# Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe

Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe (Ukrainian: Ой верше мій, верше, transl. "Oh Mountain, My Mountain") — a Lemko folk song. It is one of the most popular Lemko songs, holding a special place among the most performed Ukrainian songs.
The song belongs to the category of family and wedding songs. It narrates the tale of a young woman who falls in love and marries a man. However, she feels a sense of longing, anticipating that life in a new home and marriage will not be as comforting as it was with her mother.
Following the expulsion of the Lemko people from their historical homeland as a result of the so-called "freewill" deportation from Poland to the USSR (1944–1946) and the ethnic cleansing of "Operation Vistula" (1947), the song "Vershe Miy, Vershe" became a symbol of the people's yearning for their lost homeland. For many Lemkos, the victory of Crimean Tatar singer Jamala with this song at the "New Wave" competition held a particular significance.
   "You could hear how the pain of deportation of one ethnic group of people connected to Ukraine echoed with the pain of another ethnic group of people connected to Ukraine."

## Recording and performance history
### Early history

The first known printed mention of the song appears in the collection "Hungarian-Russian folk songs: with an essay on the life of Hungarian Russians and an ethnographic map of Hungary", published by Hryhorii De-Vollan [uk] in 1885. The collection included the following text of the song:
* Original
* Гей верше мой, верше,
* Мой зеленый верше,
* Ужъ мѣ такъ не буде,
* Якъ мѣ было перше.
* Отпало яблушко
* От сладкой яблони;
* Ужъ мѣ такъ не буде,
* Якъ мѣ было влони.
* Latinisation
* Hey vershe moy, vershe,
* Moy zelenyy vershe,
* Uzh mi tak ne bude,
* Yak mi bylo pershe.
* Otpalo yablushko
* Ot sladkoy yablony;
* Uzh mi tak ne bude,
* Yak mi bylo vlony.
* Translation
* Hey, mountain, my mountain,
* My green mountain,
* It won't be like this anymore,
* As it was before.
* An apple has fallen
* From a sweet apple tree;
* It won't be like this anymore,
* As it was last year.
In Ivan Verkhratskyi's [uk] monograph "On the Dialect of Galician Lemkos" (Ukrainian: «Про говір галицьких лемків») (1902), several variants of this song are presented.
The first audio recording of the song was made by Osyp Rozdolskyi [uk] on a wax phonograph cylinder in 1912.
The recording was made in Lemkivshchyna in the village of Ropica Gоrna (formerly Ropica Ruska), now Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. Phono cylinder No. 445, lasting 2 minutes 35 seconds, contained four songs: "Eey Bozhe Bozhe Nych Ne Mame" («Ей Боже Боже нич не маме» "Oh God, God, We Have Nothing"), "Eey Yak ot Tale Pidu" («Ей як от тале піду» "Hey, How I'll Go"), "A Vershe Miy Vershe" (Ah, Mountain My Mountain), and "Nasha Khata Bilena" («Наша хата білена» "Our House is Whitewashed"). On this recording, the song "A Vershe Miy Vershe" had two verses and was in a rather lively tempo.
In 1928, a 78 rpm record was released in New York City on the Columbia label, containing two Lemko songs. On the first side – "Za Horamy, za Lisamy" (Beyond the Mountains, beyond the Woods), and on the second – "Oi Versze, Myi Vershe" performed by a duet of New York Cathedral Choir members Anna Dran and Joanna Karlyak with orchestral accompaniment. In fact, almost all subsequent solo performances of the song used the same words. However, there is a significant diversity in both the text and the melody and rhythm in folklore and musical notations.
The first sheet music of the song was published by Klyment Kvitka in 1922. The recording was made by him in 1918 in a shelter for refugees in Kyiv from a 35-year-old woman from Lemkivshchyna from the village of Pielgrzymka Jasło County, who refused to give her name.
A choral arrangement for mixed voices was created by Michael Hayvoronsky in the collection "Ukrainian Folk Songs of Lemkivshchyna and Zakarpattya" («Українські народні пісні Лемківщини і Закарпаття»), published in the 1930s The song was recorded from P. Kovalchuk from near Gorlice. Hayvoronsky used a dialogue-style arrangement between the women's and men's choral groups, in accordance with the content of the lyrics. This arrangement was included in the collection of choral arrangements of Lemko songs "Spivanochky Moyi" («Співаночки мої» "My Songs") compiled by Ivan Maychyk [uk] in 1968 A collection called "Homin Verkhovyny" («Гомін Верховини» "Echo of the Highlands") was also published in Ukraine by Yevhen Kozak [uk] in 1962. It included 12 arrangements of Lemko songs for a 4-part unaccompanied choir, including "Oy Chorna Hora, Chorna" («Ой чорна гора, чорна» "Oh, Black Mountain, Black"), "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" («Ой верше мій, верше» "Oh Mountain, My Mountain"), and "Hayem Zelenеnkym" («Гаєм зелененьким» "Through the Green Grove"). A version of the song in the Pannonian Rusyn language, is also known, recorded in Kucura (Vojvodina) in 1930. The lyrics were recorded by Onufry Tymko, under the pseudonym Ton, and J. Shandor composed an original melody for it. In addition to expressing sadness for the loss of her home, the girl also laments that her beloved is avoiding her:
* Original
* Ей, шугай, ей, шугай,
* до нас чом нє придзеш?
* Чи ше оца боїш,
* чи о мнє нє стоїш?
* Оца ше нє боїм,
* а о тебе стоїм,
* Лєм ше злих язикох,
* ей, найвецей боїм.
* Latinisation
* Ey, shuhay, ey, shuhay,
* do nas chom nye prydzesh?
* Chy she otsa boyish,
* chy o mnye nye stoyish?
* Otsa she nye boyim,
* a o tebe stoyim,
* Lyem she zlykh yazykokh,
* ey, nayvetsey boyim.
* Translation
* Hey, lad, hey, lad,
* why won't you come to us?
* Are you still afraid of father,
* or do you not care for me?
* I'm not still afraid of father,
* but I care for you,
* Only the evil tongues,
* hey, I fear the most.
It is interesting that a similar plot is also found in several versions of this song recorded in Lemkivshchyna, particularly by Michael Hayvoronsky and Orest Hyzha:
* Original
* Яничку, златовлас,
* Чом не ходиш до нас?
* Ци ся мами боїш,
* Ци о мя не стоїш?
* Мами ся не бою
* І о тебе стою.
* Лем ся преокрутні
* Злих язиків бою.
* Latinisation
* Yanychku, zlatovlas,
* Chom ne khodysh do nas?
* Tsy sya mamy boyish,
* Tsy o mya ne stoyish?
* Mamy sya ne boyu
* I o tebe stoyu.
* Lem sya preokrutni
* Zlykh yazykiv boyu.
* Translation
* Golden-haired Yanychko,
* Why don't you come to us?
* Are you afraid of mother,
* Or do you not care for me?
* I'm not afraid of mother,
* And I care for you.
* Only I fear
* The evil tongues.

### Modern Times

The song, with its most widely known authentic text today, was included in the collection "Lemko Songs" («Лемківські співанки») (Muzychna Ukraina [uk], 1967) compiled and edited by Mykhailo Sobolevsky. Mykhailo Sobolevsky was born in 1886 in the village of Kostarowce, Sanok County, now Poland. Before World War I, he worked as a conductor of a church choir. From then on, he began collecting and recording Lemko folk songs. After the expulsion of the Lemkos from their ethnic lands, Sobolevsky lived in Ukraine. Upon his retirement in 1959, he decided to process and publish the songs he had collected. It is believed that the song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" was recorded by him in his native village of Kostarowce. Following the publication of the collection, the song became the signature piece of the "Cheremosh" song and dance ensemble of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
The most common version of the text :
* Lemko Ukrainian
* Ой, верше мій, верше,
* Мій зелений верше,
* Юж мі так не буде,
* Як мі било перше.
* Бо перше мі било,
* Барз мі добре било,
* Од своєй мамички,
* Не ходити било.
* Не ходити било,
* Куди я ходила,
* Не любити било,
* Кого я любила.
* Не ходити било
* Горами, стежками,
* Не любити хлопця
* З чорними бровами.
* Latinisation
* Oy, vershe miy, vershe,
* Miy zelenyy vershe,
* Yuzh mi tak ne bude,
* Yak mi bylo pershe.
* Bo pershe mi bylo,
* Barz mi dobre bylo,
* Od svoyey mamychky,
* Ne khodyty bylo.
* Ne khodyty bylo,
* Kudy ya khodyla,
* Ne lyubyty bylo,
* Koho ya lyubyla.
* Ne khodyty bylo
* Horamy, stezhkamy,
* Ne lyubyty khloptsya
* Z chornymy brovamy.
* Translation
* Oh mountain, my mountain
* My green mountain.
* It will never be to me
* As it was before.
* For as it seemed to me before,
* It was so good to me
* From my mother's time
* It was not to be any longer.
* No longer walking
* Where I used to go,
* No longer loving
* Whom I used to love.
* No longer walking
* Through mountains, paths,
* No longer loving
* The boy with black eyebrows.
The song gained its widest popularity after being performed by Kvitka Cisyk in a modern arrangement. After that, it was included in the repertoire of many Ukrainian performers and is often performed at various song festivals and competitions. In particular, Jamala won first place in the "New Wave" competition, and Lucina Khvorost [uk] won the first prize of the "International Competition of Ukrainian Romance named after Kvitka Cisyk" [uk] with this song. Eight-year-old Ukrainian girl Maria Volovod Christodoulidou won with it at the international children's talent competition "Eurokids".
The song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" is one of the most popular on singing TV shows, including "X-Factor" and "Holos Krainy". Numerous artists have performed the song, including Illaria [uk], Tonya Matvienko, the Tryoda [uk] band, Dmytro Babak, Yulia Plaksina, Tetiana Shirko, Anna Kuksa, and many others. In the superfinal of "Holos Krainy 7", Anna Kuksa, accompanied by the "Kiev Tango Project" ensemble, performed "Oy Vershe" in a tango arrangement. The folk song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" by Illaria [uk], was selected for a commercial promoting "Lvivske Zhyve" beer. A video featuring this version of the song was released in late 2010. Director Fedir Stryhun [uk] incorporated the song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" performed by The Telnyuk Sisters as a lyrical theme for the play "Stolen Happiness" at the Maria Zankovetska National Academic Theater of Lviv. The song is also featured in the plays "Mystery of Being" («Таїна буття») based on a play by Tetyana Ivashchenko [uk] and "Elegy Styx" («Елегія Стікс») directed by Oleksandr Korol at the Lviv First Ukrainian Theater for Children and Youth [uk] and the Drohobych Music and Drama Theater [uk], respectively. The song is included in the musical "Kvitka" («Квітка») by the Konstantin Pinchuk "Classikal Grand Ballet" theater.

### Other known performers

The song is widely known in choral arrangements by: Michael Hayvoronsky, Tadeusz Chachaj [pl], Yevhen Kozak [uk], Jaroslaw Polanski [uk], Yaroslav Yaroslavenko, Dmytro Katsal [uk]. Has been part of the repertoire of Zakarpattian Folk Choir, "Beskyd" Lemko Choral Chapel (Ivano-Frankivsk), "Lemkovyna" People's Choral Chapel of the village of Rudno, "Dudaryk" Choral Chapel, "Yevshan" Halych Chamber Choir, Miro Skala [uk], Hanna Sherey [uk], Baiko Sisters [uk], Lesia Matskiv [uk].

## Recordings

| Year | Performers | Title | Location | Details / Notes |
| 1912 | Various Artists | "Ей Боже Боже нич не маме", "Ей як от тале піду", "А верше мій верше", "Наша хата білена" (A medley including "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe") | Ropica Górna, Poland | Phono cylinder record No. 445 (XXIII) from phonographic collection of Osyp Rozdolskyi [uk] Reissued on CD in 2011 |
| 1928 | Anna Dran (soprano), Joanna Karliak (alto) | За горами, за лісами / Ой верше, мій верше (Za horamy, za lisamy / Oi Versze, Myi Vershe) | New York City, US | Victor Hladyk (manager) Track:"Ой верше, мій верше" ("Oi Versze, Myi Vershe") Label: Columbia / 20282-F |
| 1956 | Eugenia Zareska [uk] | Ukrainian Songs | USA | Orchestra directed by Jacques Belasco Track B3: "Oy, Vershe Miy, Vershe" Label: Urania Records – US 5137 |
| 1956 | Baiko Sisters [uk] | Червоні маки / Ой верше, мій верше (Red Poppies / Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe) | UkrSSR | Track B: "Ой, Верше Мiй, Верше" Label: Factory of Household Appliances of Zhytomyr 78 rpm record, 27602-03 |
| 1960 | Miro Skala [uk] (tenor) | Melodies Of Ukraine | Canada | Piano accompaniment by Jeannine Lacour Track B2: "O, My Mountain Top" Label: London MLP 10037 |
| 1960 | Baiko Sisters [uk] (trio) | Українські пісні (Ukrainian Songs) | Lviv, UkrSSR | Track 3: "Oi vershe mi, vershe" Label: Melodiya – D 6499–6500 |
| 1965 | Hanna Sherey [uk] (mezzo-soprano) | Ой верше мій, верше (Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe) | New York, USA | Piano accompaniment by Kalyna Chichka-Andriyenko. Recorded at a concert for Ukrainian composers in exile. |
| 1965 | O. Nikolishyna, R. Korobkina, N. Fomenko, M. Bayko (quartet) | Ой верше мій, верше (Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe) | UkrSSR | Arranged by Yevhen Kozak [uk] Central State Film, Photo and Phonoarchives of Ukraine |
| 1970 | Kvitka Cisyk | Ivanku and Other Favorite Songs of Young Ukrainians | New York, USA | Track A5: "My High Mountain" Label: Midney – P-0102 |
| 1986 | "Lemkovyna" Ensemble | Співає «Лемковина» ("Lemkovyna" Ensemble Singing) | UkrSSR | Track B1: "Ой Верше Мій, Верше" Arranged by Yaroslav Yaroslavenko Label: Melodiya C30 23677 005 |
| 1989 | Kvitka Cisyk | Two Colors | USA & Canada | Track 10: "Верше, мій верше" ("I Sing to the Hills") Label: KMC Records – KMC 1002 CD |
| 1998 | "Kychera" Ensemble [uk] | Цне мі ся за тобов (I Miss You So Much) | Poland | Track 29: "Oj, Wersze Mij, Wersze" Solo: Piotr Hojniak, Michal Olesniewicz CD |
| 2000 | Julia Doszna [uk] | Там на Лемковині (There in Lemkovyna) | Poland | Track 7: "Ой Верше Мій Верше" Label: Towarzystwo Karpackie |
| 2002 | Svitlana Damyduk and "Budmo!" Ensemble | Гей, музики, довше грайте (Hey, Musicians, Play Longer) | Ukraine | Track 4: "Верше"("Vershe") Label: Taki Sparavy – CDND 0616/02 |
| 2004 | Anytchka | Силою любові... (By the Power of Love...) | Ukraine | Track B2: "Ой верше, мій верше" Label: Alfa-Omega |
| 2005 | "Yevshan" Hutsul Chamber Choir | Фольклорна скриня (Folklore Trunk) | Ukraine | Track 3: "Ой, Верше Мій, Верше" Label: Same Tak! |
| 2007 | "Rushnychok" Ensemble | Сусідка (The Neighbor Girl) | Ukraine | Track 6: "Ой Верше, Мій Верше" ("A Song to the Hill") Label: Origen Music |
| 2008 | Hudaki [uk] | Гудаки не люди (Hudaki are Not People) | Ukraine | Track 9: "Vershe" CD |
| 2008 | Dudaryk Nazavzhdy | Мамине серце (Mother's Heart) | Ukraine | Track 13: "Ой, верше ж мій, верше" Label: Nash Format |
| 2008 | Tafubar | Changeability | Germany | Track 1: "Mij Vershe" (feat. Svitlana Damyduk) Label: Lemongrassmusic |
| 2010 | "Soli Deo" (choir) | Співає (Sings) | Ukraine | Track 15: "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" Label: Nash Format CD |
| 2010 | Illaria [uk] | Вільна (Free) | Ukraine | Track 15: "Ой верше мій, верше" Label: Rostok Records |
| 2011 | Jamala | For Every Heart | Ukraine | Bonus Track 15: "Верше, Мій Верше" Label: Moon Records – MR 5117-2 CD |
| 2014 | Halyna Barankevych [uk] | Вигнані з Раю / лемківські пісні (Expelled from Paradise / Lemko Songs) | Ukraine | Track 14: "Ой, Верше мій, Верше" Label: Kosmata design |
| 2014 | Trioda [uk] | Душа українського народу (Soul of the Ukrainian People) | Ukraine | Track 4: "Ой верше мій верше" Label: V Studio |
| 2014 | Lucina Khvorost [uk] | Солодко-гіркий романс (Bittersweet Romance) | Ukraine | Bonus track 19: "Ой верше мій, верше" Label: Nash Format, МА |
| 2017 | Laboratorium Pieśni [pl] | Rosna | Poland | Track 1: "Oj Wersze, Mij Wersze" Label: Soliton [pl] SL 785-2D |

## Films

* Documentary film "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" («Ой верше, мій верше»). Director Valentyn Sperkach [uk],Ukrkinochronika [uk] 1984. (Film about the life of Lemko Ukrainians living in the Velykyi Bereznyi district of Zakarpattia Oblast)

## Song on SoundCloud

* Dudaryk on SoundCloud
* The Telnyuk Sisters on SoundCloud
* Sofiia Fedyna on SoundCloud
* Lucina Khvorost on SoundCloud
* Laboratorium Pieśni on SoundCloud
* Rushnychok on SoundCloud