# Hej Sokoły

Hej, Sokoły (Hey, falcons, Polish: Hej, Sokoły, Ukrainian: Гей, соколи, romanized: Hey, sokoly), properly titled Żal za Ukrainą (Longing for Ukraine) or Na zielonej Ukrainie (In green Ukraine) is a Polish and Ukrainian folk song.

## History

The song's authorship is not completely certain. Some historians attribute the writing of the song to the Ukrainian-Polish poet-songwriter Tomasz Padura (1801–1871) (however, according to the latest Ukrainian research, there are no lyrics of the song in any of Padura's song collections). Others believe it was written by the Polish classical composer Maciej Kamieński (1734–1825). The original Polish-language version was translated (sometimes with modified lyrics) into several languages.
According to Olga Kharchyshyn, "Hej Sokoły" is based on the 19th century Polish folk song "Żal za Ukrainą", but with a new refrain and opening verses. It first appeared in the current form in the latter half of the 20th century and was subsequently translated from the Polish language into Ukrainian.

## Popularity

The tune was popular among Polish soldiers during the Polish-Soviet War, and was also sung by the Polish Home Army guerrillas during World War II. Polish folk singer named Maryla Rodowicz performed a cover of the song. The song is widely known in the countries: Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Belarus, and to a lesser extent in Russia and the eastern Czech Republic.
It is sometimes presented as a Polish folk song and/or Ukrainian folk song. The lyrics vary only slightly between the two languages.

## Lyrics

The lyrics exist in several versions about a Ukrainian girl to whom her betrothed (a cossack or an uhlan) says goodbye for the last time.

### First verse

| Polish | English translation | Ukrainian | Ukrainian transliteration | Slovak | Belarusian | Belarusian transliteration |
| Hej, tam gdzieś z nad czarnej wody | Hey, there, somewhere near black waters, | Гей, десь там, де чорні води, | Hej, deś tam de čorni vody, | V dobrom aj v zlom budeš moja, | Гэй, над рэчкай, над чарненькай, | Hej, nad rečkaj, nad čarnieńkaj, |
| Wsiada na koń kozak młody. | A young cossack mounts his horse. | Сів на коня козак молодий. | Siv na konja kozak molodyj. | Rany tie sa s tebou zhoja. | Сядлаў коня казачэнька. | Siadłaŭ konia kazačeńka. |
| Czule żegna się z dziewczyną, | Sadly he parts with his girl, | Плаче молода дівчина, | Plače moloda divčyna, | Keď je slnko, keď je zima, | Развітаўся ён з дзяўчынай, | Raźvitaŭsia jon z dziaŭčynaj, |
| Jeszcze czulej z Ukrainą. | But even more sadly with Ukraine. | Їде козак з України. | Jide kozak z Ukrajiny. | Ty si moja domovina. | Ды з каханай Украінай. | Dy z kachanaj Ukrainaj. |
| Hej, hej, hej sokoły! | Hey, hey, hey falcons! | Гей! Гей! Гей, соколи! | Hej! Hej! Hej, sokoly! | Hej, hej, hej sokoly! | Гэй, гэй, гэй саколы! | Hej, hej, hej sakoły! |
| Omijajcie góry, lasy, doły. | Fly past the mountains, forests and valleys. | Оминайте гори, ліси, доли. | Omynajte hory, lisy, doly. | Z výšky hľadia na to všetko, čo nás bolí. | Абмінайце горы, лясы, долы. | Abminajcie hory, lasy, doły. |
| Dzwoń, dzwoń, dzwoń dzwoneczku, | Ring, ring, ring little bell. | Дзвін, дзвін, дзвін, дзвіночку, | Dzvin, Dzvin, Dzvin, dzvinočku, | Zvoň, zvoň, zvoň nad krajinou, | Звон, звон, звон званочак, | Zvon, zvon, zvon zvanočak, |
| Mój stepowy skowroneczku | My little steppe skylark | Степовий жайвороночку | Stepovyj žajvoronočku | Rozliehaj sa zvoň, zvoň, zvoň! | Мой стэповы жаўраночак | Moj stepovy žaŭranočak |

#### Other verses

| Polish | English translation | Ukrainian | Ukrainian transliteration | Belarusian | Belarusian transliteration |
| Wiele dziewcząt jest na świecie, | There are many girls in the world, | | | | |
| Lecz najwięcej w Ukrainie. | But the most in Ukraine. | | | | |
| Tam me serce pozostało, | There, I left my heart | | | | |
| Przy kochanej mej dziewczynie. | With my beloved girl. | | | | |
| Hej, hej, hej sokoły! | Hey, hey, hey falcons! | Гей! Гей! Гей, соколи! | Hej! Hej! Hej, sokoly! | Гэй, гэй, гэй саколы! | Hej, hej, hej sakoły! |
| Omijajcie góry, lasy, doły. | Fly past the mountains, forests and valleys. | Оминайте гори, ліси, доли. | Omynajte hory, lisy, doly. | Абмінайце горы, лясы, долы. | Abminajcie hory, lasy, doły. |
| Dzwoń, dzwoń, dzwoń dzwoneczku, | Ring, ring, ring little bell. | Дзвін, дзвін, дзвін, дзвіночку, | Dzvin, dzvin, dzvin, dzvinočku, | Звон, звон, звон званочак, | Zvon, zvon, zvon zvanočak, |
| Mój stepowy skowroneczku | My little steppe skylark | Степовий жайвороночку | Stepovyj žajvoronočku | Мой стэповы жаўраночак | Moj stepovy žaŭranočak |
| Hej, hej, hej sokoły! | Hey, hey, hey falcons! | Гей! Гей! Гей, соколи! | Hej! Hej! Hej, sokoly! | Гэй, гэй, гэй саколы! | Hej, hej, hej sakoły! |
| Omijajcie góry, lasy, doły. | Fly past the mountains, forests and valleys. | Оминайте гори, ліси, доли. | Omynajte hory, lisy, doly. | Абмінайце горы, лясы, долы. | Abminajcie hory, lasy, doły. |
| Dzwoń, dzwoń, dzwoń dzwoneczku, | Ring, ring, ring little bell. | Дзвін, дзвін, дзвін, дзвіночку, | Dzvin, dzvin, dzvin, dzvinočku, | Звон, звон, звон званочак, | Zvon, zvon, zvon zvanočak, |
| Mój stepowy - dzwoń, dzwoń, dzwoń. | My steppe - ring, ring ring. | Мій степовий дзвін, дзвін, дзвін. | Mij stepovyj dzvin, dzvin, dzvin. | Мой стэповы звон, звон, звон. | Moj stepovy zvon, zvon, zvon. |
| Ona biedna tam została, | She poor one remained there, | Плаче, плаче, дівчинонька, | Plače, plače, divčynon'ka, | Засталася ў любым краі | Zastałasia ŭ lubym krai |
| Jaskółeczka moja mała, | My little swallow, | Люба моя ластівонька, | Ljuba moja lastivon'ka, | Перапёлачка малая, | Pierapiołačka małaja, |
| A ja tutaj w obcej stronie | And I'm here in this foreign land [lit. 'on the foreign side'] | А я у чужому краю, | A ja u čužomu kraju, | А я тут, мне на чужыне | A ja tut, mnie na čužynie |
| Dniem i nocą tęsknię do niej. | I miss her day and night. | Серце спокою не має. | Serce spokoju ne maje. | Ад растаньня сэрца стыне. | Ad rastańnia serca stynie. |
| Żal, żal, za dziewczyną, | Sorrow, sorrow, for that girl, | Жаль, жаль, за милою, | Žal', žal' za myloju, | Жаль, жаль, па дзяўчыне, | Žal, žal, pa dziaŭčynie, |
| Za zieloną Ukrainą, | And for green Ukraine; | За рідною стороною. | Za ridnoju storonoju. | Па зялёнай Украіне. | Pa zialonaj Ukrainie. |
| Żal, żal, serce płacze, | Sorrow, sorrow, heart is stricken, | Жаль, жаль серце плаче, | Žal', žal' serce plače, | Жаль, жаль, сэрца плача, | Žal, žal, serca płača, |
| Już jej więcej nie zobaczę. | I'll never see her again. | Більше її не побачу. | Bil'še jiji ne pobaču. | Жаль, бо ён яе не ўбачыць. | Žal, bo jon jaje nie ŭbačyć. |
| Wina, wina, wina dajcie! | Wine, wine, give me wine! | Меду, вина наливайте | Medu, vyna nalyvajte | Мёду, мёду, мёду дайце, | Miodu, miodu, miodu dajcie, |
| A jak umrę pochowajcie | And when I die bury me | Як загину поховайте | Jak zahynu pokhovajte | А памру, дык пахавайце, | A pamru, dyk pachavajcie, |
| Na zielonej Ukrainie | In green Ukraine, | На далекій Україні | Na dalekij Ukrajini | На зялёнай Украіне, | Na zialonaj Ukrainie, |
| Przy kochanej mej dziewczynie | By my dear girl. | Коло милої дівчини. | Kolo myloji divčyny. | Пры каханай мне дзяўчыне. | Pry kachanaj mnie dziaŭčynie. |

## Usage during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

A number of social media videos put out by Ukrainian forces to celebrate victories in the Russian invasion of Ukraine feature the song as the backing track. On 16 April 2022, the General staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put out a video with a version of the song recorded by Pikkardiyska Tertsiya as a show of gratitude towards the military aid from Poland.
On 23 March 2023, the Slovak Armed Forces uploaded a video on YouTube showing the transfer of four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, featuring a version of the song recorded by the Military Music Band of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic.