Laboratorium Pieśni (Song Laboratory) is a group of female singers from Pol… Read Full Bio ↴Laboratorium Pieśni (Song Laboratory) is a group of female singers from Poland, created in 2013.
Using traditional, polyphonic singing they perform songs from all over the world, mainly: Ukraine, Balkans, Poland, Belarus, Georgia, Scandinavia and many other places. They sing a capella as well as with shaman drums and other ethnic instruments (shruti box, kalimba, flute, gong, zaphir and koshi chimes, singing bowls, rattles etc.), creating a new space in a traditional song, adding voice improvisations, inspired by sounds of nature, often intuitive, wild and feminine.

Vrbice
Laboratorium Pieśni Lyrics

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Vrbice, vrbo zelena, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, šo si se rano razvila)
Šo si se rano razvila, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, ne li si gajle imala)

Ne li si gajle imala, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, ovčara sum go imala)
Ovčara sum go imala, vrbo zelena

(Đurđevdenova, do ponoć sum go čekala)

Do ponoć sum go čekala, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, od ponoć som prespivala)
Vrbice, vrbo zelena, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, šo si se rano razvila)

Šo si se rano razvila, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, ne li si gajle imala)
Ne li si gajle imala, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, ovčara sum go imala)

Ovčara sum go imala, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, do ponoć sum go čekala)

Do ponoć sum go čekala, vrbo zelena
(Đurđevdenova, od ponoć som prespivala)

Overall Meaning

The song "Vrbice" by Laboratorium Pieśni is a traditional Serbian song that speaks of a green willow tree, which is personified as a female figure who has bloomed early in the season. The song explores the relationship between the tree, the land, and the people who inhabit it. The lyrics suggest that the tree is a symbol of fertility and abundance, and that it has played an important role in the lives of the people who live in the region for generations.

The song speaks of the Djurdjevdan festival, which is a traditional Serbian holiday celebrated on May 6th. The festival marks the beginning of spring and is associated with the blooming of the willow tree. The lyrics suggest that the willow tree has bloomed early in the season, which is both surprising and exciting. The song then goes on to explore the different ways in which the willow tree has been important to the people who live in the region. For instance, the song mentions that the tree has been used to make wooden tools and that it has played a key role in the lives of shepherds and other people who work with animals.

Overall, the song "Vrbice" is a beautiful celebration of the willow tree and the role it has played in the lives of the people who live in the region. The lyrics are poetic and insightful, and they offer a glimpse into the cultural traditions and beliefs of the people who sing the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Vrbice, vrbo zelena, vrbo zelena
Oh willow, green willow, green willow

(Đurđevdenova, šo si se rano razvila)
(On St. George’s Day, how quickly you grew up)

Šo si se rano razvila, vrbo zelena
How quickly you grew up, oh willow, green willow

(Đurđevdenova, ne li si gajle imala)
(On St. George’s Day, didn't you have branches)

Ne li si gajle imala, vrbo zelena
Didn't you have branches, oh willow, green willow

(Đurđevdenova, ovčara sum go imala)
(On St. George’s Day, I had a shepherd)

Ovčara sum go imala, vrbo zelena
I had a shepherd, oh willow, green willow

(Đurđevdenova, do ponoć sum go čekala)
(On St. George’s Day, I waited for him until midnight)

Do ponoć sum go čekala, vrbo zelena
I waited for him until midnight, oh willow, green willow

(Đurđevdenova, od ponoć som prespivala)
(On St. George’s Day, I slept from midnight)