Oh, Little Swallow lyrics and meaning

Oi tu, kregždela, /2x
Mėlyna paukštela.

Oi ko išlėkei /2x
Iš žalios girelės.

Iš žalios girelės, /2x
Iš šilko lizdelio.

Iš šilko lizdelio, /2x
Nuog mažų vaikelių.

Ne pati išlėkiau, /2x
Štarelis išvarė

Štarelis išvarė /2x
Iš žalios girelės.

Iš žalios girelės, /2x
Iš šilko lizdelio.

Iš šilko lizdelio, /2x
Nuog mažų vaikelių.

Oi tu, mergela, /2x
Mergele, jaunoji.

Oi ko išėjai /2x
Iš tėvo dvarelio

Iš tėvo dvarelio, /2x
Nuog brolių, seselių

Ne pati išėjau, /2x
Bernelis išvedė.

Bernelis išvedė /2x
Iš tėvo dvarelio

Iš tėvo dvarelio, /2x
Nuog brolių, seselių.

Oh, Little Swallow: song interpretation

This song can be understood as a parallel song comparing the swallow and the young woman. At the beginning the little swallow, a blue bird, is asked why she flew out of the green forest, out of the silk nest, away from the little children. These images can be interpreted as the leaving of a warm home.

The swallow answers that she did not fly out by herself, but was driven out by the štarelis. This answer can be understood as a forced departure, not by her own will.

The same structure is then transferred to the young woman: she is asked why she left her father's manor, away from brothers and sisters, and she answers that she did not leave by herself, but was led out by the young man. This parallel can be interpreted as marriage understood as being led out from the birth home. That is one possible meaning, but the parallel between swallow and young woman is clear.

Oh, Little Swallow: symbols and phrases

Little swallow
The blue little bird that has flown from its nest. It parallels the girl leaving home.
Silk nest
The swallow's warm dwelling with its little children. It marks the beloved birth home.
Štarelis
The force that drives the swallow out of the forest. It parallels the young man who leads the girl away.
"I did not leave by myself"
The girl's departure is not shown as entirely voluntary. It marks marriage as being led away from the parents' home.

Oh, Little Swallow: song history

"Oh, Little Swallow" belongs to wedding songs about the bride's departure from her parents' home. The song is made of two parallel parts: the first asks the swallow why she flew from the green forest, from the silk nest, away from her little children; the second transfers the same structure to the girl leaving her father's manor, brothers, and sisters. Such parallelism between nature and human life - bird and girl - is a fundamental principle of Lithuanian song imagery.

The exact place and time of recording are not stated on this page, so the song is presented according to genre features. Both parts stress that departure happens not by one's own will: the swallow was "driven out by the štarelis," while the girl was "led out by the young man." This motif of marriage as a forced leading away from the birth home is especially typical of bride's farewell songs, variants of which have been recorded in different regions.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, t. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • A. Juška. Lietuviškos svotbinės dainos, 2 t., Vilnius 1955
  • Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 t., Vilnius 1972-1986

Oh, Little Swallow: sources