Stearns: Slovak Folk Music.2

[:Na Kráľovej holi stojí strom zelený.:]

[:Vrch má naklonený, vrch má naklonený,

vrch má naklonený do Slovenskej zemi.:]

[:Odkážte odpíšte mojím kamarátom,:]

[:že už viac nepôjdem, že už viac nepôjdem,

že už viac nepôjdem na fraj za dievčaťom.:]

[:Odkážte, odpíšte tej mojej materi,:]

[:že mi svadba stojí, že mi svadba stojí,

že mi svadba stojí na Kráľovej holi.:]

Even after having spent months in Slovakia, my knowledge of the language is shamefully limited. BUT! I can translate the first line of this song: "On Kralova Mountain, there is a green tree." I'm proud of me, and you should be too.

I asked a Slovak to translate the rest for me, and the rough idea is that the singer is a young man going away to war. He is leaving from Kralova Mountain (pictured above as seen from the top of Spiss Castle), which means 'King's Mountain,' and which is a very important mountain to the Slovak people--among other legends centered around it, the Slovak Robin Hood (minus the giving-to-the-poor part), Janosik, was supposed to have had hiding places on this mountain. So the verses say to look for and find my mother and my lover, and tell them there will be no wedding, but that the wedding will take place on the mountain (meaning he is wedding his land, and there is no hope of returning). My favorite rendition of the song was two Slovak young men, one on the accordion, harmonizing, and at the top of their lungs.