| Latvian song | Free translation | Word-for-word translation |
| Meita gāja uz avotu, uz avotu
Zaļa krūze rociņāi, rociņā. | A girl went to the well, to the well,
A green pitcher in her hand, in her hand. | girl-nom.sg. go-3rd.p.past to well-acc.sg., to well-acc.sg.
green-fem.nom.sg. pitcher-nom.sg. hand-dim.loc.sg.-*i hand-dim.loc.sg. |
| Pretī nāca jauni puiši, jauni puiši
Sasit meitai zaļo krūzi, zaļo krūz'. | Coming to meet her were some young lads, some young lads;
They broke her green pitcher, green pitcher. | opposite come-3rd.p.past young-masc.nom.pl. lad-nom.pl., young-masc.nom.pl. lad-nom.pl.
smash-3rd.p.pres. girl-dat.sg. green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-acc.sg., green-def.acc.sg. pitcher(-acc.sg.) |
| Meita raud pēc zaļās krūzes, zaļās krūzes,
«Krūzīt', manu zaļo krūzīt', zaļo krūz'!» | The girl cried for her green pitcher, green pitcher:
"O my dear green pitcher, green pitcher!" | girl cry-3rd.p.pres. after green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg., green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg.
pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.) my-acc.sg. green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.), green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-(dim.acc.sg.) |
| Puiši meitai naudu sola, naudu sola,
Meitai naudas nevajaga, nevajag. | The lads promised her money, promised her money,
She didn't need money, didn't want money. | lad-nom.pl. girl-dat.sg. money-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres, money-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres
girl-dat.sg. money-gen.sg. not-need-3rd.p.pres.-**a, not-need-3rd.p.pres. |
| Meita raud pēc zaļās krūzes, zaļās krūzes,
«Krūzīt', manu zaļo krūzīt', zaļo krūz'!» | The girl cried for her green pitcher, green pitcher:
"O my dear green pitcher, green pitcher!" | girl cry-3rd.p.pres. after green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg., green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg.
pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.) my-acc.sg. green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.), green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-(dim.acc.sg.) |
| Puiši meitai muižu sola, muižu sola,
Meitai muižas nevajaga, nevajag. | The lads promised her an estate, promised her an estate,
She didn't need an estate, didn't want an estate. | lad-nom.pl. girl-dat.sg. estate-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres, estate-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres
girl-dat.sg. estate-gen.sg. not-need-3rd.p.pres. |
| Meita raud pēc zaļās krūzes, zaļās krūzes,
«Krūzīt', manu zaļo krūzīt', zaļo krūz'!» | The girl cried for her green pitcher, green pitcher:
"O my dear green pitcher, green pitcher!" | girl cry-3rd.p.pres. after green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg., green-def.gen.sg. pitcher-gen.sg.
pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.) my-acc.sg. green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-dim.(acc.sg.), green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-(dim.acc.sg.) |
| Puiši meitai puisi sola, puisi sola,
Meitai puiša gan vajaga, gan vajag. | The lads promised her a young lad, a young lad.
Indeed she needed a lad, wanted a lad. | lad-nom.pl. girl-dat.sg. lad-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres., lad-acc.sg. promise-3rd.p.pres.
girl-dat.sg. lad-gen.sg. indeed need-3rd.p.pres.-**a, indeed need-3rd.p.pres. |
| «Sasper velns to zaļo krūzi, zaļo krūz'!
Es pie puiša turēšosi, turēšos, | "May the devil take that green pitcher, green pitcher!
I'll cling to the lad, hold onto the lad. | kick/strike-3rd.p.pres. devil-nom.sg. that-acc.sg. green-def.acc.sg. pitcher-acc.sg., green-def.acc.sg. pitcher(-acc.sg).
I-nom.sg. to lad-gen.sg. hold/stick-1st.p.sg.fut.-*i, hold/stick-1st.p.sg.fut. |
| Es pie puiša turēšosi, turēšos,
Kā pie zelta gabaliņa, gabaliņ'!» | I'll cling to the lad, hold onto the lad
As if he were a piece of gold, a piece of gold!" | I-nom.sg. to lad-gen.sg. hold/stick-1st.p.sg.fut.-*i, hold/stick-1st.p.sg.fut.
as to gold-gen.sg. piece-dim.gen.sg., piece-dim.(gen.sg.) |
* The syllable -i is added simply to fill out the metre of the verse; it has no meaning.
** Similarly, the syllable -a is added simply to fill out the metre of the verse; it has no meaning.
This song is actually rather naughty. Apparently the reason that the girl (and the word meita normally implies "virgin") is in need of a young man so urgently is that the green pitcher represents her female sexual organ. Since it has been "broken" by a young man, the only thing that can repair her situation is marriage.
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 19, 2008