My Young Woman lyrics and meaning
Mėrgėli mano,
Jaunoji mano,
Ar myli mani,
Ar laikai žod(į)?
Jei myli mani,
Jei laikai žodį,
Aš tau nupirksu
Jodas kurpik(i)s.
Juodas krupikis
Tau ant kojikių.
Ak, štai padori
Mėrgėli man(a).
Mėrgėli mano,
Jaunoji mano,
Ar myli mani,
Ar laikai žod(į)?
Jei myli mani,
Jei laikai žodį,
Aš tau nupirksu
Auksa žėdėl(į).
Auksa žėdėlį
Tau ant piršėli.
Ak, štai padori
Mėrgėli man(a).
My Young Woman: song interpretation
This song can be understood as a gentle courtship song about love and fidelity. At the beginning the singer addresses the young woman and asks whether she loves him and whether she keeps her word. This question can be interpreted as a test of love and promise.
If the girl loves him and keeps her word, the young man promises to buy her black shoes for her feet. This gift can be understood as a courtship sign and a gesture of attention.
The stanza repeats, and the young man promises to buy a little gold ring for her finger. The gold ring can be interpreted as a sign of betrothal and fidelity. That is one possible meaning, but the gentle courtship and love motif is clear in the song.
My Young Woman: symbols and phrases
- "Do you love me, do you keep your word"
- The repeated question to the young woman. It marks a test of love and faithfulness.
- Black shoes
- Shoes promised as a purchase. They mark a courtship gift and attention.
- Little gold ring
- A ring promised for the finger. It marks betrothal and fidelity.
My Young Woman: song history
"My Young Woman" belongs to love and courtship songs in which love and faithfulness are tested through a repeated question and promised gifts. The song's structure rests on stanzaic parallelism: the same address, "Do you love me, do you keep your word," is repeated twice, and the answer takes the form of an increasingly precious gift - first black shoes, then a gold ring. Such progression from an everyday gift to an engagement ring is a common feature of courtship songs.
The exact place and time of recording are not stated on this page, so the song is presented by genre features. The gold ring on the finger is a sign of faithfulness and betrothal, while the recurring refrain-like phrase "Ah, here is my proper young woman" maintains the rhythm and the song's tender, playful tone.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, t. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 t., Vilnius 1972-1986
My Young Woman: sources
My Young Woman: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a gentle love and courtship song in which a young man tests a girl's love and faithfulness by promising gifts.
Why is the question "do you love me, do you keep your word" repeated?
The repetition is the axis of the song: it tests the girl's love and promise and introduces each promised gift.
What do the promised gifts mark?
The gifts progress from black shoes to a gold ring. They are signs of courtship attention, with the ring as the most precious.
What does the gold ring on the finger mean?
In folk songs, a gold ring marks betrothal and fidelity. It is the song's culmination and confirmation of love.