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I Will Go to That Land lyrics and meaning

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Vai aš aisiu ton šalalėn Kur čiulba ulba paukšteliai Graina volungėlė ir lakštingalėlė, Graina volungėlė ir lakštingalėlė. Ir tėvulis ateidamas Už rankelių suimdamas Verksi tu dukrela, verks tavo širdelė, Verksi tu dukrela, verks tavo širdelė. Nor aš verksiu, bet ne viena Žilavosiu ne aš viena, Verksi tu tėvuli, dalalį skirdamas, Verksi tu tėvuli, dalalį skirdamas. Jir motulė ateidama, Už rankelių suimdama, Verksi tu dukrela, verks tavo širdelė, Verksi tu dukrela, verks tavo širdelė. Nor aš verksiu, bet ne viena Žilavosiu ne aš viena, Verksi tu motula, šarvelį duodama, Verksi tu motula, šarvelį duodama. Jir sesula ateidama, Už rankelių suimdama, Verksi tu sesula, verks tavo širdelė, Verksi tu sesula, verks tavo širdelė. Nor aš verksiu, bet ne viena Žilavosiu ne aš viena, Verksi tu sesula, vainiką pingama, Verksi tu sesula, vainiką pingama. Jir brolalis ateidamas, Už rankelių suimdamas, Verksi tu sesula, verks tavo širdelė, Verksi tu sesula, verks tavo širdelė. Nor aš verksiu, bet ne viena Žilavosiu ne aš viena, Verksi tu brolali, žirgų kinkydamas, Verksi tu brolali, žirgų kinkydamas. Jir bernelis ateidamas, Už rankelių suimdamas, Verksi tu mergela, verks tavo širdelė, Verksi tu mergela, verks tavo širdelė. Nor aš verksiu, bet ne viena Žilavosiu ne aš viena, Verksi tu berneli, prie mano šalalės, Verksi tu berneli, prie mano šalalės.

Meaning

This song can be understood as a bride's farewell song. At the beginning, the girl says she will go to that land where birds sing, the oriole and nightingale give voice. This image can be interpreted as the new home into which she is marrying.

Then comes the repeated sequence: father, mother, sister, brother, and young man come to her, take her by the hands, and say that she will weep. Each time, the girl answers that she will not weep alone: the father will weep as he divides her share, the mother as she gives the dowry, the sister as she braids the wreath, and the brother as he harnesses the horses. These images can be understood as the whole family's participation in the wedding rites.

The weeping of all the relatives can be interpreted as shared pain of parting at marriage. That is one possible meaning, but the bride's farewell and the wedding-ritual motifs are clear.

Symbols

Land where birds sing
The place to which the girl is marrying. It signifies her new home.
Father dividing the share
The father assigning the daughter's portion and weeping signifies both wedding duty and separation.
Mother giving dowry, sister braiding wreath
Relatives preparing the dowry and wreath signify the end of maidenhood and the preparations for departure.
Brother harnessing horses
The brother preparing the horses for the wedding journey signifies the bride's removal from home.

History

"I Will Go to That Land" belongs to wedding songs, specifically to the bride's farewell or sending-off songs. The song is built through systematic repetition: one after another, the father, mother, sister, brother, and young man approach the bride, take her by the hands, and say that she will weep; each time she answers that she will not weep alone, because each relative will also weep while performing a wedding duty. This gradual naming of kin and repetition of formula are among the most typical features of wedding ritual songs.

The exact recording place and time are not given on the page, so the song is presented by genre; dialectal forms such as "aisiu," "šalalė," "dukrela," and "žilavosiu" point to a living oral tradition. The father dividing the bride's share, the mother giving the dowry, the sister braiding the wreath, and the brother harnessing the horses reflect real wedding ritual roles, so the song effectively lists the bride's whole sending-off sequence.

Sources