Dudurai

COUNTRY: Kazakhstan
LANGUAGE: Kazakh

The original version of this Kazakh folk song tells the story of a Russian girl, Maria, who loves a Kazakh boy, Dudur, despite her family’s objections based on the longstanding conflict between Russians and Kazakhs.

Lyrics of the All Around This World version:

Sweet Maria, Maria, Maria adored
A Kazakh boy named Dudur, they fell in love
And she said, my dear curly-headed Dudur,
I will love you forever and forever more
Dudarai im dudim
Bir sen ushin tudym
shirkin ai dudarai im dudimai. Sweet Maria, Maria, Maria adored
A kind Kazakh boy, Dudur, they fell in love
And she said, my dear curly-headed Dudur,
I will love you forever and forever more
Dudarai im dudim
Bir sen ushin tudym
shirkin ai dudarai im dudimai.

Thanks to Lena from Leneshmidt.com for providing a translation and transliteration of the original.

Maryam Zhagor, a Russian girl

**

*Mariam and Dudar were real personas. Dudar’s real name was Dyisen. He was called Dudar for his curly hair. “Dudaraiym” in the chorus means “my Dudar” or “my Curly”. The ending “-dydim” (as well as “-ai”) is a non-lexical vocable.
**Shirkin literally means pleasure, joy (believe it or not, Google Translate has it as “ugly”). Then “shirkin-ai” is something along of “Oh, pleasure!” or “Oh, joy!” Also, “shirkin-ai” is often used as an interjection (as an approval of something or as something desirable) and, in other cases, as a vocable (such as “A-ah”).https://lyricstranslate.com/en/dudaray-dudaray.html

**

Дударари-дудым Бір сен үшін тудым! Шіркін-ай, Дудари-ри-дудым!

Google translate:

Dudarari-dudym I was born for you! Alas, Dudari-ri-dudym!