Beyond the Forests lyrics and meaning

Už girių girių
Ugnelė degė
Ei, Kalėda, Kalėda

Pas tą ugnelę
Broliai žirgus ganė

Broliai pamigo,
Žirgai pabėgo

O ir nubėgo
Į tėvo dvarą

Atvažiav važiai
Tėvulio važiai

Oi ką parvešit,
Manį brolaliai

Baltų bliedynų,
Mergom prausynų

Beyond the Forests — second version lyrics

Už girių girių ugnelė degė,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

Pas tą ugnelę broliai žirgus ganė,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

Broliai pamigo, žirgai pabėgo,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

O ir nubėgo į tėvo dvarą,
Oi kalėda, kalėd(a).

Atvažiuoj važiai, tėvelio važiai,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

Oi, ką parvešit, mano broleliai,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

O mes parvešim baltų bielynų,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

Baltų bielynų, mergoms prausynų,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).

Beyond the Forests: song interpretation

This song with the refrain "ei Kalėda" can be understood as a Christmas or Advent song. At the beginning, beyond forest after forest, a little fire burns, and beside it the brothers graze horses. This image can be interpreted as a festive night scene.

Then the brothers fall asleep, the horses escape and run to the father's manor, and the father's carts arrive. These images can be understood as a smooth narrative turn toward home.

At the end the brothers are asked what they will bring, and they answer that they will bring white linen, washing cloths for the girls. These images can be interpreted as an allusion to white cloth and wedding preparation, a motif suited to Christmas-season songs. That is one possible meaning, but the festive Christmas-song character is clear. The song has a close variant with almost the same words.

Beyond the Forests: symbols and phrases

Little fire beyond the forests
A fire burning in the distant forest marks the song's nocturnal festive scene.
Brothers grazing horses
Brothers grazing horses beside the fire are the song's central figures.
Sleeping brothers and escaped horses
The brothers falling asleep and the horses running to the manor turn the story toward home.
White bielynas, girls' washing cloths
White linen brought for the girls hints at bridal preparation.

Beyond the Forests: song history

"Beyond the Forests" belongs to calendar ritual songs, the Christmas or Advent group, marked by the refrain "ei, Kalėda, Kalėda" repeated after the stanzas. This fixed refrain is the main genre sign, linking the song with the winter holiday season when such songs were sung while visiting neighbors and wishing abundance. This text has a close variant in nearly the same words, showing that the song circulated in more than one form.

The exact recording place and time are not given on this page, so the song is presented through genre traits. Its images, a fire burning beyond distant forests, brothers grazing horses, runaway horses, return to the father's manor, and the promise to bring white bielynas or linen for the girls, join a nocturnal festive picture with a hint of wedding preparation, typical of ritual Christmas songs.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • N. Laurinkienė, Mito atšvaitai lietuvių kalendorinėse dainose, Vilnius 1990
  • Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986

Beyond the Forests: sources