# Marko skače

"Marko skače" is a Slovenian children's folk song and circle dance about Marko leaping across a green meadow carrying seven gold coins, usually understood to be the epic hero Kraljevič Marko.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | 19th century or earlier |
| Best for ages | 3–9 |
| Mood | dancing, playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/marko-skace/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Marko skače, Marko skače
po zeleni trati,
aj, aj, ajajaj,
po zeleni trati.

### Verse 2 (sl)

V roki nosi, v roki nosi
sedem žoltih zlatih,
aj, aj, ajajaj,
sedem žoltih zlatih.

### English translation (en)

Marko is leaping, Marko is leaping
across the green meadow,
aj, aj, ajajaj,
across the green meadow.

In his hand he carries, in his hand he carries
seven yellow gold coins,
aj, aj, ajajaj,
seven yellow gold coins.

## How to sing it

1. Form a circle holding hands, with one child — Marko — in the middle.
2. The circle walks or skips round during the sung lines; Marko leaps on the spot.
3. On "aj, aj, ajajaj" everyone raises their joined hands high.
4. At the end of the verse Marko chooses someone to swap places with, and the song starts again.

## Common questions

**What does "Marko skače" mean?**

"Marko is leaping" or "Marko is jumping". The first verse has him leaping across a green meadow; the second has him carrying seven gold coins in his hand.

**Who is the Marko in the song?**

He is usually taken to be Kraljevič Marko — Prince Marko — the hero who appears throughout South Slavic epic poetry. The song itself gives no details, and for the children singing it he is simply whoever is standing in the middle of the circle.

**Why does "Marko skače" use the word "žoltih" instead of "rumenih"?**

"Žolt" is an old Slovenian word for yellow, now largely replaced in everyday speech by "rumen". Folk songs preserve older vocabulary long after it has left ordinary conversation, which is one of the ways linguists date them.

**Is Marko skače a dance?**

Yes — it belongs to the Slovenian children's folk-dance repertoire and is normally sung as a circle game rather than performed sitting still. The leaping in the lyric is meant to be done.

## Sources

- Slovenian traditional; standard repertoire of Slovenian children's folk dance