A Christmas Carol and New Year's Song

"Shchedryk" was written and composed by Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921) in 1916 as a New Year Carol. The tune is based on an older Ukrainian folk tune. This carol tells of a bountiful New Year.

Notes

*Master of the house

Pronunciation:

Shchedryk

Shchedryk shchedryk,
Shchedrivochka,
Pryletila lastivochka,
Stala sobi shchebetaty,
Hospodarya vyklykaty:
"Vyydy, vyydy, hospodaryu,
Podyvysya na kosharu,
Tam ovechky pokotylys',
A yahnychky narodylys'.
V tebe tovar ves' khoroshyy,
Budesh' maty mirku hroshey,
V tebe tovar ves' khoroshyy,
Budesh' maty mirku hroshey,
Khoch ne hroshey, to polova:
V tebe zhinka chornobrova."
Shchedryk shchedryk,
Shchedrivochka,
Pryletila lastivochka.

Alternate Translation:

Bountiful, bountiful,
New Year's Carol;
A little swallow flew in
And started to twitter
Calling the master of the house,
"Come! Come quickly, master,
Look at your homestead,
Over there the ewes are rolling
And the lambkins have been born.
Since your livestock is healthy,
You will have a lot of money.
Since your livestock is healthy,
You will have a lot of money,
If not money, then grains*.
You have a wife who personifies beauty."
Bountiful, bountiful,
New Year's Carol,
A little swallow flew in
And started to twitter.

Comments

There's a popular American version of this carol called, "Carol of the Bells" which was written by Peter J. Wilhousky (1902-1978). You can hear it all over the US at Christmastime.

Download

MP3: Performed by Abigail Bartels.

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Translation by Mama Lisa.

Duzhe dyakuyu!

Дуже Дякую!