AllExperts > Slovakia 
Search      
Slovakia
Volunteer
Answers to thousands of questions
 Home · More Slovakia Questions · Answer Library  · Encyclopedia ·
More Slovakia Answers
Question Library

Ask a question about Slovakia
Volunteer
Experts of the Month
Expert Login

Awards

About Us
Tell friends
Link to Us
Disclaimer

 
 
 
 
About Sam
Expertise
I can answer questions about the country`s history, culture, politics, economy, geography. I speak fluent Slovak. If you are planning a visit, I can recommend the places to see - especially the nature in Slovakia is worth it.

Experience
I am a Slovak which makes me an expert in the language and culture. I am also a traveller so I know Slovakia quite well. I will do anything to find out the answer to your question.
 
   

You are here:  Experts > Cultures > Eastern Europe for Visitors > Slovakia > ;bedtime prayers in Slovak

Slovakia - ;bedtime prayers in Slovak


Expert: Sam - 5/27/2006

Question
I'm 2nd generation in the US, the generation that looses the language. My mother taught us to say our nighttime prayers in Slovak. I thought I was saying - Mow I lay me down to sleep, etc. But I'm not sure. I remember only a fragment.
 boodsme stedy napomotsi, stedy dusha moiya, opravadju vishnoa

Do you recognize this prayer? Can you write it out in full. I bet other Slovaks would like to  teach it to their kids.  

Answer
Hello Henry,

I don't recognise the prayer, unfortunately, but I am able to pick up some words.

"boodsme stedy napomotsi"
- I don't know what "stedy" could mean; perhaps 'vtedy' (at that time); is it pronounced the same as "steady" in English?
- leaving out "stedy," this means something like "be here for my help," or "be of help to me"
- it would be spelled "bud mi na pomoci" (pron. boodj me napomotsi) but in some parts of Slovakia may be pronounced just as you wrote it (boods me)
- bud = be (imperative), mi = to me, na pomoci = on help (literally)

"stedy dusha moiya"
- "stedy" is a bugger :-)
- translates "my soul," or "soul of mine", spelled "dusa moja"
- dusa = soul, moja = mine (both feminine)

"opravadju vishnoa"
- this could mean "really eternal" (referring to the "soul of mine"), but I am not sure about this at all
- if so, it is spelled as "opravdu vecnoja," but "opravdu" is more of a Czech word (really) while "vecnoja" is more Ukrainian or Russian (eternal). They can both be used in colloquial Slovak, but it's unlikely you should find them used together in one dialect. One is Eastern, the other Western.
- the pronunciation in this case would be "opravdoo vetchnoya" - which doesn't match what you remember that well
- it's more likely the first word is "odprevad ju," meaning "accompany it" (again, referring to the soul), but in that case I have no clue what "vishnoa" could mean
- "odprevad ju" would be pronounced as "od-pre-vadj-you", the 'e' in "pre" as in "bet". Do you think this could be it?

As for "mow I lay me down to sleep," I have no clue.

I tried to find the prayer through Google (using those words I was sure of), but I didn't find anything. I am pretty sure it is nowhere online (which does not surprise me that much). If you want to have a go at it, you can be sure about the spelling of "na pomoci" and "dusa moja" - Google disregards Slovak accents, so you can enter these terms as you see them here.

I will try to find out for you. I will ask my wife's family, which is traditional Catholic; they may recognise it.

Hope this helped. This is one of the most interesting questions I have been asked :-)

Sam

View Follow-Ups    Add to this Answer   Ask a Question


 
User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy | Help
Copyright  © 2008 About, Inc. AllExperts, AllExperts.com, and About.com are registered trademarks of About, Inc. All rights reserved.