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
Show translation
This translation explains the words; it is not a singable adaptation. Kalėda is the seasonal refrain and is retained here.
Lithuanian lyrics
Už girių girių
Ugnelė degė
Ei, Kalėda, Kalėda
Literal meaning
Beyond forest after forest
A little fire burned.
Ei, Kalėda, Kalėda.
Lithuanian lyrics
Pas tą ugnelę
Broliai žirgus ganė
Literal meaning
Beside that little fire
The brothers grazed their horses.
Lithuanian lyrics
Broliai pamigo,
Žirgai pabėgo
Literal meaning
The brothers fell asleep,
The horses ran away.
Lithuanian lyrics
O ir nubėgo
Į tėvo dvarą
Literal meaning
And they ran
To father's homestead.
Lithuanian lyrics
Atvažiav važiai
Tėvulio važiai
Literal meaning
The sleighs came,
Dear father's sleighs.
Lithuanian lyrics
Oi ką parvešit,
Manį brolaliai
Literal meaning
Oh, what will you bring,
My dear brothers?
Lithuanian lyrics
Baltų bliedynų,
Mergom prausynų
Literal meaning
White linen,
Washing cloths for the girls.
Second version
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).
Show translation
This translation explains the words; it is not a singable adaptation. Kalėda is the seasonal refrain and is retained here.
Lithuanian lyrics
Už girių girių ugnelė degė,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
Beyond forest after forest a little fire burned,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
Pas tą ugnelę broliai žirgus ganė,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
Beside that little fire the brothers grazed their horses,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
Broliai pamigo, žirgai pabėgo,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
The brothers fell asleep, the horses ran away,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
O ir nubėgo į tėvo dvarą,
Oi kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
And they ran to father's homestead,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
Atvažiuoj važiai, tėvelio važiai,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
The sleighs are coming, father's sleighs,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
Oi, ką parvešit, mano broleliai,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
Oh, what will you bring, my dear brothers?
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
O mes parvešim baltų bielynų,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
We shall bring white linen,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Lithuanian lyrics
Baltų bielynų, mergoms prausynų,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Literal meaning
White linen, washing cloths for the girls,
Oi, kalėda, kalėd(a).
Meaning
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.
Symbols
- 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.
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
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: Lithuanian folk songs
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: calendar songs
- LLTI: Lithuanian Folk Songbook
Common questions
Why do the brothers pasture horses beyond the forests by a fire?
It begins a nocturnal festive scene. The runaway horses returning to the father's manor turn the narrative toward home and the final promise.
Beyond the Forests: what kind of song is this?
It is a calendar ritual Christmas or Advent song, marked by the repeated refrain "ei, Kalėda, Kalėda."
Beyond the Forests: what does the refrain "Kalėda" mean?
It is a festive refrain connecting the song with the Christmas and Advent season and winter house-visiting custom.
What does "white bielynas, girls' washing cloths" mean?
Bielynas is white or bleached linen. Bringing white cloth for girls can be understood as a hint of bridal preparation.
Beyond the Forests: does the song have variants?
Yes. This text has a close variant with almost the same words, shown in the versions section of the base page.