Can Anyone Help with a Ukrainian or Russian Song about a Butterfly?
My friend Marijka, whose family is from Ukraine, is looking for the full words to a childrens song that her grandmother used to sing to her when she was young. It’s about a butterfly. She’s not sure if it’s originally Ukrainian or Russian.
Marijka recorded for me the part she knows. Click here to hear the recording.
If anyone can help with the lyrics to this song, please comment below or email me.
Thanks in advance!
-Mama Lisa










September 27th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Dear Mama Lisa,
that’s definately a Ukrainian song!!! The Ukrainian version of it that I found is something like this:
Метеличок, метеличок, у садок прилетів,
На квіточку білесеньку він тихенько присів.
А Грицько наш малий метелика ізловив
За крилечка піймав, у скляночку посадив.
А Галиночка-сестриченька просить, молить Грицька:
Ой випусти, мій братіку, із тюрми метелика.
А Грицько наш малий добре серденько мав,
Не морив метелика, йому воленьку дав.
Та й каже до нього: „Ось тепер гуляй”.
Hopefully it helps!
September 27th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! That is INDEED the song! Thank you SOOOO much. I will print it out and save it for my Grandkids! Duze Dyakuyu!
Marijka
September 28th, 2008 at 1:31 am
If someone could provide an English translation, that would be great!
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hi
an English translation should be probably like this:
A butterfly flied into the garden
Tenderly sat down on a white branch.
And our little Grietsko caught the butterfly
Took it by the wing and put in a glass jar.
His sister Galina implores Grietsko:
Brother, please let the butterfly out of the jail.
Our little Grietsko had a tender heart
He did not kill the butterfly but set it free
And he says to it “Have a good time now”.
Hope it helps.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
A butterfly, a butterfly flew into the garden,
Tenderly sat down on a little white flower.
And our little Hrytsko caught the butterfly
Caught it by the wings and planted [it] in a glass jar.
And his little sister Halyna begs, implores Hrytsko:
Oy my little brother, let the butterfly, out of prison
And our little Hrytsko had a tender heart
He did not kill the butterfly, but gave him freedom
And he says to him “Have a good time now”.
A finer Ukrainian translation