Мы были до крещения страна городов ГАРДАРИКА (v.2) (v.2)

[Intro]
(gusli plays a short memorable ostinato riff: E-D-C-A in eighth notes, repeated twice; frame drum enters with syncopated rhythm; distant horn signal)

[Verse 1]
Надъ рѣками, въ дымкѣ зари утренней,
Возстаютъ грады древней Гардарики.
(lead tenor sings in recitative style, narrow range of 3–4 notes, bass drone on "A", гусли arpeggios, light frame drum with syncopations, bone rattle on off-beats)

[Pre-Chorus]
Гласъ рога въ туманѣ…
Вѣтри сѣдые…
(tenor sings short ascending motif A-C-D, baritone echoes in parallel thirds, soprano adds high embellishments on long notes, жалейка responds with glissando)

[Chorus]
Гардарика, земля градовъ,
Огонь священный на холмѣ высокѣ,
Въ сердцѣ моёмъ еси, въ пѣсняхъ вѣтровъ,
Край лѣсовъ и езѣръ, мирныхъ сновъ.
(full choir: tenor lead sings main melody A-C-D-E | C-A-G-A (quarter notes), bass doubles melody an octave lower, baritone sings parallel thirds C-E-F-G | E-C-B-C, soprano adds high embellishments (D-E-F on "ка", glissando A-C-A on "довъ"), гусли switches to ostinato, жалейка plays counter-melody, frame drum intensifies with steady pulse, hurdy-gurdy drone continues)

[Verse 2]
У причалъ ладьи, парусіе акы крилѣ,
Купци везутъ янтарь и мѣха обиліе.
(tenor lead with baritone singing parallel fourths above, гусли and жалейка play interweaving melodies, bone rattle adds off-beat accents, jaw harp vibrations in background)

[Bridge]
(antiphonal singing: male choir sings "Звѣзды надъ детинцемъ" → female soprano echoes "тайны намъ гласятъ" with glissando)
(instrumental break: жалейка solo with hurdy-gurdy drone, jaw harp vibrations, гусли ostinato continues, distant animal horn signal)

[Verse 3]
Башни зрять вдаль, стражи на стѣнахъ стоятъ,
Звѣзды надъ детинцемъ тайны намъ гласятъ.
У огня свящённого волхвъ слова твердитъ,
Гардарика — сила, что вѣки хранитъ.
(bass and tenor in octaves, soprano sings high ostinato pattern, гусли and жалейка play interweaving melodies, frame drum and bone rattle create driving rhythm)

[Outro]
(repeat chorus with gradual dropout)
Гардарика… земля градовъ…
Въ сердцѣ моёмъ… въ пѣсняхъ вѣтровъ…
(gradual dropout: first baritone, then soprano, then tenor; bass drone and гусли remain until silence, river sounds and distant horn linger for 5 seconds before final fade)