The poor forest girls
Beautiful as bilberries
Wanted to wear
Golden earrings.

Old Roma women and young girls
Went wood-gathering in the forest.
They lit a huge fire by the river
And sang a beautiful song about
Gypsy earrings: O my beautiful earring,
You give me beauty,
You break everyone’s heart!
The wind [had] already blown out the flames,
The river heard the song
And carried it far into the world.
They didn’t know how or whence
An oak leaf with oak apples
Fell into the girl’s lap . . .

We’ll make them wonderful
Gypsy earrings!
How beautiful you are,
Earrings of leaves!
The oak apples that you bear
Like precious stones!