Kullervo Kalervolainen

SKVR III1 347·Narvusi·1858·Collector: Länkelä, Jaako

In the SKVR edition: Narvusi. J. Länkelä. v. VIII 6 b. 1858.

SKVR textEnglish

1Kullervo KalervolainenKullervo, son of Kalervo,

2Etsi hevosia, valitsee varsoja,Searched for horses, selected foals,

3Sukukunnan suitset vyöllä,The kin-group’s reins on his belt,

4Vallan valjahat kädessä.The might’s harness in his hand.

5Kuuli urvan ulvovanna,He heard a wolf howling,

6Haapasen hallaavanna:The aspen whitening with frost:

7"Mitä sie ulvot ursi pursi,"Why howl, bear-boat,

8Vene haapanen hallaat?"Aspen-boat, do you freeze?"

9"Ulvon uusia teloja,"I howl for new masts,

10Valmihia valkamia."Ready white timbers."

11Kullervo KalervolainenKullervo, son of Kalervo,

12Otti vesson vyön alalta,Took the axe from his belt,

13Kirveen selän takanta,The axe from behind his back,

14Alko vessellä veellä,Began to row with the axe,

15Kirvehellä kirjutella;To carve with the axe;

16Löi kerran, synty laita,Struck once – a side was born,

17Toisen kerran, synty toinen. j. n. e.Struck twice – another came.

18Kullervo KalervolainenKullervo, son of Kalervo,

19Pani nuoret soutamaan j. n. e.Made the youths row onward.

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.

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