Who Fell Asleep in the Garden? lyrics and meaning

O kas sodely pamigo,
aleliumai rūtela, pamigo

Laputė sodely pamigo
O kas ajo budzyca
Kiškucis ajo budzyca

Kelkis, lapute, nemiegok
Jau strielčiukai atjojo
Ir šautuvus užtaisė
Aš strielčiukų nebijau
Mesiu šuolį per sodų
O tų antrų per laukų
O tų trecių girelėn

O kas klėtelėj pamigo
Sesutė klėtelėj pamigo
O kas ajo budzyca
Brolalis ajo budzyca

Kelkis, sesute, nemiegok
Jau bernelis atjojo
Aš bernelio nebijau
Ir vardelį jo žinau

Who Fell Asleep in the Garden?: song interpretation

This song with the refrain "aleliumai rūtela" can be understood as a parallel song linking a hunted fox and a sister under courtship pressure. At the beginning a fox falls asleep in the garden and is awakened by a little hare: rise, the hunters have already arrived and loaded their guns. The fox answers that it is not afraid and will leap over the garden, over the field, and into the forest. This part can be read as a hunting image.

In the second part the sister falls asleep in the granary and is awakened by her brother: rise, the young man has arrived. The sister answers that she is not afraid, because she knows his name. This part can be understood as a courtship image.

The two parts are built in parallel, so the fox's and sister's situations reflect one another. The comparison can be interpreted as the likeness between a hunted animal and a girl facing courtship pressure, and as the courage of both. That is one possible meaning, but the parallel hunting and courtship motif is clear.

A second interpretation is also possible. Given the refrain "aleliumai rūtela" and the mention of rue, the song may be read as an older ritual or game song. Refrains of the aleliumai type occur in Advent and youth-entertainment songs, while rue marks a girl's youth and chastity. In that case, the image of waking from sleep may have not only narrative but also game or circle-dance function, where the girl herself is "awakened" in song. This does not change the main courtship meaning, but it explains the archaic refrain and parallel structure.

Who Fell Asleep in the Garden?: symbols and phrases

Fox in the garden
The sleeping fox awakened by the hare corresponds to the sister's situation.
Hunters with guns
The mounted hunters with loaded guns mark danger, corresponding to the young man in the second part.
Sister in the granary
The sister sleeping in the granary and awakened by her brother represents the girl facing courtship pressure.
"I am not afraid, I know his name"
The sister's confident answer shows trust, because the arriving young man is known rather than a stranger.

Who Fell Asleep in the Garden?: song history

"Who Fell Asleep in the Garden?" belongs to courtship and youth songs that use allegorical parallelism: the first part tells of a sleeping fox awakened by a hare and threatened by arriving hunters, while the second tells of a sleeping sister awakened by her brother because the young man has arrived. The two parts are built as mirrors, so the hunted animal's situation and the girl's courtship pressure reflect one another. The repeated refrain "aleliumai rūtela" sustains the singing rhythm and joins the parts.

The exact recording place and time are not given on this page, so the song is presented through genre traits. The refrain with "aleliumai" and the mention of rue are known features of older ritual singing, including Advent and youth gatherings, so beneath the courtship story there may also be an older circle-game or play layer.

sources

  • Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, vols. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
  • Catalogue of Lithuanian Folk Songs, 6 vols., Vilnius 1972-1986

Who Fell Asleep in the Garden?: sources