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.
Meaning
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.
Symbols
- 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.
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
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: Lithuanian folk songs
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: youth songs
- LLTI: Lithuanian Folk Songbook
Common questions
Deep, Deep Stream, Lelimoj: what kind of song is this?
It is a youth game and ring-dance song with a courtship coloring, sung with the refrain "lelimoj."
What does taking the rings mean?
A ring is a sign of love and betrothal in songs, so taking it is understood as a playful courtship or pairing game.
Why is the song repeated in reverse?
It has a mirror structure: first the sisters decide to drive away the brothers, then the brothers do the same to the sisters. This role exchange is typical of youth ring-games.
What does the refrain "lelimoj" mean?
It is a sung refrain with no independent lexical meaning. Repeated after every line, it sustains the rhythm of the ring-game.