It Is Evening, Green Rue lyrics and meaning
Jau vakaras
Rūta žalioj
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Laido mani
Tėvulis
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Jau vakaras
Rūta žalioj
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Laido mani
Motulė
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Jau vakaras
Rūta žalioj
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Laido mani
Brolalis
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Jau vakaras
Rūta žalioj
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
Laido mani
sesulė
Doradlyvoj
Palaisk mani namo
It Is Evening, Green Rue: song interpretation
This song, with its repeated refrain, can be understood as an evening song in which someone asks to be allowed to go home. At the beginning comes "It is evening, green rue" and the request "let me go home." Evening marks the time for dispersing, while green rue is a frequent sign of a girl and her chastity.
Each stanza names a family member who allows her to go home: father, mother, brother, sister. This listing can be read as the consent of the whole family to release the singer from a gathering or from work.
The repeated refrain and request create a calm, almost ritual mood. The song can be understood as a leaving song addressed to each member of the family. This is one possible meaning, but the evening and homecoming motif is clear.
It Is Evening, Green Rue: symbols and phrases
- Evening
- The day moving toward its close, the time to disperse. It begins the request to be released home.
- Green rue
- The green rue in the refrain, a frequent sign of the girl and chastity. It accompanies the whole song.
- "Let me go home"
- The repeated request to be released home. It is the axis of the song and the appeal to the family.
- Father, mother, brother, sister
- The family members named one by one as allowing the singer to go home. They mark the consent of the whole household.
It Is Evening, Green Rue: song history
"It Is Evening, Green Rue" belongs to youth songs performed at gatherings or evening parties, and by its structure it resembles a song of dispersal. The whole song is built as a chain listing family members: in each stanza the same request, "let me go home," is repeated with a new household member, father, mother, brother, sister, while the stable refrain "green rue, doradlyvoj" maintains a calm, almost ritual rhythm.
The exact time and place of recording are not stated on this page, so the song is presented by genre. The green rue in the refrain is a common sign of the girl and her chastity in Lithuanian songs, and the sequential naming of all family members suggests that the singer waits for the entire family's consent to let her go home.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986
It Is Evening, Green Rue: sources
It Is Evening, Green Rue: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a youth song whose structure resembles a dispersal song: the singer asks to be allowed to go home, addressing each family member.
What does the refrain "green rue" mean?
Green rue is a frequent sign of a girl and her chastity in Lithuanian songs. The repeated refrain accompanies the entire song.
Why are all the family members listed?
The same request is repeated with father, mother, brother, and sister. This chain suggests the whole family's consent to let the singer go home.
What mood does the song create?
The repeated refrain and the request "let me go home" create a calm, almost ritual evening mood.