Vaka vanha Väinämöinen
In the SKVR edition: Kellovaara. Lönnrot A II 9, n. 11. - 24/4 1835. Miihkalińe Simana. - Mp. metsäpirtissä Tsirkkakemin ja Jyskyjärven välillä.
SKVR textEnglish
1Vaka vanha VäinämöinenSteadfast old Väinämöinen
2Kalliolla koksutteli,On the rock he worked,
3Niin kiltu kivestä kirves,Thus the good axe from stone,
4Kasa kaltu kalliosta.A pile of fragments from the rock.
- - -
6Hyppäsi hyvän selällä,He leapt on Good's back,
7Hyvän laukin lautasilla,On the planks of Good's steed.
8Kolme on tietä kartanolta,Three roads lead from the farmstead,
9Jo kolme kovaa tietä.Yes, three harsh roads.
10Ajou tietä reunimmäistä,He took the outermost road,
11Reunimmäisehen taloh.To the outermost house.
12Oven suuhun seisotamma:Stopped at the door's mouth:
13"Onkos talossa tässä,"Is there in this house,
14Veren synnyn tietäjeä?"A knower of blood's origin?"
15Ukko varsin vastoali,The old man gruffly replied,
16Hammas kolmin kolkkoali:Three-toothed and grim:
17"Ei ole talossa taassa"There's none in this house,
18Rauan raannan katsojoa,No watcher of iron's edge,
19Puun jälen puhelijoa."No speaker of wood's end."
20Aina eillehen ajavi.He was always sent away.
21Kysy kynnyksen takoa,Asked the threshold's smith,
22Lakiaisen päästä lausu:From the elder's mouth spoke:
23"Eik' ole talossa taassa,"There's none in this house,
24Veren synnyn tietäjeä."No knower of blood's origin."
25Akka varsin vattoali,The crone sharply retorted,
26Hammas kolmi kolkkoali:Three-toothed and grim:
27"Aina eillehen ajaos,"Always drive elsewhere,
28Sie vanha Väinämöinen,You old Väinämöinen,
29Mene 3:teeh taloh!"Go from this house!"
30Lakiaisen päästä laski.From the elder's mouth released.
31Lapsi varsin vastoapi,The child boldly answered,
32Äänin 3:n kolkkoapi:With a grim voice:
33"Sanottihpa ennen silma,"It was said before, by witnesses,
34Silma vanha Väinämöinen,Witnessed old Väinämöinen,
35Olit tietäjä ikuinen,You were the eternal sage,
36Miehen polku polvuhinen.A man's path knee-deep in lineage.
37Tulit täältä tahtomahan."*You came here wanting.*"
38Niin suuttu Väinämöinen,Then Väinämöinen raged,
39Suuttu sekä seändü.Raged and turned away.
40Niin sano Väinämöinen:Then Väinämöinen said:
41"Neitsy Maaria emonen,"Virgin Mary, mother,
42Pyhä piika pikkarainen,Holy little maiden,
43Tule tänne tarvitahan,Come here to aid,
44Veren tielle typpieksi,As a stopper for the blood's path,
45Salvuksi samoajalle!As salve for the wanderer!
46Sio silkki huivillasi,Set your silk scarf,
47Tasma päästäsi tavota,Adjust the end of your headscarf,
48(Rauan raannahan sialle),(To the iron's edge place it),
49Rauan raannalla siahan.To the iron's edge's place.
50Mariah rakas emoni,Mary, my dear mother,
51Tapoos sa taskukirves,Take the hand-axe,
52Veä veitsi huotrasta,Draw the knife from its sheath,
53Laske sä lepästä lastu,Release a chip from the alder,
54Tuo sie tuohinen vesiltä,Bring a birch-bark from the waters,
55Leppä lastu lainehilta;*Alder chip from the waves;*
56Panen mä vähäsen tuota,I'll place a little of that,
57Lahet niemen nenästä."Let flow from the cape's tip."
58Kaikki salpasi sanoilla;He blocked all with words;
59Et ole joki juoksevaksi,You're no river to run,
60Lampi vaaran laskiaksi.No pond to spill danger.
English translations by DeepSeek R1, provided by Lidia Pivovarova (University of Helsinki). AI-generated translations may contain inaccuracies.
The text is that of the SKVR digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), with these changes:
- The editors’ signs inside the verses ([ ], ⌈ ⌉, *, [!], [?]) are left out, as in the poem reader; the letters they enclose are kept.
- The edition’s line numbers are replaced by a number on every verse, counted as in the poem reader.
- The editors’ notes, and the marks in the verses that point to them, are left out; they can be read at SKS.
Source
Text: SKVR (Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot), the digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Permanent address of this poem at SKS: http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:sks-kvr-000336 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.