Trepute the Young Wife lyrics and meaning

This sutartinė with the refrain "trepu, treputėla, marti lelijėla" can be understood as a work song about a young wife processing flax. The lines name the actions in sequence: she sowed the flax, harrowed it, pulled it, spread it, lifted it, broke it, and spun it. The list gives the full chain of flax processing as the work of the marti.

The repeated structure, in which only the action changes, is typical of work sutartinės: it helps keep rhythm and remember the order of tasks. The refrain compares the young wife with a lily, adding tones of beauty and maidenhood to the work scene.

A second reading focuses on the fact that the entire path of flax, from sowing to spinning, is done specifically by a marti rather than simply by a girl. The song can be heard as the establishment of a new family member: through work, the young wife proves her value and her place in her husband's household. In wedding custom, the young wife could be carefully watched in her first years to see whether she knew the full range of women's work. The listed flax-processing chain therefore becomes a symbolic proof of maturity and acceptance. The refrain "marti lelijėla" compares her to a lily, a sign of beauty and maidenhood, so the work song also remains a quiet praise of the bride.