“The Little Swallow” Ukrainian folk song was arranged by composer Mykola Leontovich in 1916, and tells a story of a swallow flying into a household to sing of wealth that will come with the following spring. “Shchedryk” was adapted as an English Christmas carol, well-known “Carol of the Bells”, by Peter J. Wilhousky in 1936. “Carol of the Bells” and “Shchedryk” share the same melody /by composer Mykola Leontovich/ but these two songs have different lyrics.

“Bountiful evening, a New Year’s carol;

A little swallow flew into the household

and started to twitter, to summon the master:

“Come out, master, look at the sheep pen,

there the ewes have given birth and the lambkins have been born

Your goods are great, you will have a lot of money, by selling them.

If not money, then chaff from all the grain you will harvest

you have a dark-eyebrowed beautiful wife.”

Illustrated by VeselaZdybanka©