Djurdjevka Kolo – English lyrics

The song is called Oj devojko, dušo moja, same as the first line. Actually there are seveal songs with the same first line, but only one with this second line; šta govori majka tvoja:

Here’s the melody, though when the guys finally get around to singing, they have different lyrics.
Oj devojko, dušo moja, šta govori majka tvoja: 
Oće l'tebe meni dati,
oće l'mene zetom zvati?

Ne da mene moja nana, ne da još godinu dana,
neće mene tebi dati,
neće tebe zetom zvati.

//Oli dala il' ne dala, ti se moja uvek zvala.//
(alternate line to replace the repeat)
Oće l'dati il' ne dati, mojom će se dragom zvati.

TRANSLATION:
Oh girl, my soul, what says your mother:
will she give you to me,
will she call me son-in-law?

She will not give me away, not for another year,
she won't give me to you,
she won't call you son-in-law.

Whether she gives or doesn't, you are mine always.
(alternate)
Whether she gives or not, you'll be my beloved.
Note the 5/8 rhythm!

Ron Houston, in the 1993 Folk Dance Problem Solver states “John Filcich says it originated in central Serbia as a dance to 3/4 rhythm music and spread to Vojvodina as a 2/4 dance. Cerainly in regions such as Bachka, Srem, and Banat, it’s 2/4. Certainly in central Serbia, it’s 3/4. But the steps indicate a northern, perhaps Romanian origin, and 3/4 music came to Serbia from Europe. What’s the real story? I don’t know.”

An ‘older’ Djurdjevka in 3/4 (QS) time. Only the first 47 seconds are Djurdjevka.

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