Songs
Asszonyok, asszonyok, had’ legyek társatok, 'Women, women, let me be your companion'
by Béla Bartók From 8 Hungarian Folksongs (1907) BB47 1907 - 1917
Text & Translation
Asszonyok, asszonyok, had’ legyek társatok, 'Women, women, let me be your companion'
Hungarian source:
Traditional
Gyermekruhát mosni mivel én is tudok.
Sohse láttam lëánybőrt hogy árultak vóna,
S a timárok kordovánnak készítettek vóna!
Anyámtól a kontyot sokszor kértem vóna,
Ha keze botjától nem irtóztam vóna;
Ebek ugatásán gyakran örvendeztem,
A legények jönnek, magamban azt véltem.
Women, women, let me be your companion
English translation ©
Anon.
I too know how to wash children’s clothes.
Never did I see the skin of a girl sold
For tanners to make into fine leather.
Often I would have asked mother for her knot of hair
Had I not been terrified of her stick.
I have often rejoiced at the dogs’ barking;
I thought to myself, young men have come to call.
Asszonyok, asszonyok, had’ legyek társatok, 'Women, women, let me be your companion'
Hungarian source:
Traditional
Women, women, let me be your companion
English source:
Anon.
Aszszonyok, aszszonyok, had’ legyek társatok,
Women, women, let me be your companion.
Gyermekruhát mosni mivel én is tudok.
I too know how to wash children’s clothes.
Sohse láttam lëánybőrt hogy árultak vóna,
Never did I see the skin of a girl sold
S a timárok kordovánnak készítettek vóna!
For tanners to make into fine leather.
Anyámtól a kontyot sokszor kértem vóna,
Often I would have asked mother for her knot of hair
Ha keze botjától nem irtóztam vóna;
Had I not been terrified of her stick.
Ebek ugatásán gyakran örvendeztem,
I have often rejoiced at the dogs’ barking;
A legények jönnek, magamban azt véltem.
I thought to myself, young men have come to call.
Composer
Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók was a Hungarian composer, pianist and an ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers.
Poet
Traditional
Traditional