Vasily Lebedev-Kumach
Christmas Tree

Widen the circle, O
wide and more wide,
ride in, our jolly friend, stride right inside.

Your coat’s of needly stuff,
your leg of pitch is rough,
you bare a hairy foot,
and cocked green is your hat.

Freshfrosty Sir,
kolkhoz Fir,
welcome in all your pride.

Come, Fir, with amiable words
from the woodbeasts and the birds,
the wolves and the brave rooks,
the grave owls and the fox,
the roving bear
and the white hare.

Widen the circle, O
wide and more wide,
ride in, our jolly friend, stride right inside.

Your coat’s of needly stuff,
your leg of pitch is rough,
you bare a hairy foot,
and cocked green is your hat.

Freshfrosty Sir,
kolkhoz Fir,
welcome in all your pride.

Bring us in paws of green
playthings and games in heaps,
bring us the good smells blown
from your rich forest-deeps,
pour sweets and after
bagfulls of laughter.

Widen the circle, O
wide and more wide,
ride in, our jolly friend, stride right inside.

Your coat’s of needly stuff,
your leg of pitch is rough,
you bare a hairy foot,
and cocked green is your hat.

Freshfrosty Sir,
kolkhoz Fir,
welcome in all your pride.

We’ll dress your needles and sing
and prink you fine and gay
and lovingly dance and bring
our hand-in-hand songs, our play,
crack nuts and drowse
under your boughs.

Widen the circle, O
wide and more wide,
ride in, our jolly friend, stride right inside.

Your coat’s of needly stuff,
your leg of pitch is rough,
you bare a hairy foot,
and cocked green is your hat.

Freshfrosty Sir,
kolkhoz Fir,
welcome in all your pride.

Translated by Jack Lindsay