What Crashed in the Grove? (Laumės' Lullaby) lyrics and meaning
Kas girelėj trintelėj, net žemelė sudundėj.
Aaa a pa pa, Net girelė sudundėj.
Ir atskrida uodelis ir nutūpė ant šakos
Ir papūtė vėjelis ir nupuolė uodelis
Ir nupuolė uodelis, išsimušė tris dantis
Ir atskrido musiukė to uodelio sesukė
Uoj uodeli uodeli ar tu sergi negali
Ar tau reikia daktaro ar kunigo klebono
Nei man reikia daktaro, nei kunigo klebono
Cik man reikia arielkos, kad ir pusė butelkos
Dar arielkos nedavė, jau uodelis pamirė
Reikia kirvio, lopėtos, tuoj uodelį pakavos
Kap uodelį kavojo, visos vapsvos raudojo
Kap uodelį dėj duobėj, visos musės verkc pradėj
Meaning
This song can be understood as a humorous nonsense song about the death and funeral of a gnat. At the beginning something crashes in the grove so loudly that the earth rumbles. It turns out that a gnat flew in, landed on a branch, a breeze blew, and the gnat fell, knocking out three teeth. This exaggerated image can be read as a joke in which a tiny insect makes an enormous commotion.
A little fly, the gnat's sister, arrives and asks whether he is ill, whether he needs a doctor or the parish priest. The gnat answers that he needs neither doctor nor priest, but arielka, vodka, even half a bottle. This answer can be understood as a comic turn that laughs at serious matters.
Before the vodka is given, the gnat dies, and an axe and shovel are needed to bury him. At the funeral all the wasps lament and the flies begin to weep. This mock funeral can be interpreted as a cheerful parody. That is one possible meaning, but the song's humorous nonsense character is clear.
Symbols
- Gnat
- A tiny insect and the song's comic hero. He makes a great noise and dies.
- Three knocked-out teeth
- The gnat loses three teeth in the fall. It is a comic, exaggerated injury.
- Arielka instead of a doctor
- The gnat asks for vodka rather than a doctor or priest. It marks the comic turn of the song.
- Gnat's funeral
- The gnat is buried with axe and shovel while wasps and flies mourn. It is a mock, cheerful parody.
History
"What Crashed in the Grove?" belongs by content to humorous nonsense songs about the death and funeral of a gnat, and by the function named in its title, a laumės' lullaby, to soothing children's songs. Such comic "animal funeral" songs with exaggerated images - a tiny gnat making earth-shaking noise, knocking out three teeth, asking for vodka - belong to children's and game repertoires, where a small listener receives a funny, instructive plot.
No exact recording place or time is given on this page, so the song is presented through genre features; similar comic songs about insect weddings and funerals exist in various Lithuanian regions. The song's structure is held by a chain narrative, from the gnat's fall to the funeral where wasps lament and flies weep, and by the refrain "Aaa a pa pa," which recalls lullaby rocking.
Sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- P. Jokimaitienė. Lietuvių liaudies vaikų dainos, Vilnius 1970
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: Lithuanian folk songs
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: children's songs
- LLTI: Lithuanian Folk Songbook
Common questions
What Crashed in the Grove? (Laumės' Lullaby): what kind of song is this?
It is a humorous nonsense song about the death and funeral of a gnat; by title it is also classed as a soothing children's song, a laumės' lullaby.
Why does the gnat ask for vodka instead of a doctor?
It is a comic turn. Instead of a doctor or priest, the gnat asks for vodka, making serious matters exaggerated and funny.
What does the gnat's funeral with wasps and flies mean?
It is a funny animal-funeral parody. The tiny insect's death is treated as a great event with mourning insects.
Why is the song called a lullaby?
The refrain "Aaa a pa pa" recalls rocking or soothing a child, so the comic plot could be sung while calming or lulling a child.