Poetic English translation of “Seelinnikoi” (c) Jevgenija Sorokina (I sacrificed the sense to the rhyme a bit)
1: Hark my sisters sweet and fair,
Neighbor maidens here and there,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Just imagine how he flirted,
Just imagine how he courted,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
‘Fore my mother, she gave in,
‘Fore my father let me leave,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Chorus 1: How I put my trust in men,
For grooms I was waiting then,
Ai lole, for the grooms,
For them I was waiting then.
How I dreamt of married life,
Of a journey as a wife,
Ai lole, of a journey,
Of a journey as a wife.
2: Taken was the girl away,
Taken at the break of day,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Yes, a wench there I became,
All my life a rightless slave,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Chorus 2: Whims of men I satisfied,
Yes, I knew what they desired,
Ai lole, yes I knew,
Yes I knew what they desired.
Every day I did my best,
Lonely orphan’s nights I spent,
Ai lole, lonely orphan’s,
Lonely orphan’s nights I spent.
3: Listen, stupid girls, to me,
Never do the things I did,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Woe is me, I ruined my life,
Ran away, became a wife,
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Woe is me, I ruined my life,
What a fool I was that time!
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah yah
Seh eh eh linny koy,
Seh eh eh lah ya
Chorus 3: Woe is me, I ruined my life,
What a fool I was that time!
Ai lole, woe is me,
Woe is me, I ruined my life,
Ai lole, woe is me,
Woe is me, I ruined my life,
Ai lole, what a fool,
What a fool I was that time!
Ai lole, what a fool,
What a fool I was that time!
02.03.2019
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