Thread: nima naja

When I was in primary school, I learned my first Russian song. Well, that's what they said it was.
Please tell me what you think it means. I'm especially interested in what 'naja' means because, unlike the rest, I have no clue about what that word means.

Nima naja, nima paparoshka
Nima njet, nima molokaj
Aj aj aj aj, nima paparoshka
Aj aj aj aj, nima molokaj

It's not Russian. It's good that you understand the rest of the song though.

I know. That's why I wrote, "that's what they said it was". It's supposed to sound like Russian.

For all I know it could be Klingon, cant help you. Could it be Dutch, what do you think?

It isn't Dutch.

For me it sound like Hawaijen

Originally Posted by синичка

Nima naja, nima paparoshka
Nima njet, nima molokaj
Aj aj aj aj, nima paparoshka
Aj aj aj aj, nima molokaj

Here is my incorrect translation

Not my Nadia, Not my papa Roshka
Not my - no, not my milk
Ai ai ai ai, not my papa Roshka
Ai ai ai ai, not my milk.

Originally Posted by adoc

For all I know it could be Klingon, cant help you. Could it be Dutch, what do you think?

Did you really think I would ask others to translate it if it were Dutch?

No, I didn't. It was a joke.

Nobody else recognizes anything in this song??

The song is in a book I have, and there it says a possible translation could be:
There's no eggs, there's no cigarettes
There is nothing, there's no milk
Ai, ai, ai, ai, there's no cigarettes
Ai, ai, ai, ai, there's no milk.

But I don't understand where they got 'eggs' from. What does 'naja' have to do with "яйцо"?

Darn, I only got 1 word right - milk

Originally Posted by kwatts59

Darn, I only got 1 word right - milk

You also got "ai" which gives you 8 more correct words!
-Fantom

Originally Posted by синичка

Nobody else recognizes anything in this song??

The song is in a book I have, and there it says a possible translation could be:
There's no eggs, there's no cigarettes
There is nothing, there's no milk
Ai, ai, ai, ai, there's no cigarettes
Ai, ai, ai, ai, there's no milk.

But I don't understand where they got 'eggs' from. What does 'naja' have to do with "яйцо"?

The book says, it's a possible translation? Sure, anything is possible.

Originally Posted by adoc

The book says, it's a possible translation? Sure, anything is possible.

Cool! So there is still a chance my translation was correct.

Originally Posted by синичка

Nima naja, nima paparoshka
Nima njet, nima molokaj
Aj aj aj aj, nima paparoshka
Aj aj aj aj, nima molokaj

It looks like some Slavic language but definitely not Russian.

It could be Ukranian or a southern Russian dialect recorded by a foreigner as s/he heard (or misheard) it. The original may have sounded like

"Нема яек, нема папироски,
Нема, нет, нема молока"

Can you tell us what this book is and what is the source of this text according to it's authour?

Originally Posted by translations.nm.ru

Can you tell us what this book is and what is the source of this text according to it's authour?

The book is called "eigen-wijs - liedbundel voor het basisonderwijs" and it's a book with songs for children. It doesn't say anything about where the song comes from. So I don't think that helps, does it?
By the way, I have to correct a mistake I made: it says "nima njet" would mean "there is no bread". Even more unlogical...

Maybe I wasn't very clear in my first post, but I know it's not Russian, it probably wasn't even meant to be Russian. I think someone just wanted it to sound like Russian to people who don't know Russian. And I was just curious to know how much real Russian people (or others who know the language) can understand of it.

this place has Molokaj

http://www.skac.hr/svetacdana/4/15_4.html

I can't figure out what slavic language it is...


Nima naja on google picks up Nordic Languages...

Originally Posted by djmihow

this place has Molokaj

http://www.skac.hr/svetacdana/4/15_4.html

I can't figure out what slavic language it is...

.hr is Croatia (Hrvatska). But that's definitely a wrong molokaj: Molokai, an island in Hawai'i.

Nima naja on google picks up Nordic Languages...

Most likely, it's only a Dutch transliteration anyway.

Originally Posted by djmihow

Nima naja on google picks up Nordic Languages...

No it doesn't? The only google hits I get are from the netherlands, germany and austria.

Could it be Bulgarian, I do get some hits on this... naja could be naya, depedning into which language you transliterate...