7-40 (Seven-Forty) Семь-сорок Jewish Songs. For All Russian text: Olga Anikina Project producer: Walter J. Kin https://jewishhit.com/create/7-40/ ABOUT THIS WORKING TEXT All 32 written lines from the cited Russian source text, without additional performance repetitions. English explains meaning; it is not a singable adaptation. STORY A traveler leaves home and Riva behind, carrying little but looking toward a wide world and a hopeful journey. Olga Anikina's Russian words (2023) give a departure story to the traditional klezmer dance melody. The linked recording credits Walter J. Kin's arrangement (2025) and performance by Riglis Band. RUSSIAN / LITERAL ENGLISH 1. В семь сорок он приедет At seven forty it will arrive 2. В семь сорок он подъедет At seven forty it will pull in 3. Дым коромыслом железные бока Billowing smoke, iron sides 4. Везёт с собой вагоны It brings railway carriages with it 5. Каждый четыре тонны Each weighing four tons 6. Будет стоять он до третьего свистка It will stand there until the third whistle 7. Мне надо так немного I need so little 8. Ищу жилище Бога I am looking for God's dwelling 9. А кто не ищет значит он не еврей And whoever does not seek is therefore not a Jew 10. Эй машинист давай-ка трогай скорей Hey, engine driver, come on, get moving sooner 11. Кондуктор дай проститься у дверей Conductor, let me say goodbye at the doorway 12. Прощай моё местечко Farewell, my little town 13. Прощай моё крылечко Farewell, my little porch 14. Я уезжаю кричу тебе пока пока I am leaving, shouting goodbye, goodbye to you 15. С котомкою заплечной With a knapsack on my back 16. Нет той котомки легче No knapsack is lighter than that one 17. Пусть и дорога окажется легка May the journey turn out to be easy too 18. Цветёт за домом слива The plum tree is flowering behind the house 19. Прощай красотка Рива Farewell, beautiful Riva 20. Теперь нескоро мы увидимся с тобой Now it will be a long time before we see each other 21. Над миром Бог живёт God lives above the world 22. А мир такой большой And the world is so large 23. А мир такой прекрасный боже ж мой And the world is so beautiful, oh my God 24. Махни платочком Wave your little handkerchief 25. Не надо горьких слёз There is no need for bitter tears 26. Живи себе счастливой Live happily 27. И вспоминай наш агицын паровоз And remember our 'agitsyn' steam engine [see the idiom notes] 28. Я выйду из вагона I will step out of the railway carriage 29. И прямо с небосклона And straight from the sky 30. Цветными рельсами к нам радуга сойдёт A rainbow will descend to us as colored rails 31. В моих глазах зелёных на восход In my green eyes, toward the sunrise 32. Одессы свет покажется вот-вот The light of Odessa is about to appear IDIOMS AND MEANING Дым коромыслом железные бока Literal: Smoke in a yoke-shape; iron sides. The idiom describes abundant, billowing smoke. The train is the subject; the image of a carrying yoke underlies the Russian wording, not a separate object on the train. Нет той котомки легче / Пусть и дорога окажется легка Literal: No knapsack is lighter. May the road be easy too. The repeated idea of lightness moves from the bag's weight to the ease of the journey. Keep that connection in the explanation. А кто не ищет значит он не еврей Literal: And whoever does not seek is therefore not a Jew. This is the traveler's emphatic, identity-colored line. It is not a participation restriction or a factual test of who is Jewish. Гиц / hits; heys Literal: 'Hits': heat. 'Heys': hot. These are different Yiddish words. 'Agitsyn' is not a dictionary adjective meaning 'hot'. The likely source is the separate phrase 'a hits in parovoz', literally heat in a locomotive. И вспоминай наш агицын паровоз Literal: And remember our 'agitsyn' steam engine. Makhlin recalls 'a gits in parovoz' as an ironic comment on the obvious: roughly 'Big deal!' This is a likely allusion, not a confirmed explanation of Anikina's intent. Do not silently replace it with 'hot' or 'merry'. В семь сорок он приедет Literal: At seven forty he will arrive. The masculine Russian pronoun refers to the train. English 'it' clarifies the referent; 'he' may preserve personification but must not accidentally introduce another traveler. Прощай моё местечко / С котомкою заплечной Literal: Farewell, my small town. With a knapsack on my back. The farewell, little porch and light knapsack connect home to departure. The traveler carries little, but the text does not specify an exact inventory or require a literal empty bag. YOUR BRIEF Keep lively movement and the tenderness of leaving home. The speaker’s identity claims are character voice, not participation rules. Read the locomotive idiom notes; confirm Anikina’s intended allusion and permissions for modern words, arrangement and recording. SOURCES RIGLI: 7-40, Russian text and explanatory translation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4qodSd4Bs Refoyl's Dictionary: hits and heys https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/yiddish/dictionary.cgi Yakov Makhlin: the locomotive expression https://z.berkovich-zametki.com/y2023/nomer5_6/mahlin/ Share only a public-page link for review: https://jewishhit.com/create/#submit Review is not acceptance, a payment promise or a rights transfer. Work-for-hire terms and permissions are agreed separately. OUR SOURCE AND APPROACH Olga Anikina’s Russian texts can substantially reimagine earlier Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish or other sources while preserving their spirit and central idea. Adapt her Russian text, not the earlier original anew. Stay close to her images, word meanings, expressions and structure; make the English sing without replacing her story. The producer confirms exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics; underlying music and recording rights are separate. 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