A Birch Stood in the Clearing lyrics and meaning
Trake berželis stovėjo,
Beržo lapeliai mirgėjo.
Beržo lapeliai mirgėjo,
Brolelis žirge sėdėjo.
Brolelis žirge sėdėjo,
Kiaunių kepurę dėvėjo.
Kiaunių kepurę dėvėjo,
Šilkų juostele juosėjo.
Šilkų juostele juosėjo,
Su mergužėle kalbėjo.
Prijojo dvaras svetelių,
Nepažįstamų brolelių.
Įleido žirgus į daržą,
Patys suėjo į sodą.
Žirgai nuėdė rūteles,
Patys nuskynė vyšnelės.
Atžels rūtelės iš grūdų,
Raudonos vyšnios iš šaknų.
Palenkčiau beržo šakelę,
Pakarčiau šelmį bernelį.
O tai tau, šelmi, kyboti,
Ne mane jauną vilioti.
A Birch Stood in the Clearing: song interpretation
The birch in the song is a sensitive witness and at the same time a counterpart to the girl's fate. Its branch is to be bent so that the "rascal young man" may be punished. This ending shows that the song's gentleness conceals a strict moral judgment.
The ravaging of rue and cherries speaks of a violation of the girl's honor, youth, and household order. The rue that will grow again from seed and the cherries from root suggest that life will renew itself, but the wrong of seduction remains named.
A Birch Stood in the Clearing: symbols and phrases
- Birch
- A sign of tenderness, youth, and witness to fate. Its branch becomes an image of an instrument of justice.
- Rue
- A sign of the girl's garden and honor. Its trampling shows a violated order.
- Cherries
- An image of youth and fertility. Their picking strengthens the scene of loss.
- Strangers
- An outside force entering the home space. They bring not the joy of visiting but disruption.
A Birch Stood in the Clearing: song history
"A Birch Stood in the Clearing" lives in several dialect forms: "trake," "traki," and "lauke." In Juška's text the birch begins a scene of love and danger, while ePaveldas recordings show that this formula also survived in sound archives.
At first the song's plot seems calm: a birch, shimmering leaves, a brother on horseback. But soon strangers arrive, horses are let into the garden, the rue is trampled, and cherries are picked. This is a song about a girl's space being disrupted.
A Birch Stood in the Clearing: sources
A Birch Stood in the Clearing: frequently asked questions
What does "trake" mean?
It may mean an open forest clearing or be a dialect place-form. Some variants replace it with "lauke," in the field.
Why is the birch so important?
In Lithuanian songs the birch is often linked with youth and tenderness. Here it becomes the axis of the whole scene.
Why are horses let into the garden?
It is a symbolic violation of the home and the girl's space. The horses trample the rue, while the strangers pick the cherries.
Is the song about seduction?
Yes. The ending directly names the "rascal young man" who seduced the girl, and all the garden damage strengthens this meaning.
Why does the song say the rue will grow again?
It is a formula of life and renewal. Even so, it does not erase the injury; it only shows nature's continuity.
Are there recorded variants?
Yes. The LMTA and LLTI catalogues contain related variants titled "Trakė/Traki/Lauke berželis stovėjo."