Translations

Since the album Na Zdrave! doesn’t have any translations in the booklet, you can find many of them here on this page!  The translations for songs which appear on both disks will appear only in the “Disk One” section.

Disk One:

1. Shto Mi e Milo – How happy I am to live in the village of Struga, where I have a little shop, and I can sit in the window and watch the women go down to the well, with their many-colored pitchers, to laugh and talk with their friends.

2. Shto e Ludo Son Sonilo – A young man dreams of a girl who brings him water, but wo is gone when he wakes.  In his disappointment, he takes a dagger to stab himself.  His pillow says to him, “don’t do it!”

3. Pevano Kolo – Hey bachelors, spread wide your sleeves and dance with me. In vain is fine bedding if only bachelors sleep in it. You can judge the calf by the bull and I know you, my black-headed darling by your spotted bull. Bizovatz is the best city in Slovenia. The lamp is lit, the fire is burning, and mama wants a rich son-in-law.

4. Dilmano Dilbero – “Can you teach me to push the peppers so that they flower, and bear much fruit, and I can have as much as I wish?”

5. Mimiche Malo Xubavo – Coming soon!

6. Polegala Trava Detela – The clover is lodged.  Red flowers, pink rose, my beautiful green field.  The proud girl who will harvest me.  Whatever she cuts will feed the horses.

7. Bela Boya – Beautiful Boya, lovely as a white rose, was sitting on a bench in the barn.  There was a knock at the door and she rose to answer it.  “We’re not strangers,” they called, “we are your people!” So she opened the door and they stole her away.

8. Mujo Kuje – Mujo is shoeing his horse in the moonlight.  Mujo is shoeing his horse and his mother is scolding him.  “Oh, my son, Mujo, long life to you.  Why are you shoeing your horse in the moonlight, and not in the daylight when there is sunshine?” Mujo says, “Oh, mother, don’t scold young Mujo.  You know how I feel when I think of my beloved.  I see neither the sun nor the moon and my horse doesn’t notices the darkness nor the storm clouds nor the cold waters of the River Drina.”

9. Karshi Barchina – Coming Soon!

10. Ladarke Idu V Selo – We carry a green wreath of wild rose branches with three golden apples n it.  Let us take the first and plant it in our field, so that we may grow much grain, so that we may five wagon, so that the village may be happy.  To each house a young bride. To each boy a young maiden.  Give this to us Lado, beautiful Lado!

11. Zaspala Ye Fida – Fida fell asleep under a white rose-bush.  A young man came by and stole her necklace.  What will Fida tell her mother and father about the necklace?

12. Stoyan Ide Ot Grad, Ot Tsarigrad – Coming Soon!

13. Tevten Kate – The moon shines…Whose round dance is the most beautiful?  The girls’ round dance is the most beautiful.

14. Dali Tsurni Ochi Niamam? – Coming Soon!

15. Dunayetska Voda – A Woman signs to her lover from many years ago…Dunayets, Dunayets, waters of the Dunayets.  She goes through the valley, mountain beauty.  Where I will sing in the quietness of the valley, you will hear me, boy, but you will not recognize me.  I will not be good for Jan…I did not put things right with my former lover.  The ground is flooded with water.  Hey, Jan, what a rebel you are!  You are cutting trees for a forest path.  (Note: The lack of linear narrative may suggest that it is a medley of three different songs.)

16. Minkaye – Minka is dear to her mother.  Her mother does not need to wake her up early.  Minka gets up early, fetches the water early, sweeps the yard early, fetches water early.  Her friends come to the house and say to her, “Dear Minka, white rose, why do you get up early and fetch water?” Minka answers, “My dear friends, my beautiful ones, my mother is marrying me off young.  She is giving me away.  I am sad because I am so fond of my little garden and the early blooming basil.”

17. Gujgo Junache – Gujgo’s aunt says to him, “Gujgo, brave Gujgo.  come to my village.  Have I got a girl for you!”

18. Ovdovjala Lissichkata – A mother ox says to her cubs: “My little ones, where will I see you next?  In a hunter’s bag?  On a the butcher’s table?  Around a rich woman’s neck?”

19. Bre Petrunko – “Hey, Petrunka!  We keep looking, but nowhere is there a xoro to be found, except in your village, where there are three!” Petrunka is leading the first xoro, and up comes a young man to join it.  Instead of joining in the middle, like he should, he joins right at the head, next to Petrunka, and he is so clumsy that he knocks the flowers from her hair and splashes mud all over her slippers.

20. Svatba – “Hey, Is that a fog I see?” “No!  It’s the dust kicked up from a wedding party!”

21. Uwani – Oh, Uians, you brightly painted children, many maidens would chase after you.  Many maidens and many windows would be ready to chase after you!  She was standing by the window, waving her handkerchief.  “Come back, Jasienku!  I will love you!”

22. Tsmindao Ghmerto – Holy God, Almighty one, pray for us.

23. Rumena Si – You are a rosy orange!  Were you born on an orange tree?  No, I was not born on an orange tree; but my dearest mother bore me.  I was cradled in the beech tree, Stormy winds rocked me, from the Uchke to the sea.

24. Dove Song – Jana lied to the Turk, little dove.  Jokingly she lied to him.  The Turk said to Yana, “Come away with me to my white palace.”  Yana said to the Turk, “I will never be the wife of a Turk.”

25. Prekhvrukna Ptichka – The bird flies over the courtyard, over the white rose, lightly fluttering, quietly calling: “I am coming, young bride, to bring you great joy.  The fields are flat, and full of grain, the black-headed ewes have all given birth to twins, the bees have formed new hives, and all the little children are lively and healthy.”

Disk Two

2. Dragana I Slavei – Dragana sits in the garden near the white rose-bush, singing softly to herself.  The nightingale hears her and challenges her to a singing contest.  “I will sing, and try to outsing you.  If you outsing me you may cut off my wings.  But if I outsing you, I will cut off your hair.”  Dragana outsings the nightingale, who pleads with her, “Please cut off my feet instead, do not cut off my wings, for I have a little family!” “Oh, nightingale,” says Dragana, “keep your wings and fly home to your family.  It is enough just to have outsung the nightingale.”

3. Oi Čorna – I have been dark since I fell in love with dark Ivan.  He is tall and slender and wears an embroidered shirt.  He says. “I love you, Marusia.  I love your beauty.  I love to watch you go for water.”  I cried and cried at the train station as I told Ivan goodbye.  On the hill there are two trees, both green.  Ivan and I are also alike.  Both dark.

4. Bezrodna Nevesta – A Cuckoo is crying over the village, mother, or perhaps it’s not a cuckoo but a barren bride. Kolu has nine daughters-in-law, and all of them have children, except for Radolinka. It is Easter time, and the mother-in-law urges everyone to go outside, except for Radolinka–she has to stay at home and take care of her husband.

5. Ja Urani – Coming Soon!

6. Muri Zajeni Se Ghiuro – Hey, Gyuro is getting married.  Hey, it’s been three months looking for a girl.  Hey, he went to the town of Sofia.  Hey, he fell in love with white-breasted Yanka.  Hey, her eyes are two black cherries.  Hey, her brows are sea leeches.  Hey, as she sits she’s like the shining sun.  Her figure – like a young sapling in a garden.  Her hair – like silken threads and her cheeks – like rose petals.

7. Nainina – The rose was asked, “What has created you thus, so beautiful in form?  It’s strange that you should be covered in thorns.  Why is it difficult to find you?”  The rose replied, “You find the sweet through the bitter.  It’s better to pay such a price, for when the beauty has lost its value it’s not worth even a dried piece of fruit.”

8. Slavonska Poskochitsa – The world has tricked me enough through these blue eyes of mine.  It’s nice to love an older one but sweeter to kiss a younger one.  I’m not a rowdy bachelor, but they say I am–so I’ll be anyway.  It’s nice when the tambura plays, even nicer when my sweetheart smiles.  Every young girl loves the tamburica player but the bass player is loved by girls and women alike.  It’s nice to kiss in the plum grove, grass below and above, blue plums.

9. Spava Mi Se – I lay down to sleep, mother, but I couldn’t. I was dreaming about the neighbor, her fair white hands and her hair like peacock feathers. Oh Mother, please give me her hand, or I will run away to Dobrudja.

10. Oy Senyushka – Coming Soon!

11. Vecheryai Rado – Coming Soon!

12. Erghen Deda – The old man decides he wants to go to the dance, so he dresses up as a young man.  But when he arrives, all the young girls run away, except for the littlest one, Angelina.  Poor Angelina.

13. Lepi Juro – Handsome George lays the fire on the eve of St. George’s Day.  With his right hand, he lays the fire, and with his left hand he weaves the wreath.

14. E Muri Rushke – Majka Mara called to her mother while doing the laundry.  “Mother, what are you doing?”  “I was watching the Kupa and the Korana rivers.  The Kupa was bringing sticks and rocks and the Koranu was bringing unmarried men.”

15. Reche Mama – A young girl’s mother is trying to marry her off, but can’t decide to whom.  The girl rejects the carpenter because he is ashen-faced, and the grocer because he is mousey, but she likes the idea of the bagpipe player, and when he plays, she dances.

16. Zvunche Drunka – Can you hear that bell ringing in the thick forest? That’s not a bell, that’s a girl! How beautiful!

19. Ajde Jano – Come, Jana, dance the Kolo!  Sell the horse, sell the house: only dance.

20. Kaval Sviri – A piper is playing in the village.  Oh mother, if that piper is from our village, I will love him from today ’til tomorrow around noon.  If he is from a neighboring village, though, I’ll love him my whole life.

21. Vetar Ve – Coming Soon!

22. Shto Ti Se Maika – “Why does your mother scold you in the evenings?  Is it because you don’t get up early to light the fire and sweep?”
“No, it’s because when you walk by our courtyard you play your pipes, the dog barks, and you stomp and break the cobblestones.”
“Then I’ll walk down a different street.  But that means I’ll have to love someone else.”
“Oh, no, walk as you usually walk, stomp as you usually stomp.  Let mother scold.  She is old, and has forgotten what it is to be young.”

24. Vido, Vido – Vida’s mother says to her, “Vida, my daughter, the pipes are playing the xoro.  Go dress yourself, and get ready to dance lightly and briskly.  Bloom for me among the girls like a hollyhock in the garden, shine for me among the bos like the bright sun in the sky.” Vida softly answers, “Oh, mother, how can I adorn my slender body?  How can I dance the xoro?  My love is with his battalion in the deep branching wood, in his hand a thing gun, in his heart fair Vida.  When the sun shines, my love says, ‘Vida is waiting for me,’ and when the dew falls, he says, ‘Vida is weeping sorrowfully for me.'”

25. Nye Pa Pogrebu Bachonochek Kataetsja – That’s not a barrel rolling around in the cellar.  It’s the two young ones — the white swans, Ivan and Marichka. Take Ivan’s shoe off, Marichka, take it off! “But what will I call him?  Well, I’ll take off one boot, and I’ll call him Ivanushka.  I’ll take off the other boot, and I’ll call him Vasilichem.  Then I’ll take off his belt, and I’ll call him my darling.”  I’ll hang it on the wall, and lay down beside him. Oh, the young lovers, the white swans.  Rocking and rolling, loving without care.

26. Moj Dilbere – My love, where are you walking?  Will you be coming tonight?  Are you sick, dearest?  Or are you kissing another woman?  I would rather hear that you are sick, than that you are flirting with another.  I would rather that you came to me sick than that you were ever flirting with another woman.

27. Trenke Todorke – Trenka, Todorka, black cherry, as you sit in the tavern selling wine and brandy, are you also selling your black eyes?  Will you sell them so that I may buy them, so that I may buy them for my soul.

28. Zaspo Janko – Janko sleeps beneath the poplar.  Oh, my dear, look at me.  I broke off a golden branch.

29. Subrali sa se Subrali – The girls and young women gathered to spin for a while.  They lay down and fell asleep and slept for a while.  The first girl woke up and said to her friends, “Get up, my friends–let us see who is missing what. I am missing a necklace from my fair throat.”  The second girl said, “I am missing a belt from my slender waist.”  The third girl said, “I am missing the overdress from my slender body.”