When the leaves susurrate, those of the beech trees
When the leaves susurrate, those of the beech trees
When the leaves susurrate
Crying for their voyvoda 1, their captain.
When you're passing by my village, you're passing,
When you're passing by my village, you're passing,
When you're passing by my village,
Don't let your horses make much noise, much noise.
Otherwise, my mother will hear you, the old one,
Otherwise, my mother will hear you, the old one,
Otherwise, mother'll hear you
And she'll ask you about me, about me.
Where's my son Kostadin, Kostadin,
Where's my son Kostadin, Kostadin,
Where's my son Kostadin,
Kostadin - The Voyvoda, the captain.
Your son, mother, he's married now, married now,
Your son, mother, he's married now, married now,
Your son, mother, is married now
To a Macedonian slave girl.
1. During the time when Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire, a voyvoda was a person who was leading armed men and/or women whose main purpose was to defend the wronged Bulgarian people from the Ottoman atrocities. They were usually hiding in the mountains and/or the woods.