Vytautas Kernagis (1958-2008) is the legend of the legends for Lithuania, and, out of doubt, unduly underestimated on the international scale. He is one of those who popularized the genre of the “singing poetry” in Lithuania.
He was both the author of his own lyrics and also sang other poets’ texts, popularizing poetry as well.
One of his most impressive opuses is the one sung to the solo piano, to Marcelijus Teodoras Martinaitis‘s (1936-2013) text.
Word by word explanation included + piano-vocal score by the Vytautas Kernagis Foundation. In case you want to sit down by the piano and sing it yourself. Worth the effort, this one.
Kai (when) sirpsta (are ripening) vyšnios Suvalkijoj (cherries in Suvalkija),
raudonos, kad (red so that) pravirkt (to burst in tears) gali (you can),
– rasa ten (the dew there) laša (is dropping) nuo lelijų (off the liliums)
lyg dalgio ašmenys (as if the scythe’s blade) – gaili (so bitter).
Ir pjauna širdį tarsi dobilą (and mows the heart like clover)
lig gyvuonies (to the very flesh), lig pašaknų (to the very roots),
o vakarais kažko taip tolima (and in the evenings someone so distant),
kažko nėra (someone is absent), kažko nėra (someone is absent) – lyg artimų (as if the dearest ones).
Tokia tyla gyvybėn smelkias (such a distance = emptiness into the life is infiltrating)
kasdienio židinio ugnim (with its everyday life’s hearth)!
Tokia daina, kad užsimerkia (such a song that they close their eyes)
dainuodami (by singing) – lyg mirdami (as if dying)!
Lig pašaknų (till the roots) ten (there) pjauna (they are cutting) širdį (the heart),
ten teka (there are flowing) vandenys liūdnai (the waters sorrowfully).
Ir dulkės vieškelių dar šiltos (and the grains of sand of the highways are still warm) –
tarsi sodybų pelenai (like of the manor houses the ashes).
One interesting fact: the word užsimerkia should have regressive assimilation and be pronounced ‘ussimerkia’, but apparently for emphatic scenic purposes Kernagis emotionally pronounces it in its full, written form.
First published in the Levinarium Telegram Channel (now closed and deleted)