Emo synnytti minua

SKVR III1 298·Soikkola·1858·Collector: Länkelä, Jaako

In the SKVR edition: Soikkola. J. Länkelä. v. VI 12. 1858.

Song type: Suka mereen

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SKVR textEnglish

1Emo synnytti minua,Mother gave birth to me,

2Mie vaan syitä synnyttelin,But I only birthed troubles,

3Emoi hellytti minua,Mothers caressed me,

4Mie vaan hiusta hellyttelin.But I only stroked hair.

5Iso kasvatti minua,Father raised me,

6Mie vaan kassan kasvattelin.But I only grew my hair.

7Kasvo miulle kassa pitkä,Long hair grew on me,

8Kassa pitkä, tukka tuima,Long hair, coarse mane,

9Hius heliä hienokkainen,Hair shimmering and fine,

10Pellava pion pituinen,Flaxen as a peony’s stem,

11Lumi vaahen valkehuinen.Snow-white as a swan.

12Meni velloni Viroon,My brother went to Estonia,

13Setoini suka-mäelle,My kin to Comb Hill,

14Toi tuolta suan suloisen,Brought a sweet pig from there,

15Sian harjaksen siliän,A pig’s smoothed bristle,

16Toi suan sukoimäeltä,Brought the pig from Suko Hill,

17Harjan harjusmättähältä.From the brushwood hill’s crest.

18Menin rannalle kesolla,I went to the shore in summer,

19Kesk'kesolla hein'ajalla,Mid-summer at haymaking time,

20Parahalla paistehella,Under splendid sunshine,

21Puhetessa putken juuren,Where reeds whisper at their roots,

22Lehen kannan kasvaessa.As leaf stalks grew.

23Kuin menin liki meroja,When I neared the seas,

24Meren rannalle rajahin,I reached the sea’s edge,

25Istusin meren kivelle,Sat on a sea-rock,

26Meren paaelle pamahin.Thudded onto the sea’s slab.

27Päästin kassan kaunokkaisen,I let loose my lovely hair,

28Hajotin haluset hiukset,Spread the flowing locks,

29Halusille hartioille.Over my bare shoulders.

30Laain lau'an polvelleni,I laid a plank on my knees,

31Alon päätäni sukia,Began to comb my head,

32Hiuksia harjaella,To brush my hair,

33Kiirehesti kampaella.To comb it hastily.

34Sulpahti suka merohon,The comb slipped into the sea,

35Päätyi lauta Laukahaseen,The plank drifted to Laukaa,

36Kampa pieni kalavetehen.The small comb to fish-waters.

37Mie vaan tyttö pikkarainen,I, a tiny maiden,

38Matalainen marjukkainen,Lowly as a berry,

39Katalainen karpaloinen,Humble as a cranberry,

40Alahainen armotoinenSubmissive and pitiable.

41Painuttaisin ottamahan,I bent to retrieve it,

42Kampojani katsomahan;To seek my comb;

43Sulpahtin suan jälestä.I slipped after the pig.

44Puuttu miekka purstohoni,A sword came to my belt,

45Miekan kannin kaulalleni.Its hilt around my neck.

46Mihin miekka kuhun miekka?"Where, sword, where?"

47Mie vaan miekan maalle kannoin.I carried it to the field.

48Mihin miekka, kuhun miekka?"Where, sword, where?"

49Mie vaan miekan moisioon,To the manor I took it,

50Kopiahan kornitsaan,To the coffer and chest,

51Saksan suurehen salihin,To the German lord’s great hall,

52Isännälle itselleen,To the master himself,

53Hyvän emännän etehen.Before the good mistress.

54Isännät imehteleevät,The masters marvel,

55Emännät ajatteleevat:The mistresses ponder:

56Mist' tuo miekka, kust' tuo miekka?"From where is this sword?"

57Tuo miekka on meroista tuotu,"This sword is from the seas,

58Kannettu kalaku'usta.Brought from fish waters."

59Sitt' tuo sanoi suuri saksa,Then the great German said,

60Sama eukko se emäntä:The same crone, the mistress:

61Tuo on miekka miestä syönyt,"This sword has devoured men,

62Teräs on miestä tempaellut,Steel has snatched men,

63Rauta on raiunnut uroa,Iron has torn heroes,

64Sotamiehen sormiluita,Warriors’ finger-bones,

65Kalamiehen kaulaluita.Fishermen’s neck-bones."

66Mie vaan vasten vastaelin,I objected in turn,

67Vaiten vastahan sanelin:Silently I countered:

68Ei oo miekka miestä syönyt,"The sword ate no man,

69Miest' ei syönyt, vert' ei juonut,Drank no blood,

70Raut' ei raiunnut uroa,Iron tore no hero,

71Teräs ei miestä tempaellut,Steel snatched no man.

72Tuo tuli tupen sisässä,It lay in the sheath,

73Uju umpi nahkasessa,Hidden in leather,

74Nauku nahka nauhasessa.Strapped with a band."

75Puuttu miun purstohoni,The sword left my belt,

76Kaatu miun kaulahani,Fell from my neck,

77Mie aloin rannalle ujua,I swam to shore,

78Veestä poisi vieretellä.Rolled away from the water.

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 edition’s line numbers are replaced by a number on every verse, counted as in the poem reader.

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-007313 · Read at SKS ↗

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