Hej Sokoły
Hey, falcons, properly titled Żal za Ukrainą or Na zielonej Ukrainie is a Polish and Ukrainian folk song.
History
The song's authorship is not completely certain. Some historians attribute the writing of the song to the Ukrainian-Polish poet-songwriter Tomasz Padura . Others believe it was written by the Polish classical composer Maciej Kamieński. The original Polish-language version was translated into several languages.According to Olga Kharchyshyn, "Hej Sokoły" is based on the 19th century Polish folk song "Żal za Ukrainą", but with a new refrain and opening verses. It first appeared in the current form in the latter half of the 20th century and was subsequently translated from the Polish language into Ukrainian.
Popularity
The tune was popular among Polish soldiers during the Polish-Soviet War, and was also sung by the Polish Home Army guerrillas during World War II. Polish folk singer named Maryla Rodowicz performed a cover of the song. The song is widely known in the countries: Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Belarus, and to a lesser extent in Russia and the eastern Czech Republic.It is sometimes presented as a Polish folk song and/or Ukrainian folk song. The lyrics vary only slightly between the two languages.
Lyrics
The lyrics exist in several versions about a Ukrainian girl to whom her betrothed says goodbye for the last time.Usage during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A number of social media videos put out by Ukrainian forces to celebrate victories in the Russian invasion of Ukraine feature the song as the backing track. On 16 April 2022, the General staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put out a video with a version of the song recorded by Pikkardiyska Tertsiya as a show of gratitude towards the military aid from Poland.On 23 March 2023, the Slovak Armed Forces uploaded a video on YouTube showing the transfer of four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, featuring a version of the song recorded by the Military Music Band of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic.