Write it. Sing it. Make it yours
Adapt Olga Anikina’s Russian lyric into singable English. Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. No Russian needed. Write, sing or collaborate.
Russian recording · Our English version
Song story · Make a recording · Full working text
Literal English and idiom notes are working materials, not finished lyrics.
The song’s story
Children travel under an indifferent sun. Small details, yellow patches and a disappearing train expose the terror beneath the simple words.
The recording notes connect Miriam Harel's earlier song to the Lodz Ghetto deportations, a Polish children's melody, and Anikina's Russian adaptation (2017).
Start from Olga’s Russian
Her Russian text is our starting point. Olga reimagines earlier songs while keeping their spirit.
Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. Make the English sing without replacing her story.
Producer-confirmed: exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics. Rights to underlying music and recordings are separate.
Russian → literal English
Meaning to work from, not words to sing.
All 20 written lines from the cited Russian text. English explains meaning; it is not a singable adaptation.
| Russian source | Literal English meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 Едут дети свет струится | The children travel; light streams |
| 2 В пыльное окно | Through the dusty window |
| 3 Солнце детям смотрит в лица | The sun looks into the children's faces, |
| 4 Солнцу всё равно | It makes no difference to the sun |
| 5 Солнце всходит на востоке | The sun is rising in the east, |
| 6 Провода гудят | The wires hum |
| 7 Едут едут по дороге | Traveling, traveling along the way |
| 8 И сестра и брат | Both sister and brother |
| 9 Может это всё ошибка | Maybe all of this is a mistake, |
| 10 Небу вопреки | Contrary to heaven |
| 11 Эти жёлтые нашивки | These yellow patches, |
| 12 Эти башмаки | These shoes |
| 13 Вой сигнала над платформой | The howl of a signal over the platform, |
| 14 Резок и уныл | Harsh and bleak, |
| 15 И качнулся ящик чёрный | And the black box swayed |
| 16 И поплыл поплыл | And it floated, floated away |
| 17 По дороге едут дети | The children travel along the way |
| 18 Знать бы мне куда | If only I knew where |
| 19 Но в туманном жёлтом свете | But in the hazy yellow light |
| 20 Тают поезда | The trains melt away |
Idioms & meaning
Солнцу всё равно
Literal: It makes no difference to the sun.
Nature continues without responding to the children's fate. The personification expresses indifference; it is not reassurance about their safety.
Небу вопреки
Literal: Contrary to heaven.
The phrase questions the horror as something opposed to heaven or the natural order. It does not describe the train's physical direction.
Эти жёлтые нашивки
Literal: These yellow patches.
In the deportation setting, the patches carry the meaning of imposed identification. Keep the Russian wording; do not add a shape or a location on the clothing that it does not specify.
И качнулся ящик чёрный
Literal: And the black box swayed.
In the train scene, the carriage is reduced to a dark, enclosing box. Calling it a coffin would add an image not stated in the text.
И поплыл поплыл
Literal: And it floated, floated.
The motion describes the departing carriage as gliding away. It does not turn the train journey into a boat trip.
Тают поезда
Literal: The trains melt away.
The trains fade from sight in the hazy light. The image describes disappearance, not physical melting.
Your writing brief
Keep the plain language and the contrast between children's vulnerability and nature's indifference. This is not a cheerful travel song.
Leave the narrator's question about the destination unanswered. Check historical context and permissions before creating a new version.
Improve our English
We see this version as nearly ready, but welcome stronger lyrics and your own performance.
Accepted draft improvements: $100–150. Independent Russian-source adaptations: $200/$100. No payment for rejected lyrics.
Your voice. Any lineup
Video or audio only. Solo, duet, band or choir. Write, sing, produce or collaborate; use your voice, Suno or other permitted tools.
Your voice and stage presence can shine even if the lyric needs work. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before posting.
Recording links: YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only. No files or other platforms.
Let us hear what you can do
Strong, original versions can be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI’s music channel, with credit and permission.
Even if we do not accept your lyric, we may invite you to record our songs for a separately agreed fee. This is not an automatic payment for submitting.
Show us your strengths
Creative choices are partly subjective. Our selection is not an objective ranking of your talent.
Show us what you do best. A distinctive voice, an imaginative lyric or a compelling performance can start a conversation about collaboration.
Credits & sources
- Russian text
- Olga Anikina
- Producer
- Walter J. Kin
- Russian recording
- Performed by Elechka.
Working materials, not a blanket recording license. Agree rights separately.