# Vezi aici pe braţul meu



## seitt

Greetings

In the colind “Floricica”, Mary says:
Vezi aici pe braţul meu
Ţi-L aduc pe Dumnezeu,

Now, this is my problem: Does the first line mean:
1 See here on my arm
or
2 See here my arm
?

Or could it mean both?

Every blessing,

Simon


----------



## farscape

A direct translation could be "Look here on my arm" with the meaning of "Look here in my arms". Come to think of it when carrying a baby one arm is used for support therefore the direct translation is anatomically correct 

Merry Christmas!


----------



## seitt

Thanks - by direct translation do you mean 2 See here my arm?


----------



## farscape

You left out the preposition "pe" (on).

Later,
.


----------



## seitt

Ah, I thought that 'pe' could also be used to mark a direct object.


----------



## farscape

Sorry, I'm not sure I follow: "Look, here *on* my arm / I bring you the Lord" - the baby Jesus is carried on (well, supported by) the arm of the speaker. 

You can't leave out the preposition *pe* (on).

Later,
f.


----------



## seitt

Many thanks - I just wondered if we could take "Vezi aici pe braţul meu" as "See my arm" i.e. "Behold my arm / Look at my arm" (and then you'll see who is on it).
But I guess that doesn't work in Romanian.


----------



## farscape

I suppose forms like "behold my arm" can work, but I still feel I'm not getting your question, even if I take it as a poetic license.


The Christmas carol we're commenting on is deeply rooted in folklore and for reasons dealing with rythm and rhyme the boundaries of the literary language are being pushed. In Romanian we use the expression "a duce/ține *în* brațe" for to carry/hold in one's arms which probably has been modified into "to carry in (on, in this case) one arm" where the singular form for the possesive pronoun "meu" rhymes with Dumnezeu.

Probably too many words... 

Later,
.


----------



## seitt

Many thanks, all clear now.


----------



## irinet

Hello, 
'I' ve brought God to you/in my arms for you'. 
First, I believe it's 'in'  for _beholding_, not 'on'. Also,  'see/look'  is for 'ringing a bell' to the Saint Holidays.  It's  more like dearly widening both arms toward the interlocutor with an open heart where God sits in His rightful place -  a way of welcoming the dear ones.


----------



## seitt

Thank you - interesting that you mention bells - I seem to hear bells in the melody too.

Btw, what do you mean by "the Saint Holidays" - how do you say "the Saint Holidays" in Romanian, and when do they start, and when do they finish?


----------



## Zareza

The Saint Holidays is for Holy Feasts (of the Christmas). In Romanian is Sfintele Sărbători (de Crăciun).

The period is (24 December in some regions) 25 December - 7 January.

For Holy Easter = Holy Easter Celebration = Sfintele Sărbători de Paști

Some more information: en.orthodoxwiki.org


----------

