Teffi - digression about the guitar - "on unylo podbiral lady"

[R. M. Cleminson]

I think that лад in this context means "chord"; тренькать is a slightly contemptuous verb meaning to play in a desultory fashion (also on the piano and other instruments), without putting your heart and soul into it; "strum" would be бряцать.  So, "Gypsies don't just pick out a tune..."; but it is a horribly difficult passage to render idiomatically.

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Od: "Robert Chandler" <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
Komu: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Odoslané: nedeľa, 24. august 2014 22:20:40
Predmet: [SEELANGS] Teffi - digression about the guitar -  "on unylo podbiral lady"

Dear all,

A chapter about ¾ way through Vospominanii contains a lyrical digression about the beauties of the guitar. There are several bits I find difficult.

В России гитара была хороша только у цыган. Русский человек относился к ней, как к балалайке: уныло подбирал лады и тренькал...
Цыгане «мотивчика» не тренькают. Они умеют перебирать струны говорком, 

In Russia, the guitar fared well only among the gypsies.  The Russians themselves treated her as if she were a balalaika, gloomily fingering (????) her frets (??) and strumming...
Gypsies don't strum tunes.   They know how to make the strings talk, 

What does “podbiral lady” mean?  I don’t even know which is the relevant meaning of “lad” here.
1. “mode” or “key”
2. “fret” of stringed instrument

I’m also unsure about “strum tunes” and about "гитара была хороша”.  Is the latter more like “the guitar was valued”?

Thanks, as always!

Robert

Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD

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