Oj Werzse, Mij Werzse

12 Oct Oj Werzse, Mij Werzse

This song is from the Lemko people, an ethnic group inhabiting Lemkivshnchyna, a part of Transcarpathia (spanning Ukraine, Slovakia and Poland) who have been displaced from their homeland for years. The spoken language of the Lemkos, which is somewhat of a language in its own right, is a dialect of Russian or Ukrainian.

Composer & Copyright

Traditional Lemko, arrangement by Lisa G. Littlebird.

Recording

Lyrics

Oj wersze, mij wersze,
Mij zełenyj wersze,
Już mi tak ne bude (x2)
Jak mi było persze.
Już mi tak ne bude (x2)
Jak mi było persze.

Translation

Oh, mountains, my mountains
My dear green mountains
Life has changed for me

Pronunciation Guide

Oy ver she mi ver she he (e=eh as in “ending”)
Me zele ne ver she
Nyo shmi dak ne bode (i=ee as in “Lima”)
Nyo shmi dak ne bode
Yak mi belo pershe
Nyo shmi dak ne bode (i=ee as in “Lima”)
Nyo shmi dak ne bode
Yak mi belo pershe

Teaching Notes

Coming soon!