Devojka iz grada (City Girl)
Miroslav Ilić
Ja sam rođen u __________ (flowers) livada
čuvar stada pokraj reke Gruže
al zavoleh devojku iz grada
sa _________ (lips) ko pupoljak ruže.
Bele __________ (hands), a prsti ko dirke
pričaju mi najnežnije __________ (fairy tales)
zalud uzdah iz grudi pastirke
zalud ___________ (tears) moje stare majke.
Sin sam plavih ________ (woods) i livada
gajih dobre ___________ (horses) i volove
zbog lepote devojke iz grada
zaboravih __________ (hills) i dolove.
Zvao sam je ___________ (streets) dugim
i venuo ko trava jesenja
jednog dana spazih je sa drugim
zagrljenu u senci ________ (chestnut tree)
Šta sad mogu već ________ (pain) svoj da patim
mladost moju da tužim za celo
__________ (had to) sam kući da se vratim
svome domu u rođeno selo
I sad opet svoga vranca jašem
i u _________ (inn) krčmim svoja stada
kitim svirce i razbijam __________ (glasses)
i proklinjem devojku iz grada.
Plural clues scattered through one sad song
The song hides plural nouns inside a rural love story. Before filling a gap, use the adjective, verb and surrounding image as clues. Bele demands a feminine plural noun; plavih points to a genitive plural form; divne must agree with the feminine plural expression that follows.
Serbian plural is not one ending. Masculine nouns often use -i or an expanded -ovi/-evi; feminine nouns in -a usually change to -e; neuter nouns commonly take -a. Cases then reshape these plurals again, which is why šume may appear as šuma and brda as brda depending on the phrase.
From meadow flowers to broken glasses
| Latinica | Ћирилица | English |
|---|---|---|
| Poljsko cveće raste kraj širokih livada. | Пољско цвеће расте крај широких ливада. | Wild flowers grow beside broad meadows. |
| Njene bele ruke drže buket crvenih ruža. | Њене беле руке држе букет црвених ружа. | Her white hands hold a bouquet of red roses. |
| Pastiri pamte stare priče i planinske bajke. | Пастири памте старе приче и планинске бајке. | The shepherds remember old stories and mountain fairy tales. |
| U krčmi su ostale razbijene čaše. | У крчми су остале разбијене чаше. | Broken glasses remained in the inn. |
| Dugi sokaci vode između kuća i kestenova. | Дуги сокаци воде између кућа и кестенова. | Long lanes run between houses and chestnut trees. |
Sing the ending before writing it
Copy each blank with the word immediately before it. Predict gender, number and case from that neighbour, then listen. Singing the complete pair—bele ruke, plavih šuma—makes agreement easier to retain.
- Give the plural of ruka.
- Complete: mnogo plavih ______. (šuma)
- Choose: divne priča / divne priče.
- Write čaše in Cyrillic.
- Translate: Long lanes lead to the village.
The village road leads to five answers
- ruke / руке
- šuma
- divne priče
- чаше
- Dugi sokaci vode do sela. / Дуги сокаци воде до села.
When the chorus returns, let the adjective predict the noun ending before the singer supplies it.
Marina Petrović