Mykola Leontovych
Carol of the Bells. / Shchedryk / Щедрик.
Here you can find my variations on this theme:
[ Ссылка ]

Shchedryk Ukrainian: Щедрик
My version of Carol of the Bells.
"Shchedryk" (Ukrainian: Щедрик, from Щедрий вечiр, "Bountiful Evening") is a Ukrainian shchedrivka, or New Year's song, known in English as "The Little Swallow". It was arranged by composer and teacher Mykola Leontovych in 1916, and tells a story of a swallow flying into a household to sing of wealth that will come with the following spring. "Shchedryk" was originally sung on the night of January 13, New Year's Eve in the Julian Calendar (December 31 Old Style), which is Shchedry Vechir. Early performances of the piece were made by students at Kyiv University.

"Shchedryk" was later adapted as an English Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells", by Peter J. Wilhousky following a performance of the original song by Alexander Koshetz's Ukrainian National Chorus at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1921. Wilhousky copyrighted and published his new lyrics (which were not based on the Ukrainian lyrics) in 1936, and the song became popular in the United States and Canada, where it became strongly associated with Christmas.
Conceptually, the Ukrainian lyrics of this song meet the definition of a shchedrivka, while the English content of "The Little Swallow" identifies it as a kolyadka or, in other words, a Christmas carol.

Ukrainian lyrics:

Щедрик щедрик, щедрiвочка,
прилeтiла ластiвочка,
стала собi щебетати,
господаря викликати:
"Вийди, вийди, господарю,
подивися на кошару,
там овечки покотились,
а ягнички народились.
В тебе товар весь хороший,
будеш мати мiрку грошей,
В тебе товар весь хороший,
будеш мати мiрку грошей.
Хоч не грошi, то полова.
В тебе жiнка чорноброва."
Щедрик щедрик, щедрiвочка,
прилeтiла ластiвочка.


---------


Shchedryk shchedryk, shchedrivochka,
pryletila lastivochka,
stala sobi shchebetaty,
hospodarya vyklykaty:
"Vyydy, vyydy, hospodaryu,
podyvysya na kosharu,
tam ovechky pokotylys’,
a yahnychky narodylys’.
V tebe tovar ves’ khoroshyy,
budesh’ maty mirku hroshey,
V tebe tovar ves’ khoroshyy,
budesh’ maty mirku hroshey.
Khoch ne hroshi, to polova.
V tebe zhinka chornobrova."
Shchedryk shchedryk, shchedrivochka,
pryletila lastivochka.


Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka [New Year's carol];
A little swallow flew [into the household]
and started to twitter,
to summon the master:
"Come out, come out, O master [of the household],
look at the sheep pen,
there the ewes have yeaned
and the lambkins have been born
Your goods [livestock] are great,
you will have a lot of money, [by selling them].


If not money, then chaff: [from all the grain you will harvest]
you have a dark-eyebrowed [beautiful] wife."
Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka,
A little swallow flew.
#carolofthebells
#щедрівка
#щедрик

свернуть