Ikhav Kozak za Dunaj

"Ikhav Kozak za Dunaj" (Ukrainian: Їхав козак за Дунай, trans. The Cossack Rode beyond the Danube) is one of the most famous Ukrainian folk songs. It was written by Semen Klimovski.

Under the name "Schöne Minka" it became popular in Germany too.[1] The German title comes from the first words of a poem by Christoph August Tiedge, "Schöne Minka, ich muß scheiden".

Compositions

• Franciszek Lessel "Jichaw Kozak z za Dunaju", Eight Variations in a minor on a Russian Theme for piano, Op. 15 no. 1. 1814 (earliest known example of "Minka" reception in Western professional music)[2]
• Ludwig van Beethoven. "Schöne Minka, ich muss scheiden!" Aus den Liedern verschiedener Völker (Songs of Various Nations), No. 16. 1816
• Ludwig van Beethoven. "Schöne Minka", Ten National Airs with Variations for Flute and Piano, Op. 107, No. 7. 1818–19
• Carl Maria von Weber Nine Variations in C minor on a Russian Theme "Schone Minka", Op. 40, J. 179 for piano
• Carl Keller
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel Adagio, Variations and Rondo in A major, Op. 78 "Schone Minka" for flute cello and piano
• Spike Jones recorded a swing version of "Minka" in the 1940s in the United States[3]
• Yury Kazakov and Willard Palmer Variations on a Ukrainian Theme, Їхав козак за Дунай
• Jill Ann Jones arranged "Minka - Russian Folk Song" with winter and bells themed lyrics in 1993 which became popular with schoolchildren choirs[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Music

Lyrics

Ukrainian lyrics	Transliteration[13]	English translation
Їхав козак за Дунай, сказав: "Дівчино, прощай! Ти, конику вороненький, неси та гуляй! "Постій, постій мій козаче, твоя дівчина плаче, Як ти ж мене покидаєш, тільки подумай!". Приспів: |: Лучше було б, лучше було б не ходить, Лучше було б, лучше було б не любить, Лучше було б, лучше було б та й не знать, Чим тепер, чим тепер забувать. :| Вийшла, руки заломивши I тяженько заплакавши: "Як ти ж мене покидаєш, тільки подумай!" "Білих ручок не ламай, ясних очей не стирай, Мене з війни із славою к собі ожидай". Приспів "Не хочу я нікого, тільки тебе одного, Ти здоров будь, мій миленький, а все пропадай". Свиснув козак на коня: "Оставайся здорова! Як не згину, то вернуся через три года!"	Ikhav kozak za Dunaj, Skazav: "Divchyno, proschchay! Ty, konyku voronen'kyy, nesy ta hulyay!" "Postiy, postiy, miy kozache, Tvoya divchyna plache, Yak ty zh mene pokydayesh - til'ky podumay". Pryspiv: |: Luchshe bulo b, luchshe bulo b ne khodyt' Luchshe bulo b, luchshe bulo b ne lyubyt' Luchshe bulo b, luchshe bulo b ta y ne znat' Chym teper, chym teper zabuvat' :| Vyyshla, ruky zalomavshy i tyazhen'ko zaplakavshy: "Yak ty zh mene pokydayesh - til'ky podumay!" "Bilykh ruchok ne lamay, yasnykh ochok ne styray; Mene z viyny iz slavoyu k sobi dozhyday". Pryspiv "Ne khochu ya nichoho, til'ky tebe odnoho; Ty zdorov bud', miy kozache, a vse propaday". Svysnuv kozak na konya: "Ostavaysya zdorova! Yak ne z·hynu, to vernusya cherez try hoda!"	The Cossack rode over the Danube, He said: "farewell, my sweetheart" You, my black horse, Lead on and march! "Wait, wait, my Cossack, your girl is crying, How can you leave her, Just think about it." Refrain: |: Maybe, maybe it would have been better not to leave, Maybe, maybe it would have been better not to love, Maybe, maybe it would have been better to not know her And now, and now is time to forget. :| She came out, covering face with hands in despair, And with a little cry: "How can you leave me, Just think about it." "Don't cover your face with your white hands, Don't rub your bright eyes, Coming from war in glory I shall meet you again" Refrain "I do not want anyone Except for only you, Take care, my sweetheart, nothing else matters." The Cossack whistled on a horse, "You must take care! If I won't die, I will return In three years' time!"

Schöne Minka Lyrics and English Translation

Schöne Minka, ich muß scheiden, ach du fühlest nicht die Leiden, fern auf freudelosen Heiden, fern zu sein von dir! Finster wird der Tag mir scheinen, einsam werd ich gehn und weinen; auf den Bergen, in den Hainen ruf ich, Minka, dir. Nie werd ich von dir mich wenden; mit den Lippen, mit den Händen werd ich Grüße zu dir senden von entfernten Höhn. Mancher Mond wird noch vergehen, ehe wir uns wiedersehen; ach, vernimm mein letztes Flehen: bleib mir treu und schön! Du, mein Olis, mich verlassen? Meine Wange wird erblassen; alle Freuden werd ich hassen, die sich freundlich nahn. Ach, den Nächten und den Tagen werd ich meinen Kummer klagen; alle Lüfte werd ich fragen, ob sie Olis sahn! Tief verstummen meine Lieder, meine Augen schlag ich nieder; aber seh ich dich einst wieder, dann wird's anders sein. Ob auch all die frischen Farben deiner Jugendblüte starben: ja, mit Wunden und mit Narben bist du, Süßer mein!

Lovely Minka, I must part, oh you feel not the pains, far upon a joyless moor, far to be from you! Grimly the day will appear to me, lonely I become sad and cry; on the mountains, in the groves call I, Minka, to you. I will never turn from you; with the lips, with the hands if I send greetings to you from distant jeering. Some moon will still pass, before we see again; oh, hear my last begging: remain to me loyal and nice! You, my Olis, me leave? My cheek will turn pale; I will hate all joys, which to myself friendly seem. Oh to the nights and the days I will complain my grief; I will ask all winds, whether they have seen you! Deeply my songs fall silent, my eyes knock down I; but see I you once again, then it will be different. Whether also all fresh colors of your youth blossom died: yes, with wounds and with scars you are, sweet mine!

Minka Lyrics from Jill Ann Jones arrangement

Merry bells go tingalingle, toes and fingers freeze and tingle. With our friends we love to mingle while the snowflakes fall. Boys and girls are out together, clad in coats of fur and leather, made to brave the coldest weather when the sleighbells ring. Sleighbells ring, tingaling, steeple bells, ding dong ding. Tingaling, tingaling, ding dong ding; ding dong ding. As we ride our song goes ringing. through the air its echoes winging, 'til the wind seems full of singing, as we speed along. Through the town and by the river where the birches sigh and quiver and the birds are silent never, joining in our song.

See also

• Ty zh mene pidmanula
• Yes, My Darling Daughter

References

1. Gretchen Rowe Clements. Situating Schubert: Early Nineteenth-century Flute Culture. ProQuest, 2007. ISBN 0549370633. "According to an 1830 review in the AMA, there was a time when Schöne Minka was “whistled, hummed, and muttered on every street corner.” The Lied was popular for some time, and many composers used it in arrangements and variation sets, including the popular flutist-composer Carl Keller. Beethoven first set Schöne Minka in his 1816 collection Lieder verschiedener Völker (Songs of Various Nations), and then again in his Variations op. 107, at the request of the Scottish music publisher George Thomson."
2. (PDF) http://imslp.eu/files/imglnks/euimg/a/a7/IMSLP448160-PMLP728701-Lessel_F_-_Wariacje_no._1,_na_fortepian.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_MFDNuwfY
4. https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/product-media.jsp?productID=1866268
5. https://www.jwpepper.com/Minka/1866268.item
6. http://docslide.net/documents/minka-words.html
7. http://krysmcscience.tumblr.com/post/47134028095/number-thirteen-of-twenty-three-music-box
8. http://www.iola.k12.wi.us/faculty/turbaj/Elementary/Minka.pdf
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxY0fXu60AE
10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFyAiPfSHm8
11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TtjZDceD_Q
12. http://wilkinsonmusic.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/8/3/23835767/junior_choir_songs-winter2015.pdf
13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hp80qZe1xM