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sede sedenkya

At the Working Bee, Shoppe Region, Bulgaria

Sede Sedenkya is a song from Bulgaria's sedenkya tradition. A sedenkya is a 'working-bee', or a gathering in which young people get together and do as much handwork and mending as possible. In folklore, the sedenkya is a place of singing, dancing, and often involves rowdiness like gossip, flirtation, and courtship.

This is a popular song from the Shoppe region in northwest Bulgaria, and is one I learned from Pepe Koucheva while studying music in Bulgaria in 2019.

Unfortunately I don't have a source recording for this song, and the only version of this arrangement available online is this one by the Yale Women's Chorus. However, they do a good job of demonstrating authentic Balkan vocal technique and pronunciation so it's a good reference to use in place of a source recording.

Full SongSede Sedenkya
00:00 / 01:15
High LineSede Sedenkya
00:00 / 01:15
Middle LineSede Sedenkya
00:00 / 01:41
Low LineSede Sedenkya
00:00 / 01:41
PronunciationSede Sedenkya
00:00 / 00:54

Lyrics: 

Tops:

Sede sedenkya shto sede
рa poide da se razturya, рa poide da se razturya. 
Koi s brata, koi s pobratima
Sirota Zanka s nikoga,

Sirota Zanka s ni! iii!

Sirota Zanka s nikoga.
 
Eta go Gencha ot vrata
Pavati Zanku za ruku, Pavati Zanku za ruku. 
Pavodi vodi ta doma,
Eteti male otmena, Eteti male ot! iiii! 

Eteti male otmena!
 
Na tatu meka postelya
Na makya bela premena, Na makya bela premena 
Na bratu voda studena,
Na mene bulka zasmena, Na mene bulka za! iiii! 

Na mene bulka zasmena!

Middles:

(Sede sedenkya shto sede)

рa poide da se razturya,

рa poide da se razturya.

 Koi spobratima, eeee…. s nikoga

Sirota Zanka s ni

Sirota Zanka s nikoga

 

(Eta go Gencha ot vrata)

Pavati Zanku za ruku

Pavati Zanku za ruku.

 Pavodi doma, eeee….otmena

Eteti male ot

Eteti male otmena

 

(Na tatu meka postelya)

Na makya bela premena

Na makya bela premena

 Na bratu voda, eeeee… zasmena

Na mene bulka za

Na mene bulka zasmena

Bass:

(Sede sedenkya shto sede

рa poide da se razturya,

рa poide da se razturya.)

 

Koi s pobratima

Sirota Zanka s nikoga

Eeeeee… s ni!  

Sirota Zanka s nikoga!

 

(Eta go Gencha ot vrata

Pavati Zanku za ruku

Pavati Zanku za ruku.)

 

Pavodi doma,

Eteti male otmena

eeee…..ot!

Eteti male otmena.

 

(Na tatu meka postelya

Na makya bela premena

Na makya bela premena)

 

Na bratu voda,

Na mene bulka zasmena

Eeeeeeee…. za! 

Na mene bulka zasmena!

Poetic Translation:


There was a working gathering  

and then everyone went away

Some with a brother, some with a friend

but orphan Zanka had no one

Gencha stepped out of the door

and took Zanka's hand

He brought her to his home

here, mother, is your help.

She will make father's bed

and sew white clothes

She will give my brother cold water

and she will be my smiling bride.

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