Oh, beautiful maiden

Kupalo songfolkComposerArranger

Mar 20

Written By andrew waller

Translated Text

Score Ukrainian

Score Transliterated

Oh, beautiful maiden | Ой дівчино красна | Oj divchyno krasna

Composer: Alexander Jacobchuk | Олександр Яковчук

This is a shchedrivka from the historic region of Podillia (or Podolia) in the west-central and south-west areas of Ukraine. This song tells the story from the point of view of a group of young men out carolling in the village who ask a young maiden to join them. If she cannot join them, then they urge her to look out her window at the brilliant star that shines like the Star of Bethlehem did when it foretold the news that Christ was born. The men end the song by asking the Lord to grant the maiden good fortune and destiny. Ukrainian Christmas traditions reflect achievements of an ancient culture, impressive in the musical and contextual diversity of its songs and in the number of its carols and epiphany carols. There are two distinct groups of Ukrainian Christmas music. Koljadky (Ukrainian Christmas Carols) are sung in church alongside traditional liturgical texts and hymns from Christmas Eve (January 6, according to the Julian Calendar) to Epiphany (January 19). Shchedrivky (New Year’s songs), being much older and having pagan roots, are rarely sung in a liturgical setting, given their secular themes of bounty and prosperity. These delightful and festive new-year folk songs of felicitation, with their charming and rhythmic melodies, reflect sectarian life and express wishes for health, happiness and bountiful harvests.

Koljadky and shchedrivky are an important part of Vesnivka's repertoire and have been sung annually since the ensemble was established in 1965.