44.

Core of the song (№20 on page 44): A young woman (the singer) is actively searching for or calling to her beloved (“миленький”). She goes into the forest/grove, finds a symbolic natural token (the “горішок лісковий” – little hazelnut from the grove), and imagines it (or her love) rolling down from the mountain straight to her. She idealizes her sweetheart – wanting him to be strikingly handsome with “mountain eyes,” even “soaking” or preparing him so he will shine and wear a wreath (a folk symbol of readiness for love or marriage). The core idea is longing + active courtship: she is not passively waiting; she is going out to claim or prepare her man.

Main theme: Romantic love expressed through nature metaphors, a classic pattern in Ukrainian folk songs. Nature (forest, mountain, rolling stream, hazelnut) mirrors the girl’s emotions and actions – wild, flowing, fertile, and unstoppable. The song blends:

• Search and pursuit (going into the woods, the lover “rolling” to her)
• Idealization of the beloved (making him beautiful, worthy, “wet/shining” – a sensual/folk image of readiness)
• Possessive tenderness (my darling, my little one)

It’s a typical village love lyric: earthy, direct, and full of vivid natural imagery that turns personal longing into something universal and almost ritualistic. The tone is hopeful and playful rather than tragic – she is shaping her own happy ending.