9.

Song 4 – “Мав я ружу білу красну” The central theme is the fleeting, almost magical beauty of first love that suddenly withers. The white rose (a classic Ukrainian folk symbol of pure, innocent beauty) blooms “day and night” until the singer falls for the “black-browed girl” whose dark eyes captivate him. Once love begins, both the rose and the eyes “stop shining/blooming.” The imagery is bittersweet: what once gave light and joy now brings pain. The core message is the painful realization that love can dim the very beauty that sparked it — the singer feels the girl has “driven him away,” leaving him heartbroken.

Song 5 – “Я не сподівався” / “Примова Мила” This continues the emotional fallout. The singer did not expect the girl’s reproach (“Май догану дала”). He points out that neither of them is married yet (“А я ще си не оженив / Ти си не віддала”), suggesting mutual availability and perhaps missed opportunity. The tone shifts from accusation to a tender plea: “Вір же мені” (Believe me) — he is composing these very songs for her alone (“Вкладаю пісні / Власне тобі”).

Overall Core of these two songs Unrequited or troubled young love, expressed through traditional folk metaphors (rose, black eyes, blooming/withering). The singer is caught between longing, hurt, and hope — he wants the girl to believe his sincerity even though she has hurt him. It’s classic early-20th-century Ukrainian lyrical folk poetry: romantic, melancholic, and deeply personal, written in 1909 as a kind of private love diary set to song.