Men Sit at the Table lyrics and meaning

Sėdi vyrai užu stalo kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

O moterys ant uslano kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

Geria vyrai arielkėle kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

O moterys saldų vyną kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

Geria vyrai iš čierkelių kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

O moterys iš kupkelių kalėda,
Želk želmuo po žirgeliu kalėda.

Men Sit at the Table: song interpretation

This song, with the refrain "kalėda, may the shoot grow under the horse," can be understood as a festive song of the Advent and Christmas season. At the beginning men sit at the table, while women sit on the bench. This image can be interpreted as a gathered company during a feast.

The song then describes how the men drink arielka, vodka, and the women sweet wine; the men drink from small glasses and the women from cups. These images can be understood as a feast scene, distinguishing the drinks and vessels of men and women.

The refrain "may the shoot grow under the horse" wishes for green growth. This refrain can be interpreted as a wish for harvest and fertility, typical of ritual Christmas songs. That is one possible meaning, but the festive feast character of the song is clear.

A second interpretive angle is also possible. The emphasis on the pairing of men and women - their places, drinks, and vessels - allows the song to be read not only as a feast scene but as a ritualized singing of community order. The seating of the Christmas gathering and the "kalėda" refrain become signs of ceremonial harmony, while the wish for the green shoot promises prosperity for the coming year. In this reading, the song is not simply about drinking, but a kalėdojimas song of blessing. This remains an inference, but the ritual refrain supports it.

Men Sit at the Table: symbols and phrases

Men at the table, women on the bench
The gathered festive company. They mark a communal feast.
Arielka and sweet wine
The drinks of men and women. They mark the singing of feast customs.
Čierkelės and kupkelės
Small glasses and cups used for drinking. They mark the vessels of the feast table.
"May the shoot grow under the horse"
A refrain wishing green growth. It marks a blessing for harvest and fertility.

Men Sit at the Table: song history

"Men Sit at the Table" belongs to calendrical ritual songs: each line ends with the refrain "kalėda," followed by the wish "May the shoot grow under the horse," clearly connecting the song with the Christmas-season repertoire in which festive feasting is sung. The text is composed of steady comparisons between men and women - men sit at the table and drink arielka from small glasses, while women sit on the bench and drink sweet wine from cups.

The exact recording place and time are not given on this page, so the song is presented by genre features, especially the ritual "kalėda" refrain and the singing of the feast. The repeated harvest wish "May the shoot grow under the horse" shows that beneath the festive feast image lies a wish for fertility and prosperity, characteristic of Christmas visiting and blessing songs.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • N. Laurinkienė. Mito atšvaitai lietuvių kalendorinėse dainose, Vilnius 1990
  • Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986

Men Sit at the Table: sources