Pamarėska/Texts

In this article there are some texts in the Pomorian language.

Rūta zelioja

This old folk song (called gėdia or gėde in Pomorian) was recorded as a little poem by Rudolf von Magdeburg in 1587. Modern spelling is used here instead of the original one.

Hei, rūta, zelia rūta,          Hei, rue, green rue,
Juo vecere bū nåstąplu.         The evening has already came.
Rūta, rūta, rūta zelioja.       Rue, rue, the green rue.
Hei, rūta, zelia rūta,          Hei, rue, green rue,
Sulnika bū nåsėjli.             The sun has set.
Rūta, rūta, rūta zelioja.       Rue, rue, the green rue.
Hei, rūta, zelia rūta,          Hei, rue, green rue,
Lėtava dieni sę cėnė.           A summer day came to the end.
Rūta, rūta, rūta zelioja.       Rue, rue, the green rue.
Hei, rūta, zelia rūta,          Hei, rue, green rue,
Zvėgzdįko nebesie svytią.       Little stars are shining.
Rūta, rūta, rūta zelioja.       Rue, rue, the green rue.
Hei, rūta, zelia rūta,          Hei, rue, green rue,
Dabå jetų damau.                It's time to go home.
Rūta, rūta, rūta zelioja.       Rue, rue, the green rue.

Roža kvėtka

First recorded in 1921 in "Die pomerellischen und preußischen Volkslieder" ( the Pomorian and Prussian folk songs) it is an Eastern Pomorian folk song known as dz̦īdinka in Eastern dialects. Here the song is written using the Eastern orthography also using a special character "ȳ" to represent the /ɨː/ sound.

Ruože-kiele, ka tuo ļīskāja? Oi tūto, tūto.        Rose-flower, who's walking there? Oh, here, here.
Ruože-kiele, veiko muldini. Oi tūto, tūto.         Rose-flower, a young lad. Oh, here, here.
Ruože-kiele, či is lukāja? Oi tūto, tūto.          Rose-flower, what's he looking for? Oh, here, here.
Ruože-kiele, lōče dȳrną. Oi tūto, tūto.            Rose-flower, he looks for a young girl. Oh, here, here.
Ruože-kiele, dȳrną is rieņie. Oi tūto, tūto.       Rose-flower, he met a young girl. Oh, here, here.
Ruože-kiele, ko šīną ei grībie. Oi tūto, tūto.     Rose-flower, when she was stacking the hay. Oh, here, here.

The word tūto usually can not be translated into English, its literal meaning was lost a long time ago, but probably means something like "here you are" and is used in songs to give them a special melody.

Oi į meďelė

"Oi dervynelė" ("Oi į meďelė" in Pomorian proper) is a folk song from the Kulnå village (Kielno in Polish). In Western dialect this kind of songs are called "zangė", in the Pomorian proper they are "dėno". Unlike "gėdė" these are plain songs without repeating melody words.

Oi dervynelė                Oh in a little forest
Dambū įdziedę               Buds on trees opened
Prie dzilė kalnelei.        Near a big mountain.
Oi an dambeliuo             On the little tree
Dzegulia sėdejė             A cuckoo was sitting
Zeliamė dervynė.            In a green forest.
Oi jes nudzėdiå             Oh I was asking
Liekų dzegulią,             A little cuckoo,
Kėl menė joro dzyti.        How many years will i live.
Oi ji kukavė,               Oh she cooed,
Tei iskukavė                And she's cooed
Dilgėh joros dzyti.         Long years to live.
Oi dilgou dzyti,            To live long,
Lėpou pradzyti              to live a good life
Menė pervėdė ji.            She foretold me.

Jene lietu

"Jene lietu" or as it is known in Western dialects as "Jeis leiti" is an another "gėde" from the Kulnå village.

Jeis leiti, jeis leiti, vidė-vidė,        It rains heavily, it rains heavily, (being seen)-(being seen),
Pūsėjuo savą karvelią, videda.              I was grazing my cow, (it was seen).
Jeis leiti, jeis leiti, vidė-vidė,        It rains heavily, it rains heavily,
A karva begė kų marjou, videda.             But the cow ran to the sea.
Jeis leiti, jeis leiti, vidė-vidė,        It rains heavily, it rains heavily,
Karvą vedlu buvu damou, videda.             I've led the cow home.
Jeis leiti, jeis leiti, vidė-vidė,        It rains heavily, it rains heavily,
Jes dverį bustrou krovjuo, videda.          I quickly shut the door.
A kada dverį kravėjuo, vidė-vidė,           And when I was shutting the door,
Pastojuo jeiti leiti, videda.               It stopped raining heavily. 

The melody words (or gėdeslaveso) used here are not usually translated. However their approximate meanings are put in brackets in the text.

Lėta-dieva

It is a well known North-Western folk song about a Pomorian goddess of summers' sunlight and warmth Lėta. Even in spite of christianization Pomorians still keep some of their old pagan traditions, especially elders. The Lėtadieni holiday is celebrated right before Saint John's Day (or Kupūlynia in Pomorian) on June 23, however according to Rudolf von Magdeburg it was celebrated at the end of May in the XVIth century. During the holiday people sang and danced in fields or forests near lakes or rivers and honoured Lėta goddess.

Lėta-dieva, dievėnutia,              Lėta-goddess, dear goddess*,
Ku tavi mūtusia?                     Where is your mother?
An nebesy svėte suolna -             The sun shines in the sky -
Ta mani mutusia.                     She is my mother.
Lėta-dieva, dievėnutia,              Lėta-goddess, dear goddess,
Ku tavi atele?                       Where is your father?
An nebesy svėte mena -               The moon shines in the sky -
Te mani atele.                       He is my father.
Lėta-dieva, dievėnutia,              Lėta-goddess, dear goddess,
Ku tavi brotele?                     Where is your brother?
Ezerėje es Våpini -                  Våpini* is in the lake -
Te mani brotele.                     He is my brother.
Lėta-dieva, dievėnutia,              Lėta-goddess, dear goddess,
Ku tavi sestutia?                    Where is your sister?
An nebesy bėle zvėgzdia -            The star sparkles in the sky -
Ta mani sestutia.                    She is my sister.
Lėta-dieva, dievėnutia,              Lėta-goddess, dear goddess,
Kumou tu jeisi?                      Where do you go?
Sų nebesy nestų teplą                To bring warmth from the sky
kų zemėje jeimi.                     to the land I go.

• Dievėnia (plural - dievėtė) is also name for daughter of god Dieve.
• Våpini is a water god usually living in lakes and rivers. He was also honoured on Lėtadieni.