Click here to watch and listen to a traditional Păpăruda ceremony. A rough translation of the chant they sing might be: Păpăruda, our relative, come make rain. Make the rain pour, fall over our lands, overflow our buckets. You who gives us food and grows our crops, make the water flow. We dance for you. You know what we want. Like the birds in the trees, rain does so much for us.
Paparudă, rudă,
Vino de ne udă;
Paparudă, rudă,
Vino de ne udă;
Ca să-nceapă ploaie,
Să curgă şiroaie
Cu găleata, leata
Peste toată zloata:
Unde dă cu maiul,
Să crească mălaiul,
Unde dă cu sapa
Să curgă cu apa.
Hai, Catrino să sărim,
Paparudele,
Că ştii iarna ce păţim,
Paparudele,
Ca pasărea prin copaci,
Paparudele,
Ploaie multă să faci,
Paparudele.
• • •
Rain Dance, ©2012 Pamela LaRegina.
The artwork above is reprinted with permission from my friend, neighbor and calligrapher extraordinaire Pamela LaRegina. Her daily, colorful emails never fail to capture the spirit, whimsy and energy of a sentiment. For more, please check out her website, or Like her on Facebook.
SOURCES:
• Wikipedia
Well I guess we’d better grab some leaves and slap on some dancing shoes because we are parched her in Jersey! This was so fun to listen to. Interesting, educational, and entertaining, as usual. Thank you :-)
Funny lady! Connecticut is starting to feel like the West Texas desert, so I know what you mean!
Love the artwork! I have several Serbian students this year and learning their language and culture has been a very enlightening experience. :-)
Reading and hearing that chant in such a different language was fascinating! I can imagine how interesting it might be to interact with students from such a unique culture!
Whoever was reenacting this ritual on Saturday was overdoing it, I think.
On Sunday, came the deluge!
I’d love to take credit for it, but I think all of that rain came from a much higher power than my little dancin’ feet!
Not just anybody can do the ritual dance. It has to be either a young virgin girl or children. An adult can’t. It has no power if it’s done by an adult.
Interesting! Thank you for the added information! : )