The Young Man Ploughed the Field lyrics and meaning

Arė bernas dirvełį,
kraiviai varė vagełi

Ok ly da liuly, kraiviai varė vagełį.

Aina merga kelaliu:
Padėk, dzieve, berneliu.

Nedzyvykie, mergela,
kraiva mano vagełė.

Kraiva mano vagełė,
sena mano žagrełė.

Sena mano žagrełė,
jauni mano jauteliai.

Jauni mano jauteliai,
maži mani meteliai.

The Young Man Ploughed the Field: song interpretation

This song, written down in Dzūkian dialect forms, can be understood as a work song with a gentle note of excuse. A young man is ploughing a little field, but he drives a crooked furrow; a girl passing by notices him and offers the blessing, "May God help you, young man." The refrain "Ok ly da liuly" gives the song a melodic, rhythmic sound.

The young man asks the girl not to wonder that his furrow is crooked, and he gives the reasons: his plough is old, his oxen are young, and his own years are still few. This excuse can be read as the confession of a young, inexperienced ploughman who does not yet have either skill or proper tools.

The obstacles are named step by step - an old plough, young oxen, few years - creating a sympathetic and slightly humorous portrait of the young man. The song can be understood as being about youth and learning to work. That is one possible reading, but the motif of the young ploughman's inexperience is plainly visible.

The Young Man Ploughed the Field: symbols and phrases

Crooked furrow
The crookedly ploughed furrow shows the young man's inexperience. It becomes the center of his whole explanation.
Zagre, the old plough
A traditional plough used for tilling. The old plough is given as one cause of the crooked furrow.
Young oxen
Young, not yet well-trained oxen have difficulty pulling the plough. They strengthen the image of youth and inexperience.
"My years are few"
A phrase about the young man's age. It explains the mishap and creates a sympathetic tone.

The Young Man Ploughed the Field: song history

"The Young Man Ploughed the Field" belongs to work songs, more specifically ploughing songs, in which a ploughman is shown with his plough and oxen. The refrain "Ok ly da liuly" and the gradual chaining of stanzas, where each stanza repeats the end of the previous one, maintain a rhythmic sung movement that would suit work.

The exact place and time of this version are not given on the page, so the song is presented through its genre features; the dialectal spelling ("dirveli," "vageli," "zagrele") points to Dzūkian origin. The young man's explanation for the crooked furrow - an old plough, young oxen, and his own young age - creates a sympathetic, somewhat humorous image of an inexperienced ploughman.

sources

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

The Young Man Ploughed the Field: sources