An old Slovak folk song - basic of Slovak anthem
+ collection of some pictures linked to Slovakia
(in the second picture are Slovak children from Vojvodina, Serbia. Pozdrav mojím rodákom za hranice Slovenska.)
History of this Slovak folk song : The Kopala studienku song had became famous in 1844 when Slovak writer Janko Matúška applied its melody to the official hymnic song of Slovak nation during the time of revolution in the 19. cent. (Slovak volunteers fought against the army of the regime which oppressed non-magyar nations). He wrote new lyrics Nad Tatrou sa blýska (Lightning Over the Tatras) which is the official anthem of Slovakia till now.
I appreciate a great work of Béla Bartok who devoted 20 years of his life for collecting and studying of Slovak folk songs: his collection includes more than 3400 melodies and 4000 lyrics in Slovak language. Melody of Slovak anthem belongs to songs which he found in Slovak cultural milieu. He recorded it sometime between years 1908-1920 (Bartok was born in 1881). He prefered original songs in his music, he was inspired by Slovak music as well as by Croatian, Serbian, Magyar or Romanian. That's why Kopala studienku song exists also in magyar piano version - thanks to Béla Bartok. I'm glad Bartok was interested also in Slovak nation and its folk songs, although Kopala studienku song was well-known as official Slovak hymnic song in times when Bartok didn't live yet.
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Slová :
[:Kopala studienku, pozerala do nej,:]
či je tak hlboká jako je široká,
skočila by do nej, ej, skočila by do nej.
[:A na tej studienke napájala páva,:]
spytuje sa šuhaj, spytuje sa šuhaj
ktoroho som panna, ej, ktoroho som panna?
[:Nespytuj sa šuhaj, bo ja sama neznam,:]
príď navečer do nás, príď navečer do nás,
materi sa doznaš, ej, materi sa doznaš.
Lyrics :
[:She was digging a well, looking into it,:]
if it is so deep, as it is wide,
she'd jump into it, ey, she'd jump into it.
[:And on the well she was watering a peacock,:]
a swain is asking, a swain is asking
whose maid am I, ey, whose maid am I?
[:Don't ask, swain, because I don't know myself,:]
come to us tonight, come to us tonight,
you'll own up to my mother.
