One, two, three, four
Hey, Zdob & Zdub
Play the drums near the Prut river,
Four Prince Charmings
Make a sparkling fuss.
Hey, Zdob & Zdub,
The barrel has no cork,
Four lads who play by ear
Are a bunch of crazy people on this world.
Hey, Zdob & Zdub,
They beat the drums until they break it,
There's so much noise
And so much fatigue.
Hey, Zdob & Zdub,
We are not the slaves of wine,
We don't actually live in a hut,
Come and shout now, hey!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
They work like plough oxen,
Voice, bass, guitar, drums,
We only perform for you.
In the summer or in the spring time,
From dawn until dusk,
Time goes by through earthquakes,
Oh the times! Oh the customs!1
The songs do not bark,
Dinga2 is making grape-juice near the Hearth,
The wind is blowing, the leaves are flying in the air,
Long life goes by in a slow pace.
Weddings and becoming relatives,
Everything around is joy,
There's no money, but there is passion,3
Let's get together and dance now!
Waves of slamming,
Massive crowding,
There, there, there,
Play the drums hard, boys!
Hop-hop-hop, come on, man, hey!
Hey, Zdob & Zdub, four Prince Charmings,
Hey, Zdob & Zdub, they beat the drums very hard,
Hey, Zdob & Zdub, they are making a sparkling fuss,
Hey, Zdob & Zdub, they are a bunch of crazy people,
The songs don't bark...
1. O tempora o mores!2. (possibly) The first mention of lăutari is from 1558 when Mircea Ciobanul, the Voivode of Wallachia, gives Ruste lăutarul (Ruste the lăutar) as a gift to the Vornic Dingă from Moldavia. (wikipedia)3. (literally) fire