Koliadka are traditional songs usually sung in Slavic, Central European and Eastern European countries during the Christmas holiday season.
It is believed that everything sung about will come true.
Koliadka have been sung since pre-Christian times and derive from the feast of Koliada, literally the celebration of the beginning of the new solar year after the winter solstice.
Early koliadkas described ancient people's ideas about creation, natural phenomena and the structure of the world. With the advent of Christianity, the content of koliadkas began to acquire religious meaning and features.
Here are five koliadkas from the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Belarus and Ukraine.
Stojí vrba košatá (“There stands a bushy willow”)
(Czech Republic)
There stands a bushy willow, hey, hey, koleda
On it is a horned goat.
The godfather wolf came to her
Stretching its neck.
“Mrs. goat, come down!”
”I won't come down
You have big teeth
And you would stretch my fur out for me”.
Here it is sung by Bambini di Praga, a Czech children's choir based in Prague and active from 1973 to 2011. The collective was composed mainly of girls.
Voinicul și Cerbu (“The warrior and the deer”)
(Romania)
An old colindă from Bessarabia.
Come, my dear, down the valley, up the hill, at the foot of the mountain
Come, my dear, come down, come down
Come, my dear, the deer is in the reeds
Come … where the deer is
Come, my dear, what do you see in the wake where the water flows?
Come …
that’s where the grass grows
Come, my dear, in fours, in fives, braiding itself together
Come …
that’s where the deer grazes
Here is a version by George Negrea:
And here are Surorile Osoianu (“The Osoianu Sisters”) performing with the Romanian hip hop band Subcarpați:
Koledarska kitka (“Christmas wreath”)
(Bulgaria)
It jingled, kolade, kolade
A fat little bell
I didn’t like it
A fat little bell
I liked the most
A young bride
Walking round the yard
Sweeping the yard
So that they will come
Good guests
Young lads
Carollers
Here is a version by Radostina Yovkova and Emil Tenev:
Koliado, begla Koliodka (“Koliado ran”)
(Belarus)
Koliado ran on foot
Koliado carries pies in a sack
Koliado ran to
Demyan’s house
Koliado ran from Demyan’s house to Stepan’s house
Kolidao ran from Stepan’s house to Denis’s house
And at Demyan’s
house they will bake pies
It’s Christmas and Demyan came out drunk
And Denis has gone bald
Here is a version by the Hamanina folk band from Minsk:
V hospodaron’ka (“By the host”)
(Ukraine)
At the house, a new light shines.
Glory be to our dear God in Heaven!
New light, new tables.
On these tables, three candles burn.
Three candles burn, three guests sit.
The first guest is the
bright sun.
The second guest is the moon.
The third guest is the
delicate rain.
The sun says: “Oh, when I rise, I will warm up the mountains and the
earth.’”
The moon says: “Oh, when I rise, I will light up mountains and
valleys;
mountains, valleys, highlands, and fields.”
And the rain
says: “Oh, when I fall, I will sprinkle rye and wheat.
Rye and wheat and
all vegetation.’”
The master of the house comes out and is joyful.
And in his joy,
he gives thanks to God.
Here is a version by Les Kurbas Theatre:
And a version by Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble:
... to all my lovely readers!
Chris Rowbury
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