Karaim language belongs to the northwestern group of Turkic languages. In 2020 throughout the world there are only 30 persons living in Lithuania that can speak the language. It is included in the UNESCO list of endangered languages. Lithuanian Karaim community and Karaim people seek spreading the knowledge about this language and promote its learning. The recent Community project is introducing a possibility to learn the Karaim language by singing (we thank the Lithuanian Department for national minorities for its support). Four traditional songs of Lithuanian Karaims are presented in a new musical setting for instruments and several voices. You can now listen to these songs, sing along, learn the melodies and their words in a usual and karaoke adapted way. These are “Kybyn”, “Utrulamach”, “Širiń ėľ”, “Ijisi baraśkiniń”.
Lyrics of the Karaim song ‚Kybyn‘ are composed by Simonas Firkovičius (1897-1982).
The melody was adapted for instruments and voices by ©Audronė Vakarinienė, ©Rytas Lingė. Soloist – Konstantinas Lavrinovičius. Other singers and musicians are members of Vilnius music band “Nalšia” – Audronė Vakarinienė, Rimantas Dulkė, Jonas Kuklys, Asta Pereckienė, Miglė Ivaškevičienė. Rytas Lingė is playing the piano.
More on Karaim musical heritage in Polish and in English.
Kybyn
Šaharynda Trochnun
Karajlar boladlar.
Bijlik kiermiańliardia
Krupnikni ičiaďliar.
Dostluchta boladlar
Siemiź aščechlarba,
Kiorkiajaďliar hanuz
Kajnar kybynlarba.
Išliaďliar analar,
Biźgia üvriaťtiliar,
Ašajych, siuviarliar,
Tatuvlu kybynlar. X2
Muzhulluhu džanyn
Jochka ajlanadyr,
Kačan kybynčechtan
Karaj alynadyr.
Jarymyna ajnyn
Jysunu ušejdyr.
Toch-te kioriup any
Biešiari jutchejdyr.
Išliaďliar analar…
Halie katynlarha
Kuvuščoch kujarbyz.
Ėgier kyz biširdi,
Ėľčiliar ijarbiź.
Čoch jyllar kybynba
Vachtny ašyrhejbyz,
Birliktia da syjba
Julduzlej artchejbyz.
Išliaďliar analar…
Kybyn
In the town of Trakai
Karaims live.
In royal castles
They drink krupnik.
They are good friends
With fatty dishes,
They are famous also
For their hot kybyns.
Mothers prepared,
Taught us,
Let’s eat, our dears,
Those tasty kybyns! X2
The sadness of one’s heart
Fades to nothing,
When a kybyn
Is taken by a Karaim.
Like half a moon
Is its ‘face’,
Even when full,
You would eat five of them.
Mothers prepared…
Now for the wives
We will fill a glass
And if a girl has prepared it,
We will send matchmakers.
Many years with kybyns
May we spend!
In unity and respect
Let us grow in number like the stars.
Mothers prepared…
Translated by Karina Firkavičiūtė
