PETŐFI-VERS, NÓTA, NÉPDAL
A PETŐFI POEM, URBAN FOLK SONG, FOLK SONG

Summary/Abstract: From the thoughts quoted in the introduction to this article concerning the unity of text and melody, we can conclude that composing or adapting a melody to a poem represents a return to an ancient, natural state. Poets and composers are the creators and shapers of living folklore; they create works that may change to a greater or lesser extent over time in line with the demands of public taste. Many of Sándor Petőfi ’s poems have become popular songs. Who would not know the songs that begin with the lines “Befordultam a konyhára” (Into the kitchen I did turn), “Fa leszek, ha fának vagy virága” (I’ll be a tree, if you are its fl owers) or “Tíz pár csókot egy végből” (Ten pairs of kisses back to back)? His poem “Alku” (The Deal) and the song that begins with the lines “Juhászlegény, szegény juhászlegény” (Shepherd boy, poor shepherd boy) enrich the world of our folk songs today. The Serbs of Vojvodina also have their Petőfi songs. The best known is “Falu végén kurta kocsma” (Pub at the End of the Village), adapted by Jovan Jovanović Zmaj. This article presents the communalization of the poem “Fürdik a holdvilág az ég tengerében” (The Moonlight Bathes in the Sea of Sky). In one of her short stories, Magda Szabó gives a vivid description of the variations on the poem. Interestingly, the transformation took place in two ways, as we can talk about both the creation of urban folk songs and traditional folk songs. The poem became an urban folk song with the melody of Ignác Bognár, but there are also traditional folk song versions of this poem. The old melody of the traditional folk version collected in Čoka, whose author is unknown, is related to our laments, but it can also be linked to our historical songs. Petőfi ’s poem “Fürdik a holdvilág az ég tengerében” is very popular because it has been adapted into both an urban folk song and a traditional folk song, but we could also say that the sparkling multitude of folklorised versions has greatly contributed to the poem’s recent popularity.

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