Themes

KHOROVOD, GAME, AND DANCE SONGS ABOUT LOVE Recruiting for the Khorovod By a garden-vineyard Ran a road. Along this road A little girl walked, Walked and little girl, On her a scarlet fur coat, Trimmed with beaver, She had black brows. She walks and walks - "Please come to the khorovod!" Along the meadows spreads the grass. What grass, what turf! What bold young men! What beautiful maids! I love you, I will take you to the khorovod, To the khorovod will I take a pretty maid, A pretty maid for myself will I take. Once they invited a young man, They honored the brave fellow, My Dunaj, Dunaj, Son Ivanovich Dunaj! To sit as a guest at a feast, To watch the conversation. They sat the young man down, They sat the brave fellow down Opposite a widow on a bench, Opposite a bitter woman on a pine bench. I will glance at the widow, I will sigh heavily; My downy cap will I take off, Opposite the widow will I throw it. "Ah, you, widow, well, Bitter lady, pick it up!" "I sir, am not your servant, - I will not obey you!" Then I will pick up the cap myself, And put it on my head... Once they invited a young man, They honored the brave fellow... They sat the young man down, They sat the brave fellow down Opposite a girl on a little chair, Opposite a beauty on a leather-strapped chair, I will glance at the girl, I will sigh lightly; My downy cap will I take off, Opposite the girl will I place it. "Ah, you, girl, well, Pretty one, pick it up!" "I am your servant, sir - I will obey you: I will pick up the downy cap, Will comb your black curls, Will comb your black curls, Will put on the downy cap, Will put on the downy cap, Will kiss you and embrace you!" Dunaj mine, Dunaj, Son Ivanovich Dunaj! In the meadows, in the meadows, In the meadows, the green meadows, There grew, there grew, There grew silken grass, There bloomed azure flowers. With that grass will I feed my horse, Will I feed, will I feed, Will I feed him and stroke him. I will take, will take, Will take my horse to daddy. "Daddy, daddy, Oh, daddy of mine! Receive, receive, Receive my caressing words, Look favorably on these friendly words: Don't give, don't give, Don't give me in marriage to an old man! An old man, an old man, To the death will I not love an old man, With an old man I will not take a stroll!" In the meadows, in the meadows, In the meadows, the green meadows, There grew, there grew, There grew silken grass. The bloomed, there bloomed, There bloomed azure flowers. With that grass, with that grass, With that grass will I feed my horse, Will I feed, will I feed, Will I feed him and stroke him. I will take, will take, Will take my horse to daddy. "Daddy, daddy, Oh, daddy of mine! Receive, receive, Receive my caressing words, Look favorably on these friendly words: Don't give, don't give, Don't give me in marriage to a young boy! A young boy, a young boy, To the death will I not love a young boy, With a young boy, with a young boy With a young boy will I not take a stroll!" In the meadows, in the meadows, There grew, there grew, There grew silken grass. There bloomed, azure flowers. With that grass, with that grass, With that grass will I feed, Will I feed him and stroke him. I will take, will take, Will I take, will take, Will take my horse to daddy. "Daddy, daddy, Oh, daddy of mine! Receive, receive, Receive my caressing words, Look favorably on these friendly words: Give me, give me, Give me in marriage to one my own age! One my own age, one my own age, One my own age will I love with all my soul, With one my own age, one my own age, With one my own age will I take a stroll." Brave tsar's son, Why are you walking-strolling? Brave tsar's son, What do you see Brave tsar's son? "I am walking, walking and strolling, I am walking, walking and strolling, I am walking and I see My tsarevna My queen. And my tsarevna, And my queen Is strolling in Novgorod, She wears a shining crown, She wears a silk-embroidered sarafan." "Go, tsar, to the city, Take her by the hand, Bow low, Greet your sweetheart!" Once in a city the tsaerevna, the tsarevna, Once in a city the young girl, the young girl In the middle of a circly stood, she stood, Her precious ring she jangled, she jangled, Her gold ring shore, it shone. Once in a city the tsar's son, the tsar's son, Once beyond the city he strolled, he strolled. "Oh, sir, smash the gates, the gates. Oh, sir, smash the second ones, the second, Oh, sir, enter the city, the city, Go, sir, to the tsarevna, to the tsarevna, Bow, sir, to the tsarevna, to the tsarevna, Bow, sir, lower, lower, And even lower, lower, Take, sir, the tsarevna, the tsarevna, By the right hand, her hand, Oh, sir, kiss the tsarevna, the tsarevna, Kiss her sweeter, sweeter, So she be sweeter, sweeter." What is our tsarevna like, our tsarevna? What is our young girl like, our young girl? She has a face so white, so white, She has brows so black, so black. Mother wanted To give me to Ivan, - "I will not, I will not, mama, I will not, I think not: Ivan has a pit in his garden, Forever there will I be." Mother wanted To give me to Stepan, - "I will not, I will not, mama, I will not, I think not: Stepan has three glasses, Forever will I be beaten." Mother wanted To give me to a catkeeper, - "I will not, I will not, mama I will not, I think not: A catkeeper skins cats And will keep my legs in check." Mother wanted To give me to a boyar, - "I will not, I will not, mama, I will not, I think not: A boyar beats his peasants, And I will have to beg for mercy. Mother wanted To give to a clerk, - "I will, I will, mama, I will marry, I think so: As the clerk writes I will count his money."