Mystery of Kupalinka

How did "Kupalinka" become a folk song?

The answer to this question was proposed by the student of the Belarusian Academy of Music Maxim Iukin. His study became the discovery even for musicologists and sounded like a sensation.

This song accompanies people everywhere: they hear it from their childhood, on the radio, television, in the theater. It is sung by people during celebrations. It has long been one of the most famous and loved songs and even today represents the Belarusian folklore. It seems that this expressive melody was  imbued with the Belarusian national spirit, which is woven from Belarusian folk and truly expresses the essence of the people’s souls.

In course of history, many art songs have become known as folklore. The names of many professional writers have been erased from the history of Belarusian culture for a long time. The same fate befell the author of "Kupalinka”. But it was impossible to ban the song, which came into people’s hearts…

The music for the song and a new text were composed and written by Uladzimir Terausky in Minsk region in 1920 . Terausky was the one of those who stood at the origins of Belarusian National Opera and National Music School. He was also the creator of the first national choirs. Belarusian folk songs captured his soul. Knowing the spirit of folk tunes, he stylized them. In addition, he wrote many good new songs in the Belarusian style.

Terausky created his “new” songs not only based on the texts written by Belarusian playwrights, such as Kupala, Dunin-Marcinkiewich, but also on traditional folk texts. But his work that was connected with the creation of the national musical repertoire did not save him from persecution and repressions. The release of the new folk song-book was the ground for putting Terausky to prison. Such a penalty was imposed on him for so-called “anti-Soviet activities". Since then the song of the repressed author has been considered folk.

It has passed over half a century since Uladzimir Terausky was officially rehabilitated. But the fate of “Kupalinka” turned to be even harder. Probably, because a traditional folk song text was very well stylized by another repressed figures of Belarusian culture - Michas Chachot. One of the most famous of his creative works was the musical drama play "Kupallie”, set by Eustsignei Mirovich in 1921.

Kupalinka (Belarusian version)

Kupalinka, kupalinka,
Ciomnaja nočka,
Ciomnaja nočka,
A dzie ž tvaja dočka?

Maja dočka ŭ sadočku
Ružu, ružu polić,
Ružu, ružu polić,
Bieły ručki kolić.

Kvietački rvieć, kvietački rvieć,
Vianočki źvivaje,
Vianočki źvivaje,
Śliozki pralivaje...


Kupalinka (English version)

Kupalinka, Kupalinka
dark is the night
dark is the night
and where is your daughter?

my dear daughter is in orchard
weeding, weeding roses
weeding, weeding roses
piercing, piercing her white hands

picking flowers, picking flowers
weaving, weaving her wreaths
weaving, weaving her wreaths
shedding, shedding her tears...



Kupalinka song versions