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Swing and Lift Me lyrics and meaning

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Supkit, meskit mane jaunų Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Kad užvystčiau aukštų kalnų Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Aukštų kalnų, žalių girių Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Žalių girių, užuolinių Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Žali lapai nubirėjo Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Per upelį nutekėjo Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Teka upė rūdymuosna Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Duoda mane vargeliuosa Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Ir nudavė in vargelį Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Išbalino, kaip drobelį Ucia lylia lyliutėla. Išdžovino, kaip žuvelį Ucia lylia lyliutėla.

Second version

Supkit meskit, Supkit meskit Mane jauną, Kad užvysčiau, Kad užvysčiau Aukštą kalną, Aukštą kalną, Aukštą kalną, Žalią girią. Ant aukšto kalno, Ant aukšto kalno - Vilniaus miestelis. Dai aš nueisiu, Dai aš nueisiu Vilniaus miestelin, Dai aš nuspirksiu, Dai aš nuspirksiu Aštrias žirkleles. Dai aš nueisiu, Dai aš nueisiu Žalion girelėn, Aš pakarpysiu, Aš pakarpysiu Aukštus medelius, Aukštus medelius, Aukštus medelius, Žalius lapelius, Maž aš užvysiu, Maž aš užvysiu Tėvelio dvarą. Tėvelio dvare, Tėvelio dvare Treji varteliai. Pro vienus vartus, Pro vienus vartus Saulutė teka; Pro kitus vartus, Pro kitus vartus Mėnulis leidžias; Pro trečius vartus, Pro trečius vartus Sesulę lydi.

Meaning

This song with the refrain "ucia lylia" can be understood as the lament of a girl married far away. At the beginning she asks to be swung and thrown upward while still young, so she might glimpse the high hill, the green forest, and the oak woods. Swinging high enough to see the hill can be interpreted as longing to see the natal home.

Then the green leaves fall and flow across the stream, and the stream runs into rust-colored lowlands and gives the girl over to hardship. These images can be understood as the fading of youth and surrender to a difficult lot.

At the end it is said that she was given into hardship, whitened like linen cloth, and dried like a fish. These images can be interpreted as a woman worn down and exhausted by suffering. In the second version, the three gates of the father's manor, through which the sun rises, the moon sets, and the sister is escorted, give the wedding farewell a cosmic dimension. This is one possible meaning, but the motif of the married-away girl's hardship is clear.

Symbols

Swinging to glimpse the hill
The request to be swung high enough to see the high hill signifies longing for the natal home.
Fallen green leaves
Leaves that fall and flow away signify the fading of youth.
Whitened like linen, dried like a fish
The image of a woman worn down and exhausted by hardship marks the difficult married lot.
Three gates: sun, moon, sister's escort
The father's manor gates in the second version give the wedding farewell a cosmic ritual dimension.

History

"Swing and Lift Me" belongs to wedding farewell songs in which a girl married far away sings of her fate: she is swung ever higher so she may look toward her birth home, and then come images of hardship, whitened "like linen" and dried "like a fish." The motif of swinging connects the song with youth and spring, especially Easter swing customs, but the content, the pain of marriage departure, brings it close to family and wedding songs; the refrain "ucia lylia lyliutėla" sustains the rocking rhythm.

The exact place and time of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented through genre features. In the second variant, the image of the father's manor with three gates is developed further: through them the sun rises, the moon sets, and the sister is escorted away. This gives the farewell a cosmic, ritual measure often found in wedding songs.

Sources