# Sijaj, sijaj, sončece

"Sijaj, sijaj, sončece" ("Shine, Shine, Little Sun") is a wistful Slovenian folk song that asks the sun to shine — but the sun is sad, the girls weep to rise so early, and the shepherd boys lament having no herds to drive home.

## 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 | traditional, lullaby |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/sijaj-sijaj-soncece/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Sijaj, sijaj, sončece,
oj, sonce rumeno!
Kako bom s'jalo sonce,
k' sem zmeraj žalostno!

### Verse 2 (sl)

Sonce zgodaj gori gre,
dekleta jokajo,
bi rade še ležale,
pa vstati morajo.

### Verse 3 (sl)

Sonce pozno doli gre,
pastirci tarnajo,
domov bi radi gnali,
pa črede nimajo.

### English translation (en)

Shine, shine, little sun,
oh, yellow sun!
How shall I shine, the sun replies,
when I am always sad!

The sun rises early,
and the girls are weeping;
they'd gladly lie in longer,
but they have to get up.

The sun sets late,
and the shepherd boys lament;
they'd gladly drive the herds home,
but they have no herds at all.

## Common questions

**What is "Sijaj, sijaj, sončece" about?**

A gentle plea to the sun, and a touch of melancholy. The singer begs the yellow sun to shine — but the sun answers that it can hardly shine when it is always sad. When the sun rises early the girls weep, because they would rather stay in bed; when it sets late, the shepherd boys lament, because they would drive their herds home but have none.

**Is "Sijaj, sijaj, sončece" a happy song?**

It is bittersweet. It has the shape of a bright sun-song but a wistful heart, dwelling on early mornings, long days and small sorrows. That gentle wistfulness is very characteristic of Slovenian folk song.

**Where is "Sijaj, sijaj, sončece" from?**

It is a Slovenian folk song ("ljudska pesem") with no known author, carried down through the country's traditional repertoire.

## Sources

- [Slovenske narodne pesmi — Sijaj, sijaj, sončece](https://narodne-pesmi.si/pesmi/moje-dekle-je-se-mlada/sijaj-sijaj-sonece/)