lˈɔŋ stɹˈɛtʃᵻz ʌv tˈɛkst ˈɔfən ɹᵻpˈiːt ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl kˈɔːɹd, ɪvˈoʊkɪŋ ðə ɹᵻsˈaɪɾɪŋ tˈoʊn ʌv ɡɹɛɡˈoːɹiən tʃˈænt ɔːɹ ðɪ ˈɔːɹθədˌɑːks lɪtˈɜːdʒɪkəl tʃˈænt ðæt stɹævˈɪnski wʊdhɐv nˈoʊn fɹʌm hɪz tʃˈaɪldhʊd ɪn sˈeɪnt pˈiːɾɚzbˌɜːɡ.
Long stretches of text often repeat a single chord, evoking the reciting tone of Gregorian chant or the Orthodox liturgical chant that Stravinsky would have known from his childhood in Saint Petersburg.