Ruven̄ema laulamaan
In the SKVR edition: Akonl. Lönnrot A II 2, n. 11. 32.
SKVR textEnglish
1Ruven̄ema laulamaanI begin to sing
2Hyvän toiseni keralla,With my good companion,
3Parempani kumpalini;My better partner;
4Sie oot yöllä ennen syntyt,You were born before the night,
5Mie olen päiviä jälestä.I am after the days.
6Sano veikko veikollas',Brother said to his brother,
7Emon tuoma toisellas'.Brought by mother to another.
8Mitä sie sanot minulla,What do you say to me,
9Kuta unnalta utelet?From what dream do you inquire?
10Olen uinut umpilam̄et,I have slept sealed sleeps,
11Koiran kieliset kokonut.Gathered dog-tongued things!
12Suitenna sovittelema,To arrange the melody,
13Säveltänä säätelem̄ä,To regulate the tune,
14Joko laululle lähemä,Now approaching the song,
15Virren työlle työntelemä,To work at the hymn's task,
16Avoan sanasten arkunOpen the word-ark!
17Poikki puolin polvilleni.Across the sides onto my knees.
18Kukko sinulla, kukko minulla,Rooster with you, rooster with me,
19Kukko meillä kum̄allain.Rooster with us both.
20Tuo olis' laulaja ikuinen,That would be the eternal singer,
21Virren porras polvehinen,The hymn's knee-step,
22Tuopa seppo Ilmarinen.That smith Ilmarinen.
23Tuot' en̄en isoni laulo,My father sang that no more,
24Oma vanhempi opettiMy own elder taught,
25Taaton saamia sanoja,Words received from grandfather,
26Vanhemman opettamia,Taught by the elder,
27Läpi seinän laulamia,Sung through the wall,
28Läpi seinän soittamia.Played through the wall.
29Ulkoo runoja kuulin.I heard poems outside.
30Herenem̄ä, heittänemä,To rise, to cast,
31Luon̄ema, lykänemä,To create, to delay,
32Parem̄ille laulajille,To better singers,
33Tietävämille runojille,To knowing poets,
34Vai vasta alottonema?Or just now beginning?
35Kun laululle lähemä,When approaching the song,
36Virren työlle työntelemä,To work at the hymn's task,
37Kun palkka pantane,When reward is set,
38Talari joka sanalta,A thaler per word,
39Tolppa kielen käänynältä,A post per tongue's turn,
40Lootu kaikelta peliltä,Reward for all performance,
41Laulan mie hyvänki virren,I'll sing even a good hymn,
42Kelvoksenki keikuttelen.Sway even a decent one.
43Hoi ukko, yli Jumala,Ho, Ukko, above God,
44Ukko pilvien pitäjä,Ukko, keeper of clouds,
45Nossa lonka luotehelta,Bring a cloud from northwest,
46Pilvi lännestä lähetäSend a cloud from west,
47Minun kartanon katoksi,As my manor's shelter,
48Pihan pienen peitteeksi!As the small yard's cover!
49Tuo mulle tulinen miekka,Bring me a fiery sword,
50Säkehinen säilä kanna!Carry a sparkling spear!
51Sillon tarkka tarvitaan,Then precision is needed,
52Mies vakaa vajotaan,A steady man is lowered,
53Kun miestä naitetaan,When a man is wed,
54Miestä vieään vihille,A man is taken to the sacred,
55Kun häisä hätä tuloo,When wedding peril comes,
56Veren juoksu juomingisa.Blood's flow in the feast.
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-001461 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.