Cooing Dove lyrics and meaning
Karveli, burkuti, ko neburkuoji? /2x
Ką liesa burkuosiu, kad lasti noriu. /2x
Eik kukniun, kurk ugnį, kaisk katilėlį. /2x
Dėk pupų, dėk žirnių, virk šiupinėlį. /2x
Prilasis, prisprogęs, kur gerti gausiu? /2x
Ant mūsų stalelio, pilni uzbonai. /2x
Cooing Dove: song interpretation
This song can be understood as a playful dialogue song about a hungry dove. At the beginning, the cooing dove is asked why it does not coo. It answers, how could it coo when it wants to eat. This answer can be interpreted as the idea that song or joy first requires being fed.
The dove is told to go to the kitchen, kindle the fire, heat the little pot, add beans and peas, and cook šiupinys. These images can be understood as the preparation of a feast, where šiupinys made from beans and peas is a simple, filling food.
When asked where it will get a drink after eating its fill, the dove hears that full pitchers already stand on the table. This image can be interpreted as a sign of hospitality and feasting. This is one possible meaning, but the playful feast character of the song is clear.
Cooing Dove: symbols and phrases
- Cooing dove
- A dove that does not coo because it wants to eat. It marks the singer or guest who needs to be treated.
- Šiupinys of beans and peas
- A simple, filling dish that the dove is told to cook. It marks everyday feasting.
- Full pitchers
- Full drink pitchers standing on the table. They mark hospitality and generosity.
Cooing Dove: song history
"Karveli burkuti" belongs to feast songs and playful dialogue songs: the dove does not coo because it is hungry, so it is told to make a fire, heat a little pot, and cook šiupinys from beans and peas, while the ending reveals that full pitchers are already standing on the table. The dialogic question-and-answer structure, with each line ending repeated, shows a two-line, alternating way of singing.
The exact place and time of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented according to genre features. Šiupinys made from beans and peas and full pitchers of drink are signs of everyday, filling hospitality; the dove here playfully stands in for the singer or guest who must be fed and treated.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, t. 1–23, Vilnius 1980–2011 (LLTI)
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 t., Vilnius 1972–1986
Cooing Dove: sources
Cooing Dove: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a playful feast dialogue song about a hungry dove for whom food and drink are being prepared.
Why does the dove not coo?
It answers that it cannot coo when it wants to eat. The idea is that song and joy first require being fed.
What is šiupinys?
Šiupinys is a simple, filling dish made from beans and peas. Here it marks ordinary hospitality.
What do the full pitchers mean?
Uzbonai are pitchers for drink. Full pitchers on the table mark hospitality and feasting.