The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter lyrics and meaning
Žadi žvirblis dukter duoti,
Žad alų daryti ---
: Iš pusantru miežiu grūdu
Penkias bačkas pyvu. :
Kad aš ėjau pamarėliais
Raštelį rašydams, :
Ir atbėgu juods laivelis
Po šilkų žėgleliu. :
Tam laively, tam juodamjam,
Brangus tavorėlis:
: Žalių šilkų mastininkų
Marškinėliams siūti. :
Žalių šilkų mastininkų
Marškinėliams siūti,
: Meirunėlių pumpurėliai---
Vainikėliams pinti. :
O ni auksu, ni cidabru,
Ni brangių žemčiūgų,
: Manu žalias vainikėlis
Jovaru žiedelių. :
The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter: song interpretation
This song can be understood as one that joins a comic opening with praise of the wreath. At the beginning the sparrow promises to give away his daughter and to make five barrels of beer from one and a half barley grains. This exaggeration can be interpreted as a humorous opening.
Then, by the seashore, a black boat arrives under silk sails, and in it is precious merchandise: green silks for sewing shirts, sweet marjoram buds for weaving wreaths. These images can be understood as a picture of luxury and ornaments.
At the end it is said that neither gold, nor silver, nor precious pearls can be exchanged for the girl's green wreath of sycamore-maple blossoms. This refusal can be interpreted as a sign of the value of maidenhood, which cannot be bought. That is one possible meaning, but the motif of the wreath as an inexchangeable sign of maidenhood is clear.
The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter: symbols and phrases
- Sparrow giving his daughter
- The sparrow who promises beer from one and a half grains. He marks the humorous opening.
- Black boat with silk sails
- A boat arriving by the shore with precious cargo. It marks a picture of luxury.
- Green silks and sweet marjoram buds
- Ornaments for shirts and wreaths. They mark beauty and wealth.
- Wreath of sycamore-maple blossoms
- The girl's green wreath, not exchangeable for gold. It marks the unpurchasable value of maidenhood.
The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter: song history
"The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter" connects a humorous opening with the praise of the wreath, a motif typical of wedding songs. The opening exaggeration - the sparrow promises his daughter and makes five barrels of beer from one and a half barley grains - is a talalinė, a joke-song formula, while the ending's claim that the girl's green wreath cannot be exchanged for gold, silver, or pearls introduces the main wedding motif.
No exact recording place or time is given on the page, so the song is described through genre features. The opposition between the wreath as an unpurchasable sign of maidenhood and valuables such as gold, silver, and pearls is common in Lithuanian wedding lyric; here it is intensified by images of luxury - a black boat with silk sails, green silks for shirts, and sweet marjoram buds for wreaths - which show that no luxury equals the value of the wreath itself.
sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- A. Juška. Lietuviškos svotbinės dainos, 2 vols., Vilnius 1955
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986
The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter: sources
The Sparrow Promises to Give His Daughter: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a wedding song with a humorous opening. Its main motif is the maidenhood wreath, which no treasure can buy.
Why does the sparrow promise a daughter and beer from one and a half grains?
This is a talalinė, a joking formula built on exaggeration. It begins the song playfully before the serious wreath motif appears.
What does the wreath of sycamore-maple blossoms mean?
It is a sign of the girl's maidenhood and honor. The song stresses that it cannot be exchanged for gold, silver, or pearls.
What do the black boat, silk sails, and precious cargo mean?
They create an image of luxury - green silks for shirts and sweet marjoram buds for wreaths - contrasting with the green wreath that cannot be bought.