THE BALKANARAMA SHEET MUSIC ARCHIVE
Ako umram il' zaginam
This is a lesno dance song popular among Macedonians and Bulgarians. Recommended for late in the evening. Listeners have been known to take the lyrics about smashing their drinking glasses literally.
 

Verse 1
// Ako umram il' zaginam
Nemoj da me zhalite
Napijte se s rujno vino
Skarshete gi chashite //

    Chorus
    // E-e-e-e, verni drugari
    Pesna zapejte, mene spomnejte //

Verse 2
// Ako umram il' zaginam
Pop nemoj da vikate
Vie na grob da mi dojte
Oro da zaigrate //

    Chorus

Verse 3
// Ako umram il' zaginam
Ke ostanat spomeni
Shto sam ludo ludovalo
Na mladite godini //

    Chorus
 

If I die or if I'm killed
Don't cry for me
Pour red wine
And break the glasses


    Hey, faithful friends
    Sing a song, remember me


If I die or if I'm killed
Don't call a priest
Come to my grave
And dance the oro





If I die or if I'm killed
The memories will be
What a wild dude I was
In the years of my youth!
Source: An MP3 recording we got from Anton Kirilov of Redmond, WA. Lyrics transcribed by Anton Kirilov. Translation after Ivan Vassilev.