Dimna Juda – English lyrics

For Dimna Juda sheet music, click: For more examples of Dimna Juda music YouTubes, click: For Dimna Juda the dance, click:

Author’s comments: Dimna Juda (the evil wood nymph) built a castle on a mountain, on Vlaina. What she drove (into the earth) for piles were young men, hearty lads. What she plaited (as cross beams of willow) were maidens ready for caressing. http://www.paulboizot.co.uk/lyrics/dimna_juda.htm

Comment under Finvarra YouTube (below), pan slavjanin writes: According to folk tales, fairy Smoke Judah who lived on Mount Vlaina, Pijanechko(Macedonia). She asked the people who lived there to give three men, three women and three children to not throw a curse on everyone. But as the people refused and wanted to give gold coins rather than living people, the angry fairy built a city from 100 bachelors and 100 maidens. Finvarra replies: Dimna Juda is an old crone that kills children and builds her house with their bones. But the figure of Dimna Juda can also be seen as a metaphor for life. After all, when life is over we all end up as nothing more than bones..

Standard version
// Dimna Juda, mamo, grad gradila //          Dimna Juda was building a castle
Dimna Juda, mamo, grad gradila                 Dimna Juda was building a castle
// na planina, mamo, na Vlaina //                 on a mountain, on the Vlaina

// Što je kolje, mamo, pobivala                    The stakes she was driving into the earth,
se ergenji, mamo, za glavenje //                  they were all bachelors, ready
se ergenji, mamo, za glavenje                     ready for betrothal

// Što je priče, mamo, zapričala                  The roof she was thatching were all maidens
se devojke, mamo, za maženje //                were all maidens ready for marriage
se devojke, mamo, za maženje                   were all maidens ready for marriage

// Dimna Juda, mamo, grad gradila //          Dimna Juda was building a castle
Dimna Juda, mamo, grad gradila                 Dimna Juda was building a castle
// na planina, mamo, na Vlaina //                 on a mountain, on the Vlaina

Alternate
Dimna Juda, mamo, grad gradila,               Dimna Juda was building a castle
grad gradila, mamo, na planina,                  building a castle on a mountain,
na planina, mamo, na Vlaina.                      on a mountain, on the Vlaina.

Što je kolje, mamo, pobivala,                      The stakes she was driving into the earth,
pobivala, mamo, se ergenjese                    they were all bachelors, ready
se ergenje, mamo, za glavenje                   ready for betrothal

Što je prakje, mamo, zaplikjla                     The roofs she was thatching
zaplikjala, mamo, se sa momise                  were all maidens
se sa momi, mamo, za davanje                   maidens ready for marriage

Što je straži, mamo, postavila                    The guards she was posting
postavila, mamo, sé dečica                        posting were all infants in swaddling clothes
sé dečica, mamo, pelenčinja                      all infants in swaddling clothes

Što je vrati, mamo, zatvorila,                     The gates she was closing.
zatvorila, mamo, se nevesti                       closing were all brides 
se nevesti, mamo, pod telove                    brides in bridal veils.