61.

Page 62–61 (Song 27)

Core message The speaker directly addresses “you” (a beloved or potential companion) with a personal invitation: “And you I will hook/invite — I have no other.” This sets up the song as a romantic or flirtatious summons. The verses then paint an idealized rural tavern scene where girls are being playfully persuaded to join the Cossacks for drinks and company. The final lines circle back to domestic comfort, comparing the fun at the tavern to the warmth of “your mother’s” and “our mother’s” home, ending on a light, folksy note (“to the Gods and cabbage too”).

Main theme This is classic Ukrainian folk-song lyricism: the blending of romantic invitation, Cossack camaraderie, and rural hospitality. The pine-on-the-hill / stone tavern imagery evokes a timeless Ukrainian landscape, while the repeated “girls, come with us” motif captures the playful courtship and communal joy typical of Cossack drinking songs. At the same time, the closing comparison to maternal homes softens the rowdy tavern scene with a tender, nostalgic domesticity — a common folk technique that balances wild freedom with the security of home and tradition.

In short, the page captures the heart of many Ukrainian folk songs: the joyful pull between youthful adventure (tavern, Cossacks, beer) and the deeper comfort of love, family, and cultural belonging. It’s both a flirtatious call to join the fun and a celebration of shared roots.