O Tejo thaj o Brado – the Lime and Pine Trees

This ballad is one of the most beautiful examples of the type of songs sung by Kalderaša. It was recorded by Alexei Gessler in 1983 in Karlovka, in the Nikolajev district, Ukraine from Kalderaša of the Moldovaja nacija. The song was sung by Rita and Misha Mihaj.

Aj xal-pe tej h’ o Brado, (2x) The Lime and Pine tree argue,

Kon si maj šukar’. (2x) Who is the most beautiful

Tejo kaj phenela: (2x) The Lime tree says:

Aj ke tu san o Brado, You are the Pine tree,

Ke tu san o Brado, You are the Pine tree,

Aj me sim o Tejo. (2x) And I am the Lime tree.

Brado lehke phenla: (2x) The Pine tree replies:

Haj aš, tejule, aš, Wait, Lime tree, wait,

Ke tu san o Tejo, That you are the Lime tree,

Tu san komburoso You are knotty,

Thaj vi noduroso. (2x) And you are full of nodes.

Aj me sim, bre, o Brado, And I am, man, the Pine tree,

Aj me sim o Brado I am the Pine tree.

Brado maj šukar oj, The Pine tree is more beautiful,

Brado maj šukar’. The Pine tree is more beautiful.

Butjiarja d’aven-u, The workers come,

Tha’l Bradoh šinen And they cut the Pine,

Aj le Bradoh šinen Oh, they cut the Pine,

Ande’l khangerja thona. And put it in churches.

Ikani kerena. (2x) They do icons.

Lumja kaj avela, People who come,

Mande kaj rrudil-pe. Pray to me.

Aj tu san o Tejo (2x) And you are the Lime tree,

Butjarja d’ aven-oj Workers come,

Tejos kaj šinen-oj. The Lime tree they cut,

Ka’l šindri kaj thona, On the roofs they put it,

Ka’l khera kaj thona, On the houses, they put it.

Aj kurunga d’avena, And crows will come,

Le Tejos kaj xljena. And on the Lime tree, they’ll defecate.

Note that in the accusative, both tejo and brado are declined as living beings, hence, le tejos and le bradoh or le brados instead of o tejo and  o brado.