Let Us Go, Girls, Let Us Go, Boys lyrics and meaning

Aisim, mergos, aisim, bernai, kalėda
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu, kalėda x2

Aisim bernai duonos prašyc, kalėda
Juozas smagus --- vartų kiloc,kalėda
Petras dužas --- terbų nešioc, kalėda
Jonas prašnus --- dešrų prašyc, kalėda
Šimas greitas --- šunų vaikyc, kalėda

Let Us Go, Girls, Let Us Go, Boys: song interpretation

This song is most likely a caroling song from the Advent or Christmas season, as the constantly repeated refrain "kaleda" suggests. Carolers went through the village from house to house, singing wishes of abundance and health, and in return received food and drink. The line "Let us go, girls, let us go, boys" can be understood as a call for young women and young men to set out together on that ritual round.

The refrain about a sprout growing under the horse is tied to wishes for fertility and growth: the sprouting shoot, the young grain blade, is a sign of a new cycle of life. In this context the image may mean a blessing that in the coming year everything should sprout, grow, and bear fruit.

The second part playfully assigns roles: Juozas lifts the gate, Petras carries the bag, Jonas asks for sausages, and Šimas drives away the dogs. This can be read as a humorous picture of a caroling group in which each young man has his task. Such joking is typical of ritual visiting songs. This is one possible interpretation, but the caroling mood and the wish for abundance are clear.

Let Us Go, Girls, Let Us Go, Boys: symbols and phrases

Kaleda
A recurring refrain associated with the winter holiday caroling rite. It may be understood both as a sign of the feast itself and as a wish that brings abundance.
Sprouting grain
A germinating grain shoot, which in folk culture signifies life, growth, and the future harvest. In the refrain it becomes a fertility blessing.
Terba, the carolers' bag
A shoulder bag or sack into which carolers placed the food they received. Here it points to the custom of walking and collecting gifts.
"Aisim"
A dialectal form of "we will go." It preserves living speech and gives the song an everyday, urging sound.

Let Us Go, Girls, Let Us Go, Boys: song history

The song belongs to calendar ritual songs, more precisely to Christmas caroling songs sung during Advent and the Christmas season by groups walking through the village from house to house. The repeated refrain "kaleda" and the wishes for abundance and harvest are the main markers of this custom; in return for the song and blessings, the carolers received treats.

The stanza that distributes roles, with one person lifting the gate, another carrying the bag, a third asking for sausages, and a fourth driving off dogs, reflects the real composition of a caroling group, where everyone had a duty; here it is presented with humor. The page gives no exact recording data, so the song is discussed by genre.

sources

  • Lithuanian Folk Songbook, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • N. Laurinkiene. Reflections of Myth in Lithuanian Calendar Songs, Vilnius 1990
  • Catalogue of Lithuanian Folk Songs, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986

Let Us Go, Girls, Let Us Go, Boys: sources