| Latvian song | Free translation | Word-for-word translation |
| Kas kaitēja man dzīvoti Brāļa govis neganīt? | How did it harm me to live With my brother and herd his cows? | what-nom.sg. harm/bother-3rd.p.pst. me-dat.sg. live-inf.***-i brother-gen.sg. cow-nom.pl. not-herd-inf. |
| Brāļa govis lēni ēda, Pate viju vainadziņ'. | My brother's cows ate slowly; Meanwhile I made a *wreath (of flowers for my head). | brother-gen.sg. cow-nom.pl. slowly eat-3rd.p.pst self-fem.nom.sg. weave-1st.p.sg.pst wreath-dim.(acc.sg.) |
| Vainadziņa vijējiņai Kur vaiņaga loku likt? | Where should the wreathmaker Put her wreath of flowers? | wreath-dim.gen.sg. weaver-dim.fem.dat.sg. where wreath-gen.sg. circle/bow-acc.sg. put-inf. |
| Es pakāru liepiņāji Lai vij cita vijējiņ'. | I hung it in a **linden tree For another maiden to work on. | I-nom.sg. up-hang-1st.p.sg.pst. linden-tree-dim.loc.sg. so-that weave-3rd.p.pres. other-fem.nom.sg. weaver-fem.dim.(nom.sg.) |
| Lai vij cita vijējiņa Līdz citāmi gadiņam; | For another maiden to work on In another year. | so-that weave-3rd.p.pres. other-fem.nom.sg. weaver-fem.dim.nom.sg. until other-dat.sg.***-i year-dim.dat.sg. |
| Līdz citāmi gadiņam Līdz šādami laiciņam. | In another year, At the same season. | until other-dat.sg.***-i year-dim.dat.sg. until this-dat.sg.***-i time/season-dim.dat.sg. |
| Refrain: Aijaijā, tralalā Repeat last line of verse | Refrain:Ah, ah, ah; tra-la-la Repeat last line of verse |
* A wreath of flowers on the head is the traditional identification of a single maiden (i.e. unmarried virgin).
** The linden tree (or "lime" tree, as it is sometimes called) is symbolically identified with femininity, just as the oak tree is representative of masculinity. Presumably she has "hung up her hat" as a maiden because she is about to be married.
*** The syllable -i or -ji is added simply to fill out the metre of the verse; it has no meaning.
To see the explanation of the grammatical abbreviations used in the "word-for-word" translations, go to → Grammatical Abbreviations
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Last revised September 18, 2008