For the first post-1989 Czech music post on this site, I decided to go with the band Buty, which definitely is among my top favourites. A band from Ostrava (the name "buty" means "boty" - shoes, boots - in the Lachian dialect) that started a few years before the fall of the communist regime, it came to prominency around the mid 1990's. Their style "can be described as an eclectic mixture of rock, folk music, ethnic music, country music, jazz, reggae and other genres, with witty, dadaist lyrics." (Wikipedia) I personally very much enjoy their sense of humour - both in texts and in music - and refined instrumental approach, which combine in a diversive and pleasurable body of work.
The song František comes from their third album, Dřevo ("Wood", 1995) and is one of my favourite modern Czech songs. With its jokingly plain text and somewhat naïve storyline, this song is both funny and it breathes an air of nostalgia, as it shows how with a simple deed, you can leave the world a bit better place.
František
Na
on, onto
hladinu
[water] surface
rybníka*
fish pond
svítí
shines, is shining
sluníčko**
(little) sun
The sun is shining on the surface of the fish pond
a
and
kolem
around
stojí
stand
v
in
hustém
dense, thick
kruhu
circle
topoly
poplars
And around it, in a dense circle, poplars stand
které
which
tam
there
zasadil
planted
jeden
one
hodný
good, kind
člověk
person, man, human
Which were planted there by one kind man
jmenoval se
his name was, he was called
František
Dobrota
goodness, kindness
His name was Francis Goodman
František Dobrota,
rodák
native
z
from
blízké
nearby
vesnice
village
Francis Goodman, a native of a nearby village
měl
had
hodně
much, many
dětí
children
a
and
jednu
one, a
starou
old
babičku
grandma
He had many children, and an old grandma
která
who, which
když
when
umírala,
was dying
tak
(emphasizing particle)
mu
[to] him
řekla
told, said
Františku
(vocative)
Who, when she was dying, told him, Francis
teď
now
dobře
well
poslouchej,
listen
co
what
máš
are supposed to
všechno
all, everything
udělat
to do (finish)
Now listen well to all that you need to do
Balabambam balabambam
balabambam balabambam
balabambam balabambam
a
and
kolem
around
rybníka
fish pond
nahusto
densely
nasázet
plant
topoly
poplars
And around the fish pond to densely plant poplars
František
udělal
did
všechno
all, everything
co
what, that
mu
[to] him
řekla
[she] said
Francis did all that she'd told him
balabambam balabambam
a
and
po
after
snídani
breakfast
poslal
sent
děti
children
do
to, into
školy
school
And after breakfast, he sent the children to school
žebřiňák
rack wagon
s
with
nářadím
tools, toolkit
dotáhl
hauled, dragged
od
from
chalupy
cottage, farm house
k
to
rybníku
fish pond
He hauled the rack wagon with his tools from the cottage to the fish pond
vykopal
digged (out)
díry
holes
a
and
zasadil
planted
topoly
poplars
Digged the holes and planted poplars
Od
from, since
té
that
doby
time
vítr
wind
na
on, onto
hladinu
[water] surface
nefouká
doesn't blow
Since then, the wind doesn't blow on the [pond] surface
takže
so, so that
je
is
klidná
calm, smooth
jako
like
velké
big
zrcadlo
mirror
So that it's smooth like a big mirror
sluníčko
sun
tam
there
svítí
shines
vždycky
always
rádo
gladly; likes to do that
The sun always likes to shine there
protože
because
v
in, inside
něm
him
vidí
sees
Františkovu
babičku
grandma
Because it can see Francis's grandma in it
Notes:
*) There are lots of fish ponds in the Czech lands, especially in South Bohemia. They are mostly fish farms, but they also serve for water retention, water level regulation, and recreational purposes. The tradition of founding fish ponds goes back to the 12th century, and currently there are about 21,000 fish ponds in the Czech Republic.
**) "Sluníčko" is a diminutive (compare with Spanish: perro - perrito). English doesn't really have it and it is usually translated as "litte X". In Czech, it is used generally for small and cuddly things - štěňátko (little puppy), děťátko (little baby), ptáček (little bird) - but it can be used for everything that you find pleasant and are fond of - pivečko (beer), babička (grandma). Sometimes it can even have negative connotations - Čecháček (a small Czech person, "small" meaning morally small, narrow-minded).
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