The Sun Is Turning Westward lyrics and meaning
Jau saulutė vakaran
Maži vaikai patalan
Aaa-a-a, mažulyti,
Merk abi akyti /2×2
The Sun Is Turning Westward: song interpretation
This short song can be understood as a lullaby sung while putting small children to sleep. At the beginning the little sun turns westward, and small children are laid in bed. Sunset marks the time of sleep and evening.
The gentle refrain "Aaa-a-a, little one" and the call to close both little eyes create the rhythm of soothing a child. These words can be interpreted as a direct maternal address to a baby falling asleep.
The whole song gathers around the moment of quiet and sleep. This is one possible meaning, but its lullaby character is unmistakable.
The Sun Is Turning Westward: symbols and phrases
- Sun turning westward
- The sun moving toward evening marks sleep time and opens the lullaby's calm.
- Bedding
- The bed or bedding into which children are laid. It signifies rest and night shelter.
- "Close both little eyes"
- A direct call to shut the eyes. It is the lullaby's address to the child being soothed to sleep.
The Sun Is Turning Westward: song history
"The Sun Is Turning Westward" belongs to children's songs: it is a short lullaby sung when putting children to sleep. The entire song fits into four lines and rests on an evening image, the sun bending westward and small children being laid in bedding, together with the sleep refrain "Aaa-a-a, little one, close both little eyes." Such concision and repeated soothing sound are typical of the simplest Lithuanian lullabies.
The exact time and place of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented by genre. The direct address to the falling-asleep child, urging the child to close their eyes, focuses the whole song on calm and the moment of falling asleep.
sources
- Lithuanian Folk Songbook, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- P. Jokimaitienė. Lithuanian Children's Folk Songs, Vilnius 1970
- Catalogue of Lithuanian Folk Songs, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986
The Sun Is Turning Westward: sources
The Sun Is Turning Westward: frequently asked questions
What kind of song is this?
It is a short lullaby, a children's song sung while putting small children to sleep.
What does the refrain "Aaa-a-a, little one" do?
It is a gentle soothing refrain that creates lullaby rhythm and helps calm the child toward sleep.
What does the sun turning westward signify?
The westering sun marks evening and sleep time. Sunset begins the calm of the lullaby.
Who is told to close both little eyes?
The line directly addresses the baby or small child being put to sleep.