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The Sun Has Set (Lullaby) lyrics and meaning

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Jau Saulutė nusileido Už aukštų kalnų Mik vaikeli mik mažuti Čiūčia liūlia liū Tu moki pirmą žodį Mama-aa Ir moki verkti ūū-ūū Mik vaikeli mik mažuti Čiūčia liūlia liū Danguje žvaigždutė švyti Ir aplink tamsu Mik vaikeli mik mažuti Čiūčia liūlia liū Bet aš žinau tik žodį Mama-aa Ir moku verkti ūū-ūū Mik vaikeli mik mažuti Čiūčia liūlia liū

Meaning

This song can be understood as a lullaby sung to put a small child to sleep. At the beginning, the sun sets behind high hills, and the quiet refrain "Ciucia liulia liu" urges the child to sleep. Sunset here marks the time of sleep and calm.

The song gently observes that the child knows only the first word, "mama," and knows how to cry. This image can be interpreted as a picture of early infancy, when the child's whole world is contained in the mother and in crying.

In the second stanza a little star shines in the sky, darkness surrounds everything, and the sleep refrain returns. The image of darkness and star can be understood as a gentle night calm in which the mother watches over the child. That is one possible meaning, but the lullaby character and maternal tenderness are clear.

Symbols

Setting sun
The sunset behind high hills marks sleep time and begins the lullaby's calm.
"Ciucia liulia liu"
A tender sleep refrain. It creates the rhythm and warmth of the lullaby.
The word "mama"
The child's first word and the center of the child's world. It marks early infancy.
Little star in the sky
The star shining in darkness creates a gentle night calm in which the mother watches over the child.

History

"The Sun Has Set" belongs to children's songs, more specifically lullabies sung while putting an infant to sleep. The whole structure rests on the repeated sleep refrain "Sleep, little child, sleep, small one, ciucia liulia liu," while the sunset behind high hills and the little star shining in darkness create a quiet night mood. These are typical lullaby images, through which the surrounding space calms together with the child.

The exact recording time and place are not given on the page, so the song is presented by genre. The tender observation that the baby knows only the first word, "mama," and how to cry reveals early infancy, in which the whole world is held in the mother; such intimate lyric attention to a small child is typical of Lithuanian lullabies.

Sources