Ilkeimät linnut ilman

SKVR I1 657·Uhtua·1834·Collector: Lönnrot, Elias

In the SKVR edition: Uhut. Lönnrot A II 6, n. 5. - 1834. Luultavasti Teppisen Larin isän laulama, ks. n. 906.

Song types: Kanteleen soitto, Kyynelten vierintä, Laivaretki, Purren itku

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SKVR textEnglish

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2Ilkeimät linnut ilmanThe wickedest birds of the sky

3Puuni on parras paskantavat,On my tree's edge they shit,

4Matalim̄at maan matosetThe lowest earthworms

5Alla kaareni asuvat,Dwell beneath my hull,

6Mie venyn vessoillani,I stretch upon my ribs,

7Lahon lastulmuksillani."On my rotten wood-chip fragments.

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10Nuoret souti, airot notku,The young rowed, oars sagged,

11Vanhat souti, päät vapisi,The old rowed, heads shook,

12Airon pyyryt pyynä vinku,The oar’s spray screeched like a grouse,

13Nenä joiku joutsenena,The bow sang like a swan,

14Perä kratsko kaarnehena,The stern creaked like a crow,

15Hangat hanhina hatsahti.The thwarts flapped like geese.

16Vaka vanha VäinämöinenSteadfast old Väinämöinen

17Käänti käyrän polvillensa,Turned the curved [instrument] on his knees,

18Soitti sormin kanteletta,Played the kantele with his fingers,

19Kielin kantele pakasi.The kantele rang with its strings.

20Itse itki VäinämöinenVäinämöinen himself wept,

21Omoa on soitantoa,For his own playing,

22Veet on vieri silmistänsäTears flowed from his eyes,

23Pyöriem̄ät pyyn munia,Rolling like capercaillie eggs,

24Häriem̄ät päitä härän.Tumbling like bulls’ heads.

25Mujehetko muut kalatkiEven burbots and other fish

26Rinnoin ruokohon ajaksen,Swam upward with their fins,

27Evin eille ehtelevätHurried with tails to hear

28Virtt' on Väinön kuulomahan.To hear Väinö’s song.

29Itseki veen emäntäEven the water’s mistress

30Veiäksen vesi kivelle,The water bore her to a stone,

31Vattalolla vaivoaksenOn a lily pad, straining,

32Virttä Väinön kuulomahan.To hear Väinö’s song.

33Metsän ukko hallipartaThe grey-bearded forest elder

34Sini sukkah sujoksen,Blue socks slipping smoothly,

35Puna paulah paneksenRed stockings donned,

36Virttä Väinön kuulomahan,To hear Väinö’s song,

37Rinnon aialle ajaksenTo the breast’s edge he hastened

38Virttä Väinön kuulomahan.To hear Väinö’s song.

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[Ss. ovat Ahdin ja Kyllikin runossa, ks. n. 906.]

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-000776 · Read at SKS ↗

Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.