Lyrics
Celotno besedilo pesmi »Barčica« z angleškim prevodom.
Barčica po morju plava, drevesa se priklanjajo, o le naprej, o le naprej, dokler je še vetra kej.
#Barčica po morju plava, jadra se razpenjajo, o le naprej, o le naprej, do brezkončnih krajev, mej.
#English translation
A little boat floats on the sea, the trees are bowing down, oh, onward, oh, onward, as long as there's still some wind. A little boat floats on the sea, the sails are billowing out, oh, onward, oh, onward, to endless lands and shores.
#Barčica at a glance
- Country of origin
- 🇸🇮 Slovenia
- Sung in
- Slovenian
- Words by
- Traditional
- First known
- Slovenian folk song; author unknown
- Best for ages
- 2–7
- Mood
- playful, traditional
- Last updated
- 27 August 2026
Meaning and origin
This is a Slovenian folk children’s song whose whole spirit is in one repeated phrase: o le naprej, o le naprej — “oh, onward, onward.” A little boat sails out onto the sea; the trees on the shore seem to bow as it passes, the sails fill and billow, and the song simply urges it forward, as long as there is still some wind to carry it, towards endless lands and far horizons.
It is a Slovenian folk song with no known author — the archive that carries it records none. Like the best sailing songs, it works by its rocking rhythm and its sense of openness — the sea ahead, the wind behind, and no fixed destination — so that a child singing it is quietly launched on an imaginary voyage of their own. It asks for nothing but a breeze and the willingness to keep going, which is perhaps why it has stayed afloat for so long.
Common questions
- What is "Barčica" about?
- A little boat sailing out to sea. As it floats along, the trees on the shore seem to bow and the sails billow with wind, and the song urges it onward — "o le naprej, o le naprej" ("oh, onward, onward") — as long as there is still some wind, towards endless lands and horizons.
- Where is "Barčica" from?
- It is a Slovenian folk song ("ljudska pesem") carried in the Slovenske narodne pesmi archive. No author is recorded there.
- What is its appeal for children?
- It sets the imagination sailing. With its gentle rocking rhythm and images of wind, sails and far-off shores, it invites children to picture a sea voyage and a longing to discover new places.
