kadakeltoi
Mohamed Zaki
SkvozOkno
Interpres
Sat, 11/10/2025 - 10:37
* Although “одного” literally means “one,” in the context of this folk song it carries more than just a numeral.
What does “одного” mean in this song?
In the line “одного, одного попрошу я у яво…”, the girl says:
“One thing, one thing only I ask of him…”
It’s not about “one boy” in terms of quantity, but about a single wish, one heartfelt request that he loves only her.
Possible contextual translations:
→ “One thing I ask of him” - the most natural and poetic in Polish.
→ “I ask him for one thing” - shorter, but less melodic.
→ “I have only one request” - more descriptive, good for interpretation.
Emotional meaning:
“Одного” in this song symbolizes simplicity and sincerity.
The girl doesn’t ask for riches, doesn’t wish for miracles,only for love, exclusivity, devotion.
This is very typical of folk songs: one wish, one heart, one love.
It's a beautiful, folk tale of young love, longing, and the dream of being the one.
The main character is a young girl who falls in love with a boy with curly hair and blue eyes. Although she only knows him from other girls' stories, her heart beats faster at the mere thought of him. She dreams of him loving her, the one and only, unique one, and no one else.
The refrain, "One thing, one thing only I ask from him...", is her silent, recurring desire: to be the most important person to him. This isn't a love full of drama, but a pure, sincere need for closeness and exclusivity.
Later, the girl says she's no worse than him, even though he has gray eyes. Her parents warn her that he's a troublemaker, but she pursues him anyway, through fields and distant lands, believing she'll find him.
The whole thing has the atmosphere of a Russian folk song, with simple language, a repetitive structure, and emotions expressed without pathos, but with enormous power. It's a song about first love, about hope, and about the heart not listening to reason.
* See my comment !