Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj lyrics and meaning

Gili gili upeła, lelimoj,
Da nelabai gili, lelimoj.

Toje toje upełėj, lelimoj,
Tai du akmenėliai, lelimoj,

Ant akmenėlių, lelimoj,
Du brolaliai sėdzi, lelimoj.

Eisim mudvi sesiulas, lelimoj,
Nuvarysim brolalius, lelimoj.

Nuvarysim brolalius, lelimoj,
Atimsim žiedelius lelimoj.

Gili gili upeła, lelimoj,
Da nelabai gili, lelimoj.

Toje toje upełėj, lelimoj,
Tai du akmenėliai, lelimoj,

Ant akmenėlių, lelimoj,
Dvi sesulas sėdzi, lelimoj.

Eisim mudu broleliai, lelimoj,
Nuvarysim sesulas, lelimoj.

Nuvarysim sesulas, lelimoj,
Atimsim žiedelius lelimoj.

Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj: song interpretation

This song with the refrain "lelimoj" can be understood as a playful courtship song about taking rings. At the beginning there is a deep, though not very deep, stream with two little stones in it. On those stones sit two brothers. The image of water and stones creates a meeting place.

Two sisters decide to go, drive the brothers away, and take their rings. In songs, a ring is a sign of love and betrothal, so taking it can be interpreted as a playful courtship or pairing game.

Then everything is repeated in reverse: two sisters sit on the stones, and two brothers decide to drive them away and take their rings. This mirrored image can be understood as a youth game in which boys and girls exchange roles. That is one possible meaning, but the playful courtship character of the song is clear.

Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj: symbols and phrases

Deep stream
The not-quite-deep stream with stones in it. It is a meeting place for young people.
Two stones
The stones lying in the stream, where the young people sit. They mark the place of meeting and play.
Little rings
The rings taken from brothers and sisters. They are signs of love and betrothal.
Mirrored repetition
The same action is repeated between sisters and brothers. It creates the playful character of a youth game.

Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj: song history

"Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj" belongs to youth games and ring-dance songs with a courtship coloring. Such songs are marked by sung refrains, here "lelimoj" after every line, mirror structure, where the same action is repeated with brothers and sisters exchanging places, and the motif of taking rings, connected with betrothal and marriage signs. The stream and stones create a symbolic meeting place for young people.

The specific place and date of recording are not given on the page, so the song is presented through its genre features; variants of game-like ring songs with refrains are abundant throughout Lithuania. The taking of the ring, as a sign of love and betrothal, allows the song to be read as a playful game of pairing.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986

Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj: sources