The Bright Sun Was Rising lyrics and meaning

Šviesi sauliutė tekėjo,
Broliai žirgelį balnojo,
Kelkis, sesela, žalia rūtela,
Uždek šviesių ugnełį. /2×2

Aš nusiprausiu burnełį,
Susišukuosiu galvełį,
Atsisveikysiu tėvą, močiutį ---
Jau daugiau nesmatysim. /2×2

Aš, per dvarelį jodamas,
Žirgelį muštravodamas,
Voi, ir pamatiau jaunų mergełį
Svirnelyj pas skrynelas. /2×2

Voi, kam tu dangstai skrynelas,
Voi, kam tu rėžai drobelas?
Aš nenešiosiu ta marškinėlių ---
Žaunierėliu pastosiu. /2×2

Duos man karalius žirgelį
Ir prieg žirgelio balnelį,
Rėdys mus visus vienais parėdais
Kai vienos motinėłės. /2×2

Sugrius kalneliai klonėsna,
Paplūks berneliai kraujuosna,
O mes stovėsim, nesudrebėsim,
Ir visus pergalėsim. /2×2

The Bright Sun Was Rising — second version lyrics

O kai saulutė tekėjo
Broliai žirgelį balnojo
Kelkis, sesele, žalia rūtele,
Užkurk šviesių ugnel.

Aš atsikėliau rytelį
Ir nusiprausiau veidelį
Atsisveikinau tėvų motulį
Gal daugiau nebsmatys.

Aš vieškelėliu jodamas
Žirgelį muštravodamas
O ir pamačiau jaunų mergelį
Svirnely pas skrynel

O kam tu varstai skrynialas,
O kam tu pjaustai drobelas
Aš nenešiosiu tav marškinėlių
Kareivėliu būdams

Duos mums karalius žirgelius
O ant žirgelių balnelius
Rėdys mus visus vienais parėdais
Kaip vienos motinėl

Sugrius kalneliai kloniuosna
Pasruvs upeliai kraujuosna
O mes stovėsim ir nedrebėsim
Kol priešų nugalėsim

The Bright Sun Was Rising: song interpretation

This song can be understood as a recruit's or soldier's song. At the beginning the bright little sun rises, the brothers saddle the horse, wake the sister, the green rue, and ask her to light a bright fire. These images can be interpreted as preparation on the morning of departure.

Then the young man washes, combs his hair, and says farewell to father and mother, saying that they may not see one another again. Riding through the manor yard, he sees a young woman in the storehouse by the chests. He says he will not wear the shirts made from her linen, because he will become a soldier. These images can be understood as farewell and a broken hope of marriage.

At the end it is said that the king will give a horse and saddle, dress them all in the same clothing as if they were of one mother, and though hills fall into valleys and young men flood with blood, they will stand without trembling and defeat all. These images can be interpreted as soldierly brotherhood and resolve to fight. That is one possible meaning, but the recruit's farewell and martial resolve are clear.

The Bright Sun Was Rising: symbols and phrases

Brothers saddling the horse
The brothers preparing for departure. They mark the recruit's riding away.
"We may not see each other again"
The farewell to the parents. It marks a possible final separation.
Girl cutting linen
The girl cutting cloth for shirts. She marks the broken hope of marriage after the young man becomes a soldier.
King's identical uniforms
All dressed alike, as sons of one mother. They mark soldierly brotherhood and readiness to fight.

The Bright Sun Was Rising: song history

"The Bright Sun Was Rising" belongs to military-historical recruit songs: in them the young man is woken early, the brothers saddle the horse, he says farewell to his parents with the words "we may not see each other again," and declares that he is becoming a žalnierius, a soldier. Such a departure-morning scene, farewell, and broken marriage hope with the young woman cutting linen in the storehouse are typical motifs of recruit songs.

The exact place and time of recording are not stated on this page, so the song is presented according to genre features. The final images - hills collapsing into valleys, young men flooding with blood, yet the soldiers standing without trembling - express soldierly brotherhood and battle resolve; the base page also gives a second variant with small differences in wording, showing the song's circulation.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, t. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • D. Krištopaitė. Lietuvių karinės-istorinės dainos, Vilnius 1956
  • Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 t., Vilnius 1972-1986

The Bright Sun Was Rising: sources