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.