Songs
In this section you find 4 songs, what you can learn while sitting in a circle. Most of them still has some movements, as you can perform the lyrics with your hands, but you do not need to stand up to do so. Also this part is optional, feel free to focus on the melody.
Mentőláda
Learn the lyrics and the hand movements at the same time, it can help, and it is fun.
Lyrics: Hungarian (approximate English translation)
Mentőláda mentőláda first aid kit, first aid kit
nyílj már ki, nyílj már ki! Open up, open up!
(2x)
Nem nyílok ki, nem nyílik ki! I will not open, I will not open (in this line try to mimic the sound of a rusty hinge of a door, obviously First Aid kits usually do not have one, this is for the fun)
Nyílj már ki, nyílj már ki! Open up, open up!
(2x)
Repeat slightly faster...
Nád a házam teteje
Once you learned the lyrics, try to follow the person on the left with the hand illustration of the lyrics.
Lyrics: Hungarian (approximate English translation)
Nád a házam teteje, teteje, (the roof, the roof of my house is made of reed)
rászállott a cinege, cinege. (the tit, the tit, landed on it.)
Hess le róla cinege , cinege, (Get off it tit, tit,)
mert leszakad a teteje, teteje. (its roof, its roof is breaking down.)
Ha leszakad mi lesz vélem? (What will happen to me if he breaks down?)
Sárga lábú cinege, cinege, (Yellow-legged tit, tit,)
Hess le róla cinege , cinege, (Get off it tit, tit,)
mert leszakad a teteje, teteje. (its roof, its roof is breaking down.)
Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt
This is a folk song, and as such exists in many variations. the lyrics and the base melody are usually the same, but performance can vary widely. The upper video has these widely known lyrics, and illustrations of them with some animations, I suggest to listen to this first. If you have the ability to show the original at your YMCA event, the second version is a cover by a band focused on preserving the cultural heritage of folk songs, but also performing them on larger stages.
Lyrics: Hungarian (approximate English translation):
"virágom, virágom" at the end of each line means "my flower, my flower" and is used as a nickname of the listener, like you would use "darling" or "sweetheart" in English.
Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt, virágom, virágom The spring wind generates flood
Minden madár társat választ, virágom, virágom every bird chooses a pair
Hát én immár kit válasszak, virágom, virágom So, whom should I choose
Te engemet, én tégedet, virágom, virágom You me, and me you
Zöld pántlika könnyű gúnya, virágom, virágom The green ribbon is a light wear,
Mert azt a szél könnyen fújja, virágom, virágom because the wind blows it easily
De a fátyol nehéz gúnya, virágom, virágom But the veil is a heavy wear,
Mert azt a bú földig húzza, virágom, virágom because sadness pulls it down to the ground.
Kerek erdő szélén
Warning: this song is not entirely politically correct, the perception of historical conflicts between different ethnicities of America are not based on facts.
Lyrics: Hungarian (approximate English translation):
Kerek erdő szélén van egy házikóban, At the edge of a round forest, in a small house
lakik egy cowboy, cowboy, a neve Bill. lives a cowboy, a cowboy, whose name is Bill
Van egy kis csikója, pihen a fa alatt, He has a small foal, resting under the tree,
Bill meg közben lassan főzi a teát. While Bill is slowly cooking a tea
Ravasz kis indián tollal a fejében A sly indian with a feather in his head ("on" instead of "in" would be more idiomatic in both languages, but somehow the lyrics actually mean "in" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
ellopja a kis csikót meg a teát. steals the small foal and the tea