Beneath the Little Window lyrics and meaning
Po užuolėliu, po garbuonėliu
Dygo rūtelė ir lelijėlė /x2
Dygo rūtelė ir lelijėlė
Šali tekėjo bistri upelė /x2
Šali tekėjo bistri upelė
Jaunas bernelis žuvelas gaudė /x2
Jaunas bernelis žuvelas gaudė
Begaudydamas jaunas nuskendo /x2
Liko mergelė, jauna našlalė
Mano vaikeliai- tai siratėlės /x2
Neverk mergela, jauna našlala
Prijos bernelių du šimtai vienas /x2
Prijos bernelių du šimtai vienas
Rinksies mergele katras bus mielas /x2
Kad jų ca būtų, kaip girioj lapų
Nėra nė vieno in mano kvatų /x2
Kad jų ca būtų, kaip vyšnioj vyšnių
Nėra nė vieno in mano mįslių /x2
Kad jų ca būtų, kaip grūšioj griūšių
Nėra nė vieno in mano dūšių /x2
Beneath the Little Window: song interpretation
This song can be understood as a song about a young widow faithful to her drowned beloved. At the beginning, rue and lily sprout beneath the little window, while a swift stream flows nearby. Rue and lily can be interpreted as signs of maidenhood and purity.
Then a young man catches fish and, while fishing, drowns, leaving a young widow with orphaned children. This image can be understood as sudden loss and the burden left behind.
At the end the widow is comforted: two hundred and one young men will ride up, and she can choose whichever is dear. But she answers that even if there were as many as leaves in a forest, cherries on a cherry tree, or pears on a pear tree, not one is for her heart, thoughts, or soul. This refusal can be interpreted as fidelity to the dead husband and deep mourning. That is one possible meaning, but the motif of the young widow's fidelity is clear.
Beneath the Little Window: symbols and phrases
- Rue and lily
- The flowers sprouting beneath the window signify maidenhood and purity.
- Young man drowned while fishing
- The young man dies while catching fish. He marks the sudden loss at the center of the song.
- Young widow with orphans
- The widow left with orphaned children signifies loss and the burden that remains.
- Refusal of all suitors
- Not one among the many young men fits the widow's heart. This signifies fidelity to the dead husband.
Beneath the Little Window: song history
"Beneath the Little Window" belongs to family ballads about a young widow faithful to the beloved who has died. The song turns on sudden loss - the young man drowns while catching fish - and the widow left with orphaned children. The final refusal is built on three comparisons with natural abundance: as many as leaves in a forest, cherries on a cherry tree, and pears on a pear tree. These emphasize that not one suitor belongs to her heart, thoughts, or soul.
The text is written dialectally, with forms such as "našlalė," "in mano kvatų," and "grūšioj griūšių," but the exact recording place and time are not given on the page, so it is presented by genre. The opening rue and lily beneath the window are familiar symbols of maidenhood and purity, setting a contrast with the later theme of mourning.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1–23, Vilnius 1980–2011 (LLTI)
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972–1986
Beneath the Little Window: sources
Beneath the Little Window: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a family ballad about a young widow who refuses all suitors after the sudden death of her beloved.
How does the young man die?
He is catching fish by the flowing stream and drowns while fishing, leaving the young widow with orphaned children.
What do the rue and lily at the beginning mean?
The rue and lily beneath the window are symbols of maidenhood and purity, set against the later theme of loss and mourning.
What do the comparisons with leaves, cherries, and pears mean?
The widow says that even if suitors were as numerous as leaves, cherries, or pears, not one would suit her heart, thoughts, or soul. It expresses deep fidelity to the dead husband.