A Czech question: the meaning of the original Czech title of "Fireman's Ball"

[Martin Votruba]

> Does this mean in Czech simply "Burn, my doll"

More like "It's burning, my baby..."  It is a verse from a brass-band tune
(typical of Czech popular culture) that goes: "My heart is burning for you,
my baby, the flame is flashing from the earth up to the sky..."  Because of
the association with "burning," it was among the repertoire played at
firemen's social events.

Because the subject comes after the verb (Hori, ma panenko, srdce moje pro
tebe...), the first word used in the title without the rest of the verse
acquires the potential meaning of an alarm call -- "Fire!" (Hori!, i.e.,
literally, "It's burning!").


Martin

votruba "at" pitt "dot" edu

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