Saddle the Horses, Brothers lyrics and meaning
Balnokim, broliai, žirgus, /3x
Reiks karan joti. /2x2
Paduok, sesule, kardą, /3x
Reiks priešą kirsti. /2x2
O jeigu aš negrįšiu, /3x
Žirgelis parneš. /2x2
Ant mano smėlio kapo /3x
Berželis žaliuos. /2x2
O tam žaliam beržely /3x
Gegulė kukuos. /2x2
O toj raiboj gegulėj /3x
Širdelė plazdės. /2x2
O toj mažoj širdelėj /3x
Visa Lietuva. /2x2
O toj visoj Lietuvoj /3x
Lietuviai dainuos. /2x2
Saddle the Horses, Brothers: song interpretation
This song can be understood as a patriotic war song linking departure for battle with Lithuania's endurance. At the beginning, the brothers are urged to saddle the horses because they must ride to war, and the sister is asked to hand over the sword for striking the enemy. Horse and sword here mark the warrior's readiness and duty.
The song then speaks of possible death: if the warrior does not return, the horse will bring him back, and a birch will green over his sandy grave. This image can be read as calm acceptance of death for the homeland. The birch on the grave marks memory and the continuation of life.
The ending is built as a stepped chain: in the birch the cuckoo will call, in the cuckoo a heart will flutter, in that heart all Lithuania will fit, and throughout Lithuania Lithuanians will sing. This image can be understood as the idea that even in the heart of a fallen soldier the nation lives on, continuing through song. That is one possible meaning, but the patriotic and sacrificial motif is clear.
Saddle the Horses, Brothers: symbols and phrases
- Horse and sword
- The saddled horse and handed-over sword mark a warrior's readiness for battle and open the war-song narrative.
- Sandy grave and birch
- The green birch growing over the warrior's grave marks memory and the continuation of life after death.
- Cuckoo
- The cuckoo calling in the birch is a frequent sign of mourning and the soul. It joins the motifs of death and memory.
- All Lithuania in the heart
- A stepped image in which the warrior's heart contains all Lithuania. It expresses national continuity through song.
Saddle the Horses, Brothers: song history
"Saddle the Horses, Brothers" belongs to military-historical, patriotic songs that join departure for battle with the longevity of the nation. The song uses images typical of the genre: horses are saddled and a sword is handed over; possible death is anticipated (if the warrior does not return, the horse will bring him back); a birch grows on a sandy grave; and the cuckoo calls as a sign of memory and mourning. The repeated performance markings support a marching, resolute rhythm.
The exact place and date of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented through its genre features. The stepped closing chain - cuckoo in the birch, heart in the cuckoo, all Lithuania in the heart, Lithuanians singing throughout Lithuania - is strongly patriotic, so the song likely belongs to a newer national-revival layer that adopted imagery from older war songs.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- D. Krištopaitė. Lietuvių karinės-istorinės dainos, Vilnius 1956
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986
Saddle the Horses, Brothers: sources
Saddle the Horses, Brothers: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a patriotic military-historical song linking departure for battle with Lithuania's endurance.
What do the horse and sword signify?
The saddled horse and the handed-over sword are signs of the warrior's readiness and duty, opening the war-song narrative.
What does the birch on the sandy grave mean?
The birch greening over the warrior's grave marks memory and life's continuation after death, softening the image of falling in battle.
What does the stepped ending mean?
The cuckoo calls in the birch, a heart flutters in the cuckoo, all Lithuania fits in the heart, and Lithuanians sing throughout Lithuania. The image suggests that the nation lives on through the fallen warrior and through song.