Romania: Hub of Latin Folk Music

The song Cel Boier Bogatu is a traditional Christmas carol (colindă) from the Maramureș region of Romania, in the northwest of the country.

In the Maramureș region, floral motifs are widespread in all elements of the culture. At Christmastime, the carols begin with the youngest children (as young as 4-5) as they are home first, then with each age group as they arrive home. In order to keep the children’s attention, the songs generally have very vivid descriptions that keep the children’s interest and imaginations running.

At the same time, many Romanian historians hold that references to flowers such as that of ‘white flowers’ (flori albe) and ‘apple flowers’ (flori de măr) in the Maramureș region are an indication of the Roman epoch during which the New Year was celebrated as also the start of spring, and thus with flowers. 

The other reference in the song of ’Soare strălucele’ as well as ‘Sfântu Soare’ are held to be holdovers from pre-christian pagan culture in which the winter solstice was celebrated as a re-birth of the sun.

Musically speaking, the song is composed of a repeating refrain melody on which the words change however following the same amount of syllables and form, as seen in the lyrics below. The end of the song contains an ornamented instrumental variation of the theme.

The lyrics of the song are as follows:

Pa podet de Raiu Doamne
Pa podut de Raiu, hai colinde
Pa podut de Raiu
Pa podut de Raiu.

Cel boier bogatu, Doamne

Cel boier bogatu

Corindele, Doamne

Di ce s-o rugatu

Dumnezău i-o datu, Doamne
Dumnezău i-o datu;

Corindele, Doamne

Un măr înfloritu.


Un măr înfloritu, Doamne

Un măr înfloritu,

Corindele, Doamne

Cu mere d-arjintu,


Soare strălucele, Doamne,

Soare strălucele,

Corindele, Doamne

Mere se cocele,


Vântu-și trăgănară, Doamne,

Vântu-și trăgănară,

Corindele, Doamne

Merile picară.

Gazda le culeasă, Doamne,

Gazda le culeasă

Corindele, Doamne


Și le și trimasă,

Pă poduț de Raiu, Doamne,

Pă poduț de Raiu,

La fete de craiu.


Luna-n drum le-o statu, Doamne,

Luna-n drum le-o statu,

Corindele, Doamne

Frumos i-o întrebatu:


Cine vi le-o datu, Doamne?

Cine vi le-o datu?

Corindele, Doamne

Noi le-am căpătatu,


De la Sfântu Soare, Doamne,

De la Sfântu Soare

Corindele, Doamne

Cu mare rugare.

– Cel Boier Bogatu

To see the sheet music for this piece, click here.

Thank you !