The Republic of Croatia is a crescent-shaped country in Europe bordering the Mediterranean to the South, Central Europe to the North and the Balkans to the South East. Its capital is Zagreb. In recent history, it was a republic in the SFR Yugoslavia, but it achieved independence in 1991. It is a candidate for membership of the European Union and has observer status in La Francophonie.
The Croats are largely Slavic people who lived in an area of what is today Galicia (in northwestern Ukraine and southern Poland). Croatian culture is based on a thirteen century long history during which the country has attained many monuments and cities, which gave birth to a good number of brilliant individuals. The country includes six World Heritage sites and eight national parks. Three Nobel prize winners came from Croatia, as did numerous important inventors and other notable people — notably, some of the first fountain pens came from Croatia.
Croatia also has a place in the history of clothing as the
origin of the necktie (cravat). The country has a long artistic,
literary and musical tradition. Of particular interest is
also the diverse cuisine.
CIRO
Kad se Ciro ozenio
cabar masti potrosio.
Chorus:
Caj Ciro sedi s mirom,
u cure ne diraj.
Sedi Ciro za odzakom
namaz'o se sa kajmakom.
Sedi Ciro za trpezom
namaz'o se sa pekmezom.
Sedi Ciro navrh slame
brkovima plasi vrane.
When Ciro got married
he used up a whole tub of butter.
Hey Ciro, sit quiet,
leave the girls alone!
Ciro sat behind the chimney
and smeared himself with kajmak.
Ciro sat at the table
and smeared himself with jam.
Ciro sat atop a haystack and
scared the crows with his moustache
DRMES IZ ZDENCINE
HOPA HOPA
Hopa, hopa, hopa,
procvala se gopa,
u
nasega popa,
curo garava!
Hopa,
hopa, hopa,
cura voli popa.
Ja bi kapelana
al'
mi ne da mama!
Hopa, hopa, hopa,
na tavanu klopa,
u podrumu vino,
al' ce biti fino.
Hopa, curo,
skoci,
da ti vidim oci,
da ti vidim ocice,
garava djevojcice.
Hopa, hopa, hopa,
curi voli popa,
a ja
popadiiju,
i-ju-ju-ju-ju!
Hopa, hopa, hopa!
The
snowball bush has bloomed,
at
our priest's house,
dark-skinned
girl!
Hopa, hopa, hopa!
The girl loves the priest.
I'd love the chapiain,
but mama won't let me
Hopa, hopa, hopa!
In the loft there's eats,
and in the cellar wine,
oh,
it will be fine!
Hopa, girl, jump!
Let me see your eyes,
let me see you little eyes,
dark-skinned little girl!
Hopa, hopa, hopa!
The girl loves the priest,
and the I the priest's wife!
GRADANSKO (also Serbian)
HOPA HOPA
MALO KOLO
click to listenMoj dragane, moj nevene
Kako živiš ti bez mene?
Moj dragane, moj nevene
Kako živiš ti bez mene?
Ja bez tebe tako kako,
Ti bez mene baš mi kako.
Ja bez tebe tako kako,
Ti bez mene baš mi kako.
Oj, djevojko, žute kruško,
Bil volila da si mužko.
Oj, djevojko, žute kruško,
Bil volila da si mužko.
Bil volila da si momče,
Da poljubiš ti djevojče.
Bil volila da si momče,
Da poljubiš ti djevojče.
O my dear, my girl,
How do you live without me?
Oh my dear, my girl,
How do you live without me?
Without you I do just fine,
You without me can’t get along.
Without you I do just fine,
You without me can’t get along.
O girl, o sweet yellow pear,
You wish you were a man.
O girl, o sweet yellow pear,
You wish you were a man.
You wish you were a boy,
So you can kiss the girls.
You wish you were a boy,
So you can kiss the girls.
MOJA DIRIDIKA
Moja diridika
ore na volololove
ore na volove
a ja igirgigam
i pivam za njigirgime
i pivam za njime.
Mene diridika
zove ve·ceralgagati
zove vecerati!
Fala, diridiko,
ja sam veceralgagala
ja sam vecerala
bela, bela 'leba,
i zuta pasuljgugulja
i zuta pasulja,
pa me, pa me ne·sto
po trbuvu ·zuljgugulja
po trbuvu ·zulja…
Dva krumpirgirgira,
za lukom masirgirgira,
za lukom masira.
My sweetheart
is plowing with oxen
is plowing with oxen
and I dance
and sing after him
and sing after him.
Sweetheart
invites me to dinner
invites me to dinner.
Thank you, sweetheart,
I have eaten
I have eaten
white bread
and brown beans
and brown beans,
but something
in my belly pinches
in my belly pinches…
two potatoes
and a scallion
and a scallion.