Kullervo Kalervan poika
In the SKVR edition: Repola (kk). Osonen n. 39 (s. 149). - 08. Iivana Loasarine, 85 v.
SKVR textEnglish
[Kalevanpojan kostoa - Laivaretkeä ja Kanteleen soittoa].
1Kullervo Kalervan poika,Kullervo, Kalervo's son,
2Isän vaaksan varrellinenBy the edge of his father's cradle-beam,
3Suoriaapi kasen ajohon,Straightened spruce for driving,
4Hirviäähä hirsimaahan,To log the elk's forest,
5Korkiahan korpimaahan.To the lofty backwoods.
6Vihon se iski viisi puuta,In the grove, he felled five trees,
7Kaikkiaan kaheksan puuta;Eight trees in all;
8Hyppäsipä kannon päähän,He leapt onto a stump's crown,
9Huhueli, hailoaahi:Shouted, hailed aloud:
10Kukali huhuus kuuluoopi,Wherever the shout is heard,
11Sikäli mehtä kaatuThere the forest falls,
12Kaskeksi Kalevan pojan!A clearing for Kaleva's son!
13Kuulipa immen itkemässä,He heard a maiden weeping,
14Kanan kaikeroittamassa;Lamenting a chicken;
15Siellä itki puinen pursi,There wept a wooden boat,
16Veno hangaton haveksi:A rudderless boat as a fish-trap:
17"Mie venyn vessoksillani,"I warp on my ribs,
18Vahovun lastumuksillani;My weakened planking;
19Muut purret sotia käypiOther boats go to war,
20Kolme kertoa kesässä."Three times each summer."
21Iskipä purtta kintahalla:He struck the boat ashore:
22"Työnny työnnöttä vesille,"Shove it to the waters,
23Teräksisiltä teloilta,From steel shipyards,
24Vaskisista valkamoista!"From copper workshops!"
25Laittopa laian neitosia,He lined up a row of maidens,
26Toisen laian sulhasia,Another row of grooms,
27Panipa vanhat soutamahan;Set the elders to rowing;
28Vanhat souti, päät vapisi.The elders rowed, heads shaking.
29Pani nuoret soutamahan;Set the youths to rowing;
30Nuoret souti, niin airot notku,The youths rowed, oars bending,
31Nenä joutu joutsenena,The prow arched like a swan,
32Hankat hanhena havisi.The stern glided like a goose.
33Puuttu pursi VäinämöisenVäinämöinen's boat reached
34Selvälle meren selälle;The clear sea's expanse;
35Ei kivellä, ei havolla,Not on rocks nor spruces,
36Hauhin suuren hartehille.On the great pike's shoulders.
37Oli nuori Joukamoinen,There was young Joukamoinen,
38Ottipa miekan vierestänsä,He drew his sword from his side,
39Iskipä miekalla merehen,Struck the sea with the sword,
40Ei hauki totellenkoana;The pike did not heed;
41Miekka kolmeksi palaksi.The sword split into three.
42Oli vanha Väinämöinen,There was old Väinämöinen,
43Iskipä miekalla merehen,Struck the sea with the sword,
44Hauki kolmeksi palaksi;The pike split into three;
45Ei miekka totellenkoana ollut,The sword did not resist,
46Keskipala keiahteli,The middle piece floated,
47Häntä pala häilähteli,The tail piece fluttered,
48Peäpala kätehen saatiin.The head piece was caught.
49Kalan luinen kantelehe.A fish-bone kantele.
50Mistäpä tähän sruunat pantih?Where were its pegs placed?
51Mistäpä tähän peikalot pannaan?Where were its pins set?
52Hauin suuren hampahista.From the great pike's teeth.
53Oli nuori Joukamoinen,There was young Joukamoinen,
54Otti soiton sormillansa,Took the instrument in his fingers,
55Kantelehen kämmenilläh,The kantele in his palms,
56Soitteloo, sovitteloo;Played, adjusted;
57Ei soitto soitolle tunnu,The music did not sound,
58Eikä ilo ilolle.Nor joy to joy arise.
59Oli vanha Väinämöinen,There was old Väinämöinen,
60Se otti soiton sormillaha,He took the instrument in his fingers,
61Soitteloo, sovitteloo;Played, adjusted;
62Nyt soitto soitolle tuntoo,Now the music resounded,
63Nyt ilo ilolle tuntoo.Now joy to joy arose.
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-005610 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.