Iski tulta Ismaroinen

SKVR III1 311·Soikkola·1858·Collector: Länkelä, Jaako

In the SKVR edition: Soikkola. J. Länkelä. v. VII 3 a. 1858.

Song types: Kilpakosinta, Nurmen neito

Open in the poem reader →

SKVR textEnglish

1Iski tulta Ismaroinen,Ilmarinen struck fire,

2Väisähytti VäinämöinenVäinämöinen brandished,

3Selkiällä meren selällä,On the clear sea's expanse,

4Lakialla lainehella.On the smooth wave's back.

5Kasvoi tuohon kaita saari,There grew a narrow island,

6Kaita kartano yleni,A narrow estate arose,

7Nousi tuohon karja kaunis,There rose fair livestock,

8Karjalle emäntä kasvo,For the herd, a mistress grew,

9Emännälle nuori neito.For the mistress, a young maiden.

10Tuota neittä kiitettiin,That maiden was praised,

11Halki maien haastettiin,Discussed across lands,

12Yli maien mainittiin.Renowned beyond lands.

13Tuota neittä kosjottiin:That maiden was courted:

14Isyt tahto Ismarolle,Father's wish to Ilmarinen,

15Väinämöinen Venaan mieli,Väinämöinen's mind to Viena,

16Käy'ä ilmi Ismarolle;Made clear to Ilmarinen;

17Emoi mieli Laukahalle,Mother's mind to Laukaa,

18Käyä lahti Laukahalle,To sail to Laukaa's bay,

19Syyä Laukahan lohia,To eat Laukaa's salmon,

20Syyä Laukahan kaloja;To eat Laukaa's fish;

21Minun mieli manterelle,My mind to the mainland,

22Manterelle seppyelle.To the mainland smith.

23Manteren matala seppoiThe mainland's lowly smith

24Sanan saarehen lähetti:Sent word to the island:

25Saapiko naia saaren maalta?"Can one wed from the island?"

26Saaren vanhut vastaeli:The island elders answered:

27"Kuin käyt minun käskyni,"If you follow my orders,

28Astut jalka-askeleeni,Tread in my footsteps,

29Kuin taot teräksen sillan,Forge a steel bridge,

30Rauoittelet rauta-aianConstruct an iron fence

31Selvälle meren selälle,To the sea's clear expanse,

32Lakialle lainehelle,To the smooth wave's back,

33Siis saat naia saaren maasta,Then you'll wed from the island,

34Saat saaren neitoloista,Get the island's maidens,

35Saat sie saareen sukua,Gain kin on the island,

36Kiviseinille setiä,Family to stone walls,

37Tuharmiin on tuttavia.In-laws among relatives."

38Manteren matala seppä,The mainland's lowly smith,

39Itse seppä InkeroinenThe smith himself, Ingrian,

40Ottipa tuon tehdäksensäTook this as his task

41Kuiten ilman ollaksensa,Still to remain without

42Naisetta elelläkseen;A wife to live with;

43Paha naisetta elää,Bad to live wifeless,

44Paha pai'an sotkiatta.Bad with hearth untended.

45Manteren matala seppoiThe mainland's lowly smith

46Sanan saarehen lähetti:Sent word to the island:

47"Joko ainoi annetaan,"Is the maiden now given,

48Tyttöi helle heitetään?"The girl cast to her dear?"

49"Ei oo aine annettuna,"The maid's not yet given,

50Tyttö helle heitettynä,The girl not cast to dear,

51Kuin käyt käskyni miun,Unless you follow my order,

52Astut jalka-askeleeni,Tread in my footsteps,

53Taot kultaisen kirikon,Forge a golden church,

54Kulta ristin kukkuralle,A gold cross on the hill,

55Harjalle hopia ristin,Silver cross on the ridge,

56Sitte ainoi annetaan,Then the maid is given,

57Tyttöi helle heitetään."The girl cast to her dear."

58Manteren matala seppoi,The mainland's lowly smith,

59Itse seppoi InkeroinenThe smith himself, Ingrian,

60Otti tuonki tehdäksensäTook that too as his task

61Kuiten ilman ollakseen.Still to remain without.

62Manteren matala seppoi,The mainland's lowly smith,

63Itse seppoi InkeroinenThe smith himself, Ingrian,

64Sanan saareen lähetti:Sent word to the island:

65"Jo kävin käskyissäsi,"I've followed your orders,

66Astun jalka-askeleesi,Trod your footsteps,

67Taoin kultaisen kirikon,Forged the golden church,

68Kulta ristin kukkuralle,A gold cross on the hill,

69Harjalle hopia ristin,Silver cross on the ridge,

70Joko aino annetaanIs the maid now given

71Tyttöi helle heitetään?"The girl cast to her dear?"

72Saaren vanhut vastaeli:The island elders answered:

73"Ei oo aino annettuna,"The maid's not given yet,

74Tyttö helle heitettynä,The girl not cast to dear,

75Suku on suuri neitoisella,The maid has great kin,

76Suku suuri, saapas-sääri,Great kin, boot-legged lineage,

77Heimo korkia kypärä,Clan high-helmeted,

78Kuin käyt käskyni miun,Unless you follow my order,

79Astut jalka askeleeni:Tread in my footsteps:

80Tao helminen heponen,Forge a beaded stallion,

81Mies helminen rekehen,A beaded man into sleigh,

82Helmi ruossa miehen vyölle!"Pearls on man's belt-shaft!"

83Itse seppoi Inkeroinen,The smith himself, Ingrian,

84Manteren matala seppoiThe mainland's lowly smith

85Otti tuonki tehdäkseenTook that too to do

86Kuiten ilman ollakseen,Still to remain without,

87Naisetta elelläkseen:To live wifeless:

88Takoi helmisen hepoisen,Forged the beaded stallion,

89Miehen helmisen rekehen,A beaded man into sleigh,

90Helmi ruossan miehen vyölle,Pearls on man's belt-shaft,

91Manteren matala seppoi,The mainland's lowly smith,

92Itse seppoi InkeroinenThe smith himself, Ingrian,

93Sanan saareen lähetti:Sent word to the island:

94"Joko ainoi annetaan;"Is the maiden now given;

95Tyttöi helle heitetään?"The girl cast to her dear?"

96"Jopa ainoi annetaan,"Indeed the maid is given,

97Tyttö helle heitetään."The girl cast to her dear."

98Manteren matala seppoi,The mainland's lowly smith,

99Itse seppoi InkeroinenThe smith himself, Ingrian,

100Meni itse saaruelle;Went himself to the islet;

101Sitte ainoi annettiin,Then the maiden was given,

102Satulalle saatettiin.Was placed upon the saddle.

103Neito katsoi merohen,The maiden gazed seaward,

104Itse katso, itse itkiShe looked herself, wept herself,

105Soreutta sulhoismiehen,At the groom's splendor,

106Puhemiehen puhtautta,The spokesman's propriety,

107Kesollisen kemppehyttä.The summer-dweller's awkwardness.

108Ei mee tupahan neito,The maiden won't enter the house,

109Seisoi uuden uksen suulla,She stood at the new door's edge,

110Uuden porstuan edessä,Before the new porch,

111Itse seisoi, itse itkiShe stood herself, wept herself,

112Soreutta sulhoismiehen,At the groom's splendor,

113Puhemiehen puhtautta,The spokesman's propriety,

114Kesollisen kempehyttä.The summer-dweller's awkwardness.

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-007327 · Read at SKS ↗

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