ADD: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)

Subject: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Aug 00 - 09:19 AM

There is a Polish folksong that I learned in school and the English translation starts, "Ah, lovely meadows green and wide." I remember two verses, that one and another one that starts, "Here how the watchman blows his horn. Waken my steward..."

Does anybody know any more verses to this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 12:16 AM

Well, anybody? Refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 12:20 AM

Sounds vaguely familiar, but I need more clues. Can you put in the verses you remember?

Subject: ADD: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 01:37 AM

Ah, lovely meadows green and wide!
Grasses are growing, grasses are growing.
Ah, lovely meadows green and wide!
Growing so high on every side.

CHORUS: Water from mountain flows (or Streams from the mountains flow)
Melted from winter snows
Turning it gaily goes
Circling the maple tree
Water from mountain flows
Melted from winter snows.
Turning it gaily goes, calling to me.

It's Polish. I grew up around Chicago, and Chicago has the world's largest population of Polish people outside of Poland. It was considered de rigeur to know this song.

I was singing it for my DH the other night, and it occurred to me that I wished I knew more verses.

Subject: Lyr Add: AH, LOVELY MEADOWS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 11:54 PM

Copied from http://www.fourwindscamp.org/songs/songbook/#Anchor-Ah-34807

AH, LOVELY MEADOWS
Folk Song from "Highways and Byways"

Ah, lovely meadows, green and wide,
Grasses are growing. Grasses are growing.
Ah, lovely meadows, green and wide,
Growing so high on every side.

CHORUS: Water from mountain flows,
Melted from winter's snows,
Turning, it gaily goes,
Circling the maple tree.
Water from mountain flows,
Melted from winter's snows,
Turning, it gaily goes,
Calling to me.

Loudly the baron blows his horn.
Wake up, my steward. Wake up, my steward.
Reaping begins at early morn;
Wake up, my steward. Day is born.

Harness your horse. The hours are few.
Working together, working together,
Off to the fields of golden hue,
Gather the grain, ere falls the dew.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 01:08 AM

If the song is "Aj Lucka, Lucka Siroka" (Click here for sound clip), it is Czech (Bohemian). Midi (with Japanese lyrics!) is HERE. Another site (in Japanese) says it is a Slovakian song "HORELA LIPKA" (The lyrics are HERE too).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,Dionysios
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 03:29 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics for Aj Lucka, Lucka, Siroka? Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 12:52 PM

From here (Japanese site).

Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká

Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká, roste naní ｔｒáva,
roste naní ｔｒáva./vysoká, hej !
Teče voda z hora, čistá ja jako já,
toči se do kola, okolo javora;/okolo mńa.

Žali tam na ní dｖĕ panny, obĕ žalostnĕ,
obĕ žalostnĕ./plakaly, hej !

Díval se na nĕ z hradu pán, na sve pachole,
na sve pachple;/zavolal, hej !

Vstávej, pachole, stroj konĕ; pojedeme spolu,
pojedeme spolu;/do boje, hej !

Co pak tam budem dĕlati, když nemáme pušky,
když nemáme pušky,/nabity ? Hej !

Budem tam lovit srnčata, osmnácti-letá,
osmnácti-letá;/dĕvčata, hej !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 03:12 PM

Thanks for the new verse, Masato.

I suspect that the song has crossed so many borders that it is impossible to say exactly which country it "belongs" to.

The sound clip is very, very similar to the tune I learned in grade school.

Subject: ADD: Ah, Lovely Meadows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 04:14 AM

The Silver Burdett Music in Our Country songbook lists the estate of American folklorist Stella Marek Cushing as the source of this song.

The 1956 Silver Burdett Music for Living textbook has the song in the fifth-grade Music in Our Country book, and also in the sixth-grade MusicAround the World book (but the 6th grade book has harmony.

Here are the lyrics from those books (almost the same as what Jim Dixon posted above):



AH, LOVELY MEADOWS
Czech Folk Song

Ah, lovely meadows, green and wide,
Grasses are growing. Grasses are growing.
Ah, lovely meadows, green and wide,
Growing so high on every side. Hey!

CHORUS:
Water from mountain flows,
Melted from winter snows,
Turning, it gaily goes,
Circling the maple tree.
Water from mountain flows,
Melted from winter snows,
Turning, it gaily goes,
Calling to me. Hey!

Loudly the baron blows his horn.
Wake up, my steward. Wake up, my steward.
Reaping begins at early morn;
Wake up, my steward. Day is born. Hey!

Harness your horse. The hours are few.
Working together, working together,
Off to the fields of golden hue,
Gather the grain, ere falls the dew. Hey!

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 09:48 AM

'The Silver Burdett Music in Our Country songbook lists the estate of American folklorist Stella Marek Cushing as the source of this song.'


I suppose an American folklorist might have a legit copyright to the translation, which requires some effort. As somebody sang in another context:

We think this song has lasted
almost long enough.
The subject is most int'resting,
but rhymes are mighty rough!

I do wonder if the original verses were on the topic of getting up early and going out to swink in somebody else's field.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: Little Robyn
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 05:59 PM

Our High school music teacher must have had that Silver Burdett book - we were sing that song in 1959, here in New Zealand!
Rousing stuff!
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 09 - 11:09 PM

Learned this is second grade (1963!!) ... only remembered the first verse and the chorus. Thanks for posting.

Wasn't there a "Hey!" at the end of the verses going into the chorus? i.e., "Growing so high on every side, hey!"

Maybe we just improvised that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 01:00 AM

Good thing you refreshed this thread. I was meaning to post a MIDI. The Silver Burdett school songbook certainly does have a "Hey!" at the end of each verse and chorus (I added it to my post above today). I wasn't sure how to enter it on the MIDI. Hope you like my solution.
-Joe-

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 02:56 PM

Joe, you rascal! That doesn't sound like a hey, it sounds like the raspberry.

Is that in response to being rousted out of bed at dawn?

When I play this with my guitar, I simply strike a chord (several strings on one beat) to represent the hey.

When I learned it in school, we sang, "Waken my steward," rather than "Wake up, my steward." I prefer 'waken,' which seems more elegant somehow.

Thanks for posting all those lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 11:11 PM

Well, I wanted a handclap, but couldn't find one. What I came up with was labeled "gunshot"....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, lovely meadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Sep 09 - 10:06 PM

Gunshot? Well, maybe if the gun was loaded with bubblegum, rather than bullets. I can imagine wet bubblegum making that splat sound when coming out of a barrel.

This song is in 4/4 time. A long time ago, I read about a guitar strum which sounds Eastern European. The beats go

quarter quarter eighth eighth eighth eighth

(coke coke henietta)

and on the eighth notes you hit progressively higher strings to make a chord that runs upward.

I like to use this strum at times in this song and make it sound from far away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Hosannah
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 05:57 PM

I have been looking for the rest of the lyrics to this for years. Thank you very much.

We sang it with the "hey" at the end too...long, long time ago.

blessings

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 08:13 AM

To answer the question about the translation: the first verse captures the meaning of the original without getting too fanciful.

The chorus is more florid in the English. No "melted from winter snow" but rather "clean/pure like me"; also, it's just the water, not the girl, that is turning, and nothing is calling to her.

Judging from the usual second verses and what Masato found, the rest of the translation seems to be almost pure fabrication, borrowing only a phrase or two (like waking the steward) from the original song, which basically concerns crying women and men preparing to leave the fields to go fight a war and then chase 18-year-old girls. Nor does the translation appear to be based on "Horela lipka", the song's sibling or precursor.

There are several clips of this song on YouTube. In particular, don't miss this variant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY50jaIQ_O8
It's the first piece in the medley. The song appears to be a stock piece of the Yale Whiffenpoofs since at least 1968.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 10 - 12:12 AM

These postings have made me so happy! For some unknown reason I have had this song stuck in my head for the last three days, and hadn't thought of it since learning it in about second grade in about 1963 also and from the Silver Burdett music book. I couldn't remember all the words, so it's great to see them. And yes, we definitely sang the "Hey!" I think I own the Silver Burdett book--I need to look up the song. I find the melody pretty hard to resist. It sort of pulls one along.

Hey!

---

I also liked the song that went, "I've been to Harlem, I've been to Dover, I've traveled this wide world all over, over, over three times over/drink what you have to drink and turn the glasses over."

Click for lyrics

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 09:45 AM

thank you very much. you made my day great !   from lili b. aguite, amolona central school pamplona cagayan philippines

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 01:53 PM

Hello, Artful. Thanks for the link. Is that a Czech group, Polish, or what? Does anybody know?

It certainly answers the question about "Hey!" It belongs.

Thanks to all who contributed the third verse for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 03:32 AM

The language for the songs is Czech; the second song is "Rožnovské hodiny" (The Rozhnov clock) and the third, "Kdyby byla Morava" (If Moravia were [like other regions]). No clue who the group is, aside from likely being Moravian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 10:33 AM

Okay. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Aj, lúčka, lúčka
From: Artful Codger
Date: 26 Oct 10 - 09:05 PM

Here are the lyrics which Masato posted above with the wonky characters cleaned up:


Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká

Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká,
Roste na ní tráva, roste na ní tráva;
Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká,
Roste na ní tráva vysoká, hej !

        [Chorus]
   Teče voda z hora, čistá ja jako já,
   toči se do kola, okolo javora; / okolo mńa.

Žali tam na ní dvě panny, obě žalostně,
obě žalostně / plakaly, hej !

Díval se na ně z hradu pán, na sve pachole,
na sve pachole; / zavolal, hej !

Vstávej, pachole, stroj koně; pojedeme spolu,
pojedeme spolu; / do boje, hej !

Co pak tam budem dělati, když nemáme pušky,
když nemáme pušky, / nabity ? Hej !

Budem tam lovit srnčata, osmnácti-letá,
osmnácti-letá; / děvčata, hej !

@Czech

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 08:40 AM

Here's the Japanese version:

O Makiba wa Midori, sung by the Bonnie Jacks

O Makiba wa Midori, sung by the Dark Ducks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 09:56 AM

Thanks, masato. I listened to a performance that must have been my the Dark Ducks - men in black suits. It's delightful!

Listen to the female announcer - she says it's from Bohemia. Works for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Ramon Navarrro
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 12:47 PM

Thanks Masato. I learned this song in 1945 from my music teacher in Junior High. I remember the first two verses and the beginning of the Czech words, the first line in ending in "siroka". thanks so much for posting the lyrics. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Mel Fros
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 07:52 AM

I absolutely love this song! I learned it before I lost my hearing in 1964, and I still sing it with great joy as I hike, bike or work.

OVER THE MEADOWS
English transaltion by A.D.Z.   Czech tune
Songs of Many Nations Copyright 1958 by Cooperatice Recreation Services, Delaware, O.

Over the meadows green and wide
Blooming in the sunlight
Blooming in the sunlight
Over the meadows green and wide
Off we go a-roaming side by side.

(Hey) Streamlets down mountain go
Pure from the winter snow
Joining,they swiftly go
Singing of life so free
Streamlets down mountains go
Pure from the winter snow
Joining they swiftly go
Calling to me!

Sweet is the air with new-mown hay
Cooling in the twilight
Coolinng in the twilight
Sweet is the air with new-mown hay
As we homeward go at close of day.

(Hey) Streamlets down mountain go
Pure from the winter snow
Joining,they swiftly go
Singing of life so free
Streamlets down mountains go
Pure from the winter snow
Joining they swiftly go
Calling to me!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 10:03 AM

Thanks for the new lyrics, Mel.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 12 - 11:18 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: open mike
Date: 22 Jul 12 - 12:50 PM

hey! i REMEMBER this from girl scouts...
wish my kids had such memories...they are missing out!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Ann
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 08:27 AM

I learnt this in High School in the early 60's. Our Music Teacher was Estonian. I understood this was an Estonian folk song. I loved it. We harmonised - it was so beautiful. Love It!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 09:47 AM

I'm pretty sure it's not Estonian, Ann. Nonetheless, thanks for sharing your happy memory. I'd like to hear it with harmony some day.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 03 Aug 13 - 06:14 PM

In the clip I referenced in this message above, the group sings the song in harmony. Sadly, they only sing one verse and the chorus before moving into the next song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Vio Jerez Ontiveros, Philippines
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 01:08 AM

We were singing this song when I was in grade 5. Thanks for posting. It's nice to sing once more folk songs that we learned during our elementary days.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST,Mark Mandel
Date: 26 Dec 15 - 08:53 PM

Whee!! I learned this song in the sixties from, iirc, an LP by a children's chorus whose name escapes me at the moment, but it was something like The Swiss Children's Chorus. I remembered some of the lines and searched for "Sweet is the air with new mown hay." Got a number of hits, but as usual Mudcat was my go-to. "Aj, lúčka, lúčka" rang a bell -- more like a loud gong meaning "This is it!" -- and the translation supplied by Mel Fros, beginning "Over the meadows green and wide", is the one I learned and will now re-learn. Thanks, all! (And THIS is why Mudcat is my go-to!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Dec 15 - 11:49 PM

As Artful Codger points out above, the song has been a "standard" for the Yale Whiffenpoofs for a long, long time. They use the song to open every concert. Here's the opening of their Family Weekend concert from September 2013 (Yale Whiffenpoofs Class of 2014):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-cqqTqbojA

...and the entire 2014 concert (Whiffenpoofs Class of 2015):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpxpO4zcA3U

They identify "Aj, lúčka, lúčka široká" as a Czech song, which they sing in medley with a Swedish song, "Helan Går."


One more, the November 2011 concert of the Whiffenpoofs Class of 2012:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVoZIkWC4cU

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 03:29 AM

My mother is from Bratislava and sang to me in Slovak when i was little at bedtime

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ah, Lovely Meadows (Czech or Polish?)
From: leeneia
Date: 12 Aug 21 - 09:07 AM

Thanks for the links, Joe. The Whiffenpoofs sing it note for note as I remember it from the fifth grade.