For the Children
1. Ven paca
(P.Slabá, spanish text Broňa Skalická) 2:04
2. A BUDDY
(Hana Řepová/Eva Mišíková) 1:56
3. FALCON
(Marka Míková) 3:34
4. STRAWBERRIES
(Pavla Slabá) 2:40
5. FLIES IN THE HOUSE
(Kateřina Jirčíková) 1:23
6. THE STEPS
(Hana Řepová) 2:01
7. THE TICKET INSPECTOR
(Pavla Slabá) 2:49
8. UMBRELLAS
(Hana Řepová) 1:39
9. CLODHOPPER Lu
(Pavla Slabá) 3:27
10. THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE NIGHT
(Pavla Slabá/Marka Míková) 1:53
11. A CAROL
(Marka Míková) 2:36
12. CLOCKS, WATCHES, HOURS
(Marka Míková) 3:16
13. THE MOTHS HAVING FLOWN
(Pavla Slabá) 2:14
14. AT SCHOOL
(Kateřina Jirčíková) 1:39
15. GEESELINGS
(Kateřina Jirčíková/Václav Lacina) 2:11
16. THE BLOODY KNEE
(Pavla Slabá) 3:54
17. AT THE END OF THE STREET
(Marka Míková) 2:02
AT THE END OF THE STREET (NA KONCI ULICE)
(Mikova /Mikova, 1981)
who goes where-who wants what-throw the soap-swing the wing
I am telling you for the third time
whoøs turn it is, they will take off the ground and fly...
At the end of the street there is someone you can meet
At the end of the street there is someone trying
To stagger along and then wind up flying
Guess who could it be?
It's me!!!
FLIES IN THE HOUSE (MOUCHY V BYTE)
(Jircikova/Jircikova, 1984)
I open the door
and enter the house
around the lamp
a flock of mosquitoes, ouch!
I shiver with fear.
They are so ugly,
what I will do
only God knows
Flies in the house, flies in the house,
Iøll dart like mouse!
They get everywhere
even under the sheets
I havenøt even one second of peace
I have only one wish
to kill them en masse
were it not for my fear,
Iød be a murderess!
Flies in the house, flies in the house
I‘ll dart like mouse!
Head over heels, head over heels
VEN PACA
P.Slabá/P.Slabá, Spanish text Broňa Skalická)
(in Czech "ven paka" means "get out of here, you rubbishy lot!")
Somewhere behind the eyelids
the candles start burning
I donøt know whether it is night or day.
From some distant radio I hear a mixture of voices,
speaking Spanish, calling to me to go out
Fast! Fast out - quickly, fast fast!
Run here - donøt hesitate, hurry up!
Leave your quarrels, erase the mistakes - forget your doubts,
Come out, come out, all come here!
Everybody come here - everybody come here
Si te sientes solo en tu hogar
Ven a encontrarnos en un bar
Vienen todos los amigos,
que quieren cantar contigo
ven paca ac y no nos hagas esperar
Ven paca ven paca, ven paca ven!
Thanks, friends, for the wonderful welcome,
We had no idea you were so nice,
If you ever come our way
I will also sing the Spanish song for you!
Ven paca, ven paca, ven paca,
Everybody come here
THE STEPS (KROKY)
(Repova /Repova, 1982)
One two three four five and then
The squares of pavement are a sight to see
Six seven eight nine eleven again
It takes me time to count the squares I see
And all the people hurry up and down
But I do nøt care I just hang around
THE MOTHS HAVING FLOWN (VYLETELI MOLI)
(Slaba /Slaba, 1993)
The moths having flown
From the wardrobe were circling all around
So we asked them
What they thought they were doing there
The moths didnøt know
Kept flying about aimlessly
One of them said,
I lived in a sweater,
For the whole summer I had a wonderful time.
Yet I havenøt seen anything
of the world...
A moth song is a minor song...
A coat, a sweater, and mothballs
And they flutter down
Such a confession greatly enraged us:
So it was you, who gobbled my sweater!
And you, you destroyed my coat!
You vile insect, you will suffer for that
and swallow the poison!
The moths make their farewells,
and now rest in peace.
They lived so briefly on this Earth.
But, before the snow disappears from the fields,
new, new, new moths will hatch in the wardrobe!
A minor song
A minor song of the moths,
but the world does not end,
we will meet again!
THE BLOODY KNEE (KRVAVY KOLENO)
(Slaba /Zuby nehty)
(a Zuby nehty version of a children's game, which seems to
ave no equivalent in English speaking cultures)
The first hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The second hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The third hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The fourth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
-The lamp has gone out!
Pavla, go and get me the strawberry jam from the cellar!
No, mommy, I am reading this book and I donøt feel like it!
-Donøt talk back to me and go to the cellar!
-OK, so I am going.
The fifth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The sixth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The seventh hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
-The lamp has gone out!
- Marka, go to the cellar to get some potatoes
-But why is Pavla not back yet?
-That is none of your business, just go to the cellar!
-But I feel kind of sick and I am scared!
-Just get going!
-OK, mommy, I am going, mommy!
The eighth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The lamp has gone out!
-Why are the girls not coming back, I wonøt get any
marmalade this way... I will have to go and look into the
matter myself!
Who are you?
-The Bloody Knee!
-And what do you eat?
-Human flesh!
-And what do you drink?
-Human blood!
-and where do you sleep?
-On human bones?
-And when will you come for me?
-I am already here!
The ninth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The tenth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The eleventh hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
The twelfth hour struck - and the lamp was still shining
-The lamp has gone out!
GEESELINGS (HUSICKY)
(Jircikova /Lacina, 1996)
I was sitting in my little house
And the hour was almost dying
From the green little hill
White geeselings were flying
I was looking at them
And I asked them freefully,
Where are you flying,
That you look so gleefully?
I would immediately fly with you
If it were not for my uncle Lou.
I heard from my mommy,
He would bring me salami.
Hence, accept, you, geeseling white,
Your sister‘s greeting, sent with delight!
CLOCKS, WATCHES, HOURS (HODINY)
(Mikova /Mikova, 1985)
Ticking lamely, ticking hesitantly...
What is the time?
It is already quarter to ten,
in a moment my train is due!
Careful, sir, your watch has fallen...
Sometimes even a musical clock is slow...
Why do you keep turning the hour-glass?
Marie Horakova is going to her music lesson.
The journey takes her half an hour.
At the piano she stays for three quarters of an hour.
Altogether this makes one hour and a quarter...
THE TICKET INSPECTOR (REVIZOR)
(Slaba /Slaba, 1984)
When he said it, he was grinning,
Though he was not much better than me.
So I told myself, how childish,
Thread is hanging from his pockets.
In three days I met him again...
When he said it, he was making faces
So I told myself, he was an ychtil
So i just told myself, he was a baboon,
Who should drown himself in a lagoon.
He insisted this was true,
And I thought, how do you do!
And I thought it was a pile of crap,
And heøs gone too far,
And blah de blah de blah de blah,
and you are saying this to yourself!
CLODHOPPER Lu (Tezkopadna Lu)
(Slaba /Slaba, 1995)
Clodhopper Lu wakes from her dreams,
in which she was chasing a piglet on a terrace
in which she was floating
on leaves she found in the forest
Some people are like greased lightning
they never fall the whole year long
nothing can stop them
Such I can only envy
Clothes, shoes, all is flying
again Lu will be scolded
again she will be late
again the world is tricky
hillock to the right, puddle to the left
Some people do not know what problems are
they understand everything, never are wrong, always are
right
these are often cross with me
The wind has blown and swept Lu from the pavement
carried her to the cloud resembling a piggie
and now it is chasing her
changing into horses and elephants
donøt be afraid for her, don‘t worry about her
she‘s become a graceful Lu
A BUDDY (KAMOS)
(Repova /Misikova, 1984)
I‘ve got a new buddy,
He doesn‘t wear shoes, but galoshes.
I dreamt of him last night,
Calling to me, hello, hello!
tu-too, tu-too, tu-too, hello, hello!
tu-too, to-too, tu-too, busy!
A CAROL (KOLEDA)
(Mikova /Mikova , 1993)
Three kings are heading for Betlehem,
Their star beaming in the dark night,
Their elephant, camel and a horse stride on through the night
Carrying the weight on their backs
Night, dark night, the eyelids are heavy,
Night, dark night, we must go on.
In vain their sight looks up to the heavens:
The bright star is covered by a cloud.
So where to go next?
The elephant, camel, horse and wind sing,
Dark is the night and the journey is bad.
A song trembles your heart,
Little baby in the manger is falling asleep.
And the star above the head
Will shine through the dark night,
Camels go, rock-a-bye,
The child is sleeping,
Glories sound through the sky, rock-a-bye,
Extolling God,
And the star above the heads will shine through the night, through dark.
STRAWBERRIES (JAHODY)
(Slaba , Slaba, 1986)
Strawberries are in the kitchen,
The dog is in the hall,
The coat is hanging on the hanger,
And I am sitting in the living room.
You may know this
you may say I am right:
The strawberries are smelling sweetly,
My dog will protect me.
Who doesnøt have a home searches for it.
FALCON (SOKOL)
(Mikova / Mikova )
Good afternoon, good afternoon, may Falcon come out and
play?
I am ringing the bells here,
The pond is frozen now
Standing outside the house,
Feet freezing in the snow
Then he waves up: come down!
Falcon is behind the window, pointing to his forehead
I am locked up here, I cannot go anywhere,
And outside it is snowing, snow is falling.
He cannot go anywhere, he cannot go anywhere.
Good afternoon, good afternoon, will Falcon come out?
The weather is so nice
Maybe you will let him out today...
At the door a small boy
Again is ringing the bell
A whistle round his neck, slanting his eyes
The window is opening and he is watching to see who will lean out
Falcon is smiling and so he rings one more time
And the trees smell so nice and so he rings yet again
Good afternoon, good afternoon, will Falcon come out?
The chestnuts are already falling
He only turns around
The years are passing so quick
To reach the bells is so easy, easy, easy
The trees are colorful and leaves are falling on the ground
The window opens and Falcon flies out
Waves his wings
Time stands still
And again laughter is heard
AT SCHOOL (VE SKOLE)
(Jircikov /Jircikova, 1984)
Again and again
the drops of rain
again and again
I‘ve got a headache
it hurts and hurts
and I am cold
I guess I should leave
Again and again
someone shouts at me
again and again
somebody jerks me
my head hurts
and I am cold
I guess I should leave
THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE NIGHT (CESTA NOCI)
(Slaba /Mikova, 1995)
Journey through the night - journey through the day,
We stumble - we keep going on.
The eyes are drooping from weariness - wish I had a pillow under my head!
Many journeys lead through the night,
The sky is full of stars!
The sun is disappearing behind the hill,
The nightmares are getting ready to gallop,
Without a suitcase and money,
Again the night journey begins.
You dream your dream and flounder in it,
Not knowing who you are and how you got there.
Journey through the night - journey through the day,
We stumble - we still go on
The sun, the moon, the stars, and clouds,
One moment you laugh - and the next you cry!
in the morning the dream is dissolving,
It is happiness to run after the sun.
UMBRELLAS (DEsTNiKY)
(Repova /Repova, 1986)
It is simply strange how people carry umbrellas
And water falls on the ground and the pavements are full of it
And towards me walks a boy, he is laughing like crazy
And the water falls down on the people and the water falls on
the ground
And he is completely soaked and he doesnøt care at all
And the water falls on the ground and the water falls on the
people
