Ballad
Definition
A species of the epic genre (in popular or cultivated literature) in verse, of relatively large dimensions, with a simple plot and a small number of characters, narrating a heroic action, a historical or legendary event, or a fantastic drama from the past. In music, it designates an instrumental or vocal composition with a dramatic, narrative, and romantic lyrical character, or a slow, sentimental song specific to modern pop and rock music.
Bilingual Equivalents
- Ballad
- Narrative poem
Grammatical & Source Details
| Inflection Type | Feminine noun, regular plural form with standard feminine case markers. |
| Formation | Neologic loan from French (ballade), originally derived from medieval Latin (ballare - to dance), structurally adapted into Romanian. |
| Spelling / Pronunciation | [ba.ˈla.də] |
| Source | Dictionary of Literary Terms and Musical Morphology |
Contextual Usage Examples
RO: Balada populară 'Miorița' reprezintă una dintre capodoperele absolute ale folclorului literar românesc.
EN: The folk ballad 'Miorița' represents one of the absolute masterpieces of Romanian literary folklore.
RO: Compozitorul Ciprian Porumbescu a compus o faimoasă 'Baladă' pentru vioară și orchestră, plină de lirism.
EN: Composer Ciprian Porumbescu composed a famous 'Ballad' for violin and orchestra, full of lyricism.
RO: Trupa rock a lansat o baladă sentimentală care a urcat rapid pe primele locuri în topurile muzicale.
EN: The rock band released a sentimental ballad that rapidly climbed to the top spots in the music charts.
Idioms & Phrases
Baladă populară / Folk ballad
RO: Cântec bătrânesc transmis prin viu grai, care preamărește faptele de vitejie ale haiducilor sau dramele păstorilor.
EN: An ancient song transmitted orally, praising the brave deeds of outlaws or the dramas of shepherds.
Baladă rock / Rock ballad
RO: Piesă muzicală lentă, melodioasă și intensă, interpretată structural de formații rock cu ajutorul chitarelor electrice sau acustice.
EN: A slow, melodic, and intense musical track, structurally performed by rock bands using electric or acoustic guitars.
A o întoarce în baladă / To turn it into a long story / to prevaricate
RO: Expresie familiară ironică ce înseamnă a lungi inutil o explicație simplă sau a devia de la subiectulprincipal prin povești.
EN: An ironic colloquial expression meaning to uselessly lengthen a simple explanation or to deviate from the main topic through stories.
Latest Contextual News
No recent news found for this topic.