha! Now is the hour!

Abandon, bow down to a Russian's steel!

To Ludmila speed to do my will.

Now sorcerer, of your beauty shorn

My helm these hairs now adorn!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Ludmila. Where are you, love? Reply!

Don't you hear me? It is I!

No trace of her. Nay not a sign.

Tears blind my eyes, for her I pine.

But wait. My sword is still with me!

And while I live, I'll search for thee!

Ludmila, where are you, love? Reply!

Ludmila's in the summerhouse yet.

She sleeps beneath a magic net.

I'm here, Ludmila! Your Ruslan.

Take courage, knight. Be on your way And bear her back in arms so strong.

In those arms of yours she does belong.

Take her and cherish her alway.

So, Ruslan, you are joyous? Glad?

I promise soon you will be sad!

My son, go without any waiting,

Fly off to the Pechenegs' domain.

Pray them to attack, no time wasting.

Attack before Ruslan is here again!

Halt!

- Where speeds that rider in a haste? - Perhaps of wine he had a taste.

'Tis nothing, I warrant, to grieve us.

I think that he should leave us.

The Tartar's boy I, illustrious Khan

From Kiev with a message come.

Feel you under my brown Kaftan. It shall talk, though I be dumb.

Accept this for your pains, my friend.

My doubts have now come to an end.

Now is the time. To horse! To horse!

To the Russians our swords shall give discourse!

The Tartar's young son? In a prisoner's style?

You'll pay for your betrayal, traitor vile!

You'll pay the cost, you young upstart.

No, I keep not motley in my heart!

Seize the fool clown, for he does ache

To be burned as firewood at the stake!

Catch the jester!

The twelve fair maidens that me loved

I have forsaken in your behalf.

I well preferred your warm embraces

To their amorous and magic graces.

And leaving their merry town,

Under protective forest frame

I lay my sword and helmet down,

Relinquished all my rivals and fame.

And now I am, humble and peaceful,

In the fisher's hut perched on the shore

Enjoying every moment blissful

With you, my love, for evermore.

Ratmir?

In this wild place alone? With a girl? What have you done?

What do I see?

When often in war Your mighty sword you bravely bore?

My comrade, for me all that is past.

Of war and combat growing weary My trusty sword from me I cast.

This maid and place I love more dearly.

Most precious is this girl I hold.

Your riches are much more than gold.

The ways of war are forgot to me...

Even Ludmila's great beauty.

Know then that she's here with me.

Ludmila's here? How can it be?

Did I hear true? Near here is she?

Russia's Ludmila I shall see? But where?

Oh no, my vows I'd break,

My own sweet love is dear to me.

For she did this to happen make That I accepted happily.

She brought me back to life again Giving me love that I'll retain.

That one is happy who is free, Who finds refuge in a cozy shed,

Devoid of any care or grief, A cup of good wine in his hand.

That one is happy who is merry, With no burden on his mind,

To whom the girls their favors carry Who always lushly wine and dine.

I, with a beauty pert and hot, Eat, drink, make merry at a joint.

The time of life is much too short Not to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Now warrior, at last your day's here Just as I made to you my vow.

Pull out your weapon,

To horse I say,

We start to find the princess now.

We start to find the princess now.

Farlaf, so innocent and guileless,

Knight so handsome, valiant, young...

Following a witch through a desert pathless!

I pray, I pray he return before long!

Look there. The coveted prize before you.

Kill Ruslan and the lass is won.

Fear not. Naina does implore you!

One stroke, and the deed is done!

One stroke, and the deed is done!

Look there. The coveted prize before you.

Highness! Do you hear the clamorous shout?

A gallant warrior rides to thee Through the golden gates without!

I pray you, summon him to me!

Ludmila is here!

Farlaf, was't thou? That slew her enemy so dire?

What spell is this upon her now?

- Why stirs she not? - She's sleeping, sire.

Sleeping, Farlaf?

Deep in a forest where I her found,

Far in the heart of Murmansk wild. A Genii guarded your only child.

There, by myself, I did him confound.

Three days we battled, and the stars Gazed thrice upon our bloody fray.

He fell, and then the young princess In my hands I carried sleeping away.

But who can break this wizardry?

And raise to life my child to me?

I know not. That I can't foresee.

It seems, and I trust you may agree Our only chance is, wait and see.

- Ludmila's sleeping still. - Three days her father fought.

To wake her yet it avails nought.

Harken, the cymbals clamor, trumpets blow!

- The horns as well. - 'Tis strange. Why so?

His Highness' will. With their aid Perchance he will awake the maid.

Beware! Here come the Pechenegs!

They'll drain our blood, and drink the dregs!

My Lord! The Pechenegs are here!

Their hordes are drawing near! Billows of dust around they raise!

- The hills beyond are all ablaze! - The horses gallop thru our fields!

- The sun's shining on their shields! - They pitched the tents on our shore!

They come. They're here. I can no more!

We shall prepare the foe to fight!

Ruslan on the plain?

Murdered is he?

Why no, Naina. We shall see.

Before the night has fallen quiet,

I shall go help the noble knight.

Here have I found, by wisdom led,

The water living, and water dead.

Great Khan, this battle is ill starred.

On every side they press us hard!

Bring here oxen, on Kiev send them. We'll use them as a battering ram.

The living water, and the dead I'll pour on your body,

And upon your head. I pour, Ruslan, that you may go

To find Ludmila and rout the foe.

Where is Ludmila?

Gone is she?

Such is the will of destiny!

A bloody task awaits you, where

Your sword triumphant you shall bear.

You shall bring peace to Kiev's shore

And with your love shall meet once more.

Take you this ring, it has magic grace,

Pass it around her head and face,

And wake her once again to life.

Your foes shall perish in the strife.

This kingdom shall once more be free.

All will be well, I promise thee.

And now, good defender of the poor,

Adieu. I may not meet you more.

Why, herdsmen, do the oxen stay? Petrified? They must move, I say.

Pardon us, Khan! We're fully ready

To perish for you, happy and gladly.

Your oxen fear the stormy hail Of Russian arrows that them impale.

Protect the oxen, and in their stead

Send the Russian captives on ahead.

Hold! Hold! Before it is too late!

It is our wives, our children there, wait!

Behold, Oh friends, it is Ruslan! Now is the enemy dead to a man!

Approach and see how it is done. I've cut two slices out of one.

Goad on the bulls, surround Ruslan!

Let him be gored and trampled on!

Trampled on!

Roar like a tiger, let's hear your roar!

Roar louder, roar, Chernomor!

Roar louder, with all your might Before I strangle you outright!

Invincible Ruslan, warrior bold!

Worthy Ludmila as wife to hold!

She is alive...

Her eyes I can see...

Ruslan!

My child is now restored to me!

Ruslan, you brought'er back to life, She shall again become your wife!

Who was it that betrayed and slew me?

Mine was the deed. Ruslan, pray mercy!

Pardon, Vladimir, this man of nought.

Beguiled was I, in sorcery's spell

When I did this dastardly deed so fell.

Ludmila's hand to obtain I sought.

Begone, false knight that I abhor!

But I shall give my pardon to thee.

I banish you for evermore To the far confines of this country.

Begone you knave of no prowess Before the Prince changes his mind.

I fain would tan your fat behind And throw you in a pool of cess.

Where is the dreadful Chernomor?

Without his beard his power is dead.

By putting bells and cap on his head We'll make for us one jester more.

My friends, let there be feast and song

To mark the victory of right over wrong.

Then did the Prince in the palace hall

Hold a wonderful feast for one and all.

An honest tale of bygone days.

A legend of heroic ways.

Screenplay by A. PTUSHKO with collaboration of S. BOLOTIN

Directed by Alexander PTUSHKO

Directors of Photography I. GUELEIN, V. ZAKHAROV

Production Designer Ye. SERGANOV

Costume Designer O. KRUCHININA

Music by Tikhon KHRENNIKOV

Sound by I. URVANTSEV

Starring:

Valery KOZINETS as Ruslan Natalya PETROVA as Ludmila

V. FYODOROV as Chernomor

M. KAPNIST-SERKO as Naina N. KHRENNIKOVA as Young Naina

A. ABRIKOSOV as Prince Vladimir I. YASULOVICH as Finn

V. NEVINNY as Farlaf R. AKHMETOV as Ratmir

E. KIVI-ANTSON as Fisherwoman

S. MARTINSON, N. NIKOLAYEV, Sh. GAZIEV as Foreign Ambassadors

A. KRYCHENKOV as Jester V. NOSIK as Messenger

O. KHABALOV as Pecheneg Warlord

Yu. KIREYEV as Russian Warrior

The End