Soyuzmultfilm
The Brave Tin Soldier (Hans Christian Andersen)
artdirection & direction Lev Milchin written by Alla Akhundova music Yan Frenke
cameraman Michael Druyan sound Boris Filchikov script editor Tatiana Paporova
animators Alexei Bukin, T. Pomerantseva, Marina Voskaniants, Nikolai Fedorov, Victor Shevkov, Alexander Panov
artists I. Troyanova, Irina Svetlitsa Assistents Z Plekhanova O Pavlova H Kozlova Montage O Vasilenko
executive producer Fedor Ivanov voice artists Alexei Konsovsky, Sergei Tseits, Maria Vinogradova
There were once twenty-five tin soldiers,
They were all sons of one mother -
an old tin spoon.
And therefore,
they were all brothers.
The tin soldiers were as alike as two drops of water,
and only one of them differed from his brothers:
he had only one leg.
He had been left to the last,
and they were a little short on
melted tin to finish him.
However, he stood just as steady on one leg
as the others stood on their two.
Oh, how sad it is to stand the guard alone
Give and follow marching orders on my own
‘Neath the moon in midnight blue
Stamp my step upon the dew
One-two-one
Oh it's hard to get in step with all the rest
And no stars yet on my military chest
Little soldier, stand your ground
In the skies the stars are found.
One-two-one
If old snuff-box you don't fill
With tobacco and what not
This snuff-box then likely will
Soon get something - God knows what!
All this devilry occurs For a reason, out of place.
And this devilry prefers To appear in empty space.
If you rushed to know-not-whose defense,
Tried to quickly avert all offence,
Then you'd soon have a little to pay,
Just as quickly you'd shed tears away.
Why is the fate so cruel, explain
Only to those, who hold it true.
Oh with you, we won't meet again
Without you, longing for you.
Stop! Show me your pass!
I won't let you by!
You don't have a pass!
I'll pierce you with my teeth!
My last living hour's almost through
And only you I recall
With you I fly to the stars, sky blue
Without you, downward I fall.
I've returned here nonetheless
There is no death, I know
Yes, my beloved, yes
No, my beloved, no.
Since fate has reunited us,
Your word upon me bestow.
Yes, my beloved, yes.
No, my beloved, no.
Eyes were burned by the star's caress,
It rolled down, left mark below.
Wait, little moth, where do you go?
Don't fly toward the light aglow!
Yes, my beloved, yes...
No, my beloved, no...
The next day, when the maid servant
took the ashes out of the stove,
she found a small piece of tin
in the shape of a tiny heart.
And of the little dancer
nothing remained but the tinsel rose,
though it did not glitter any more;
it was burned black like a cinder.
The End subs by Eus, minor edits by Niffiwan