Ой, за гаем
The last two lines of each verse are repeated in this Ukrainian folk song…
Ой, за гаем
Oh, Behind The Grove
Folk Song
Folk Song
(Ukrainian)
(English)
Ой, за гаем, гаем,
Гаем зелененьким,
Там орала дівчинонька
Воликом чорненьким.
Орала, орала,
Не вміла гукати,
Та й найняла козаченька
На скрипочку грати.
Козаченько грає,
Бровами моргає...
Вража ж його матір знає,
На що він моргає:
Чи на мої воли,
Гей, чи на корови,
Чи на моє біле личко,
Чи на чорні брови?
Воли та корови
Усі поздихають,
Біле личко, чорні брови
Повік не злиняють!
Oh, behind the grove, the grove,
The green grove,
A damsel was plowing
By a black ox.
She plowed and plowed,
But she couldn't call,
And she hired a young lad
To play a fiddle.
The young lad plays his fiddle
And winks his eyes,
But only the Devil's mother knows,
To whom does he wink?
Neither to my oxen,
Nor to the cows,
Maybe to my white face
And my black eyebrows*?
The oxen and cows
Will die,
But the white face and black eyebrows
Will never fade.
Notes
*A white face and black eyebrows were considered the height of beauty in Ukraine.
*****
Pronunciation:
Oy, za haem, haem,
Haem zelenenʹkym,
Tam orala divchynonʹka
Volykom chornenʹkym.
Orala, orala,
Ne vmila hukaty,
Ta y naynyala kozachenʹka
Na skrypochku hraty.
Kozachenʹko hraye,
Brovamy morhaye...
Vrazha zh yoho matir znaye,
Na shcho vin morhaye:
Chy na moyi voly,
Hey, chy na korovy,
Chy na moye bile lychko,
Chy na chorni brovy?
Voly ta korovy
Usi pozdykhayutʹ,
Bile lychko, chorni brovy
Povik ne zlynyayutʹ!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Александр Настечик for sharing this song with us and for translating it (with Lisa).
