Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Чому? (Chomu?) by alyona alyona from Ukrainian to English.
These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!
Komu Boh vidkryie karman, povnyi istyny?
Who'll God open a pocket full of truth to?
Tomu, khto cherpaie doloniamy chystymy
To the one who scoops with clean palms
Chomu zh my ydemo na nevyvcheni vidstani
Why're we walking toward unknown distances
Cherpaiem z bolota i v nomu shukaiemo prystani?
Scooping from a swamp and hunting a harbor in it?
A v nebi znov litaiut chorni vorony
And black crows fly in the sky again
I my rozbihlys vsi u rizni storony
And we all scattered in different directions
Detali iz odnoho mekhanizmu khtos rano, a khtos pizno
Parts of one mechanism, some early, some late
Shchob svoi zemli boronyt
to shield our lands
Rozkydani iz tsiloho ulamkamy
Scattered from the whole as shards
Zdavalosia, shcho ye davno u damkakh my
It felt like we'd been kings for ages
Bo vmiiemo terpity i proshchaty ale pamiata Khreshchatyk
'Cause we can endure and forgive, but Khreshchatyk remembers
Polumia za barykadamy
Flames behind the barricades
Kudy divaty svoiu viru v pravdu?
Where do we stash our faith in truth?
Tse niby yakyis prank ale paly stiny khramu
Feels like some prank, yet the temple walls burned
I te, shcho my chuly zranku za svoimy firankamy
And what we heard this morning behind our curtains
Zmusylo nas pereotsinyty svoi ramky tut
forced us to reassess our limits here
Bo v sertsi zavzhdy ye mistse dlia liubovi
'Cause there's always room for love inside the heart
I khai iz neba llie tsia tsiliushcha povin
And let that healing flood pour from the sky
Bo spershu za svoie, a za inshe potim
'Cause first for our own, and for the rest later
Do istyny vezy nas potiah
Train, carry us toward the truth
Komu Boh vidkryie karman, povnyi istyny?
Who'll God open a pocket full of truth to?
Tomu, khto cherpaie doloniamy chystymy
To the one who scoops with clean palms
Chomu zh my ydemo na nevyvcheni vidstani
Why're we walking toward unknown distances
Cherpaiem z bolota i v nomu shukaiemo prystani?
Scooping from a swamp and hunting a harbor in it?
Tak khochetsia navkolo shmatuvaty vse
I wanna tear everything around apart
Tak khochetsia dlia spomyniv trymaty seif
I wanna keep a safe for memories
Tak khochetsia dlia vsikh zdavatys krashchymy
I wanna look better for everybody
Tak kazaly prashchury i slova tsi maly sens
That's what the ancestors said, and those words made sense
Chomu zh navkolo stilky vsoho zloho?
Then why's there so much evil around?
I dushu teper ranyt smert, i vzhe ne ranyt slovo
Now death stabs the soul, and words don't hurt anymore
Vyrvit meni sertse, liudy, adzhe ya ne robot
Rip my heart out, folks, I'm not a robot
Skilky shche prolytys maie krovi?
How much more blood has to spill?
Plakaty, zlytysia, buty spustoshenym
To cry, to rage, to feel empty
Kazhut normalno i tak robyt kozhen
They say "it's fine" and everybody does so
Ta yak po krupytsi zibratysia v tsile
But how do you piece yourself back grain by grain
Koly vse navkolo lysh chorne ta bile?
when everything around's just black and white?
Pofiksyty zlamane, ztsilyty dushu
Fix the broken, heal the soul
I my yak novi, tilky z mitkoiu buvshoho
and we're like new, only tagged "used"
Chas vse rozstavyt na svoi mistsia, tam
Time'll set everything in its place, there
De v sertsi vidkryti dvertsiata
where the doorways in the heart stay open
Komu Boh vidkryie karman, povnyi istyny?
Who'll God open a pocket full of truth to?
Tomu, khto cherpaie doloniamy chystymy
To the one who scoops with clean palms
Chomu zh my ydemo na nevyvcheni vidstani
Why're we walking toward unknown distances
Cherpaiem z bolota i v nomu shukaiemo prystani?
Scooping from a swamp and hunting a harbor in it?
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пращури — ancestors
Пращури translates to "ancestors" or "forefathers". It's a less common word in everyday conversation, making it stand out in the lyrics.
In the song, alyona alyona uses this word to connect present struggles with historical wisdom, singing "Так казали пращури і слова ці мали сенс" (That's what the ancestors said, and these words made sense). It evokes a sense of deep-rooted heritage and the enduring relevance of past generations' experiences, adding a profound layer to the song's message about resilience and truth.
Have you ever felt lost and wondered why we sometimes make choices that seem to lead us nowhere good? alyona alyona and Jerry Heil's "Чому? (Chomu?)" asks just that, questioning why we "Черпаєм з болота і в ньому шукаємо пристані?" [draw from the mud and seek refuge in it?]. It's a powerful look at human struggles, from seeking truth to dealing with conflict and pain. The song opens by asking who God reveals truth to, answering, "Тому, хто черпає долонями чистими" [To him who draws with clean hands].
This song really digs into the idea of resilience and the search for meaning when things get tough. It touches on the experience of being scattered and broken, like "Деталі із одного механізму хтось рано, а хтось пізно" [Parts of one mechanism, some early, some late] trying to protect their land. There's a raw honesty in lines like "Вирвіть мені серце, люди, адже я не робот" [Tear out my heart, people, because I am not a robot], expressing the deep hurt when "душу тепер ранить смерть, і вже не ранить слово" [death now wounds the soul, and words no longer wound]. But even with all the darkness, there's a glimmer of hope, reminding us that "в серці завжди є місце для любові" [in the heart there is always a place for love] and that time can heal, putting everything in its place "Де в серці відкриті дверцята" [Where the doors in the heart are open].
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