Yö vaa neito, päivä neito
In the SKVR edition: Narvusi, Pärspää. Volmari Porkka. II 100. 1881-83. Vapoi.
SKVR textEnglish
1Yö vaa neito, päivä neitoNight, the maiden; day, the maiden
2Löi vaa kättä kuun keralla,She struck hands with the moon,
3Kättä päivyeen keralla,Hands with the day,
4Kumpi ehti enne noissa,Which would arrive first there,
5Kumpi enne ennätellä.Which would outpace the other?
6Neito ehti enne noissa,The maiden arrived first there,
7Neito enne enneppäissi.The maiden foremost of all.
8Jauho vakan jauheita,Flour from the tub's grindings,
9Toisen suursi suurimoja,The second made groats,
10Kolmannen vehnii veteli.The third drew forth wheat.
11Mäni päivää katsomaa,I went to see the day,
12Ei se päivä päätä nossa,The day did not lift its head,
13Kuu ei kulmia ylennä.The moon did not raise its brows.
14Toi tuo sinisen uukin,She brought a blue sheep,
15Keritsi sinisen uukinSheared the blue sheep
16Sinisillä rautoloilla,With blue iron shears,
17Kraappi nyt siniset villatScraped the blue wool
18Sinisillä kraappiloilla,With blue scrapers,
19Kedräis siniset villatSpun the blue wool
20Sinisillä värttinillä.With blue spindles.
21Mäni päivää katsomaa.I went to see the day.
22Pesi piimähuoneet,Washed the dairy rooms,
23Maitolaattiat laensi,Rinsed the milk floors,
24Vei rikat veräjän suuhu,Took ashes to the gate's mouth,
25Seisatteli rikkaloilla,Stood upon the ash piles,
26Loi vaa silmät päivän päällä,Cast eyes upon the day,
27Ei se päivä päätä nossa,The day did not lift its head,
28Kuu ei kulmia ylennä.The moon did not raise its brows.
29Näki laivuen merosta,Saw ships from the sea,
30Näki venneet vieremästä:Saw boats from the swells:
31Muuttis mutakalaksi,Changed to a mud-fish,
32Luottis lohikalaksi,Transformed to a salmon,
33Kiertieli kiiskeneksi.Twisted into a vendace.
34Ujui virssan, ujui toisen,Swam one stretch, swam another,
35Ujui laivan urrespuilla,Swam to the ship's oarlocks,
36Pääsi laivan porraspuilla.Reached the ship's side planks.
37Kysy laivosta ommaan,Asked the ship for kin,
38Venneestä vellojaan.The boat for brothers.
39Laivoin miehet vastasiit:The ship's men answered:
40"Ei oo laivoissa ommaa"There's no kin on ships,
41Eikä venneessä velloja."Nor brothers in boats."
42Miä vaa vastoin vastaelin:But I retorted back:
43"Miksi on vesi verine,"Why is the water bloody,
44Vaahto valkia punane?"The foam white yet red?"
45Laivon miehet vastasiit:The ship's men answered:
46"Sill on vesi verine,"For that, the water's bloody,
47Vaahto valkia punane,The foam white yet red:
48Miksi lohattii lohen vatsaBecause we gutted the salmon's belly,
49Ja halattii havvin vatsaSplit the burbot's belly,
50Ja siiattii siian selkä."Sliced the whitefish's back."
51Vien vaa viessin emolla:I took the message to Mother:
52"Elä tuo merosta vettä"Do not bring seawater
53Leipääs eatakseeTo moisten your bread,
54Itsellees syöäksees,For your own eating,
55Nii tuot velloin verriä!"Lest you bring kin's blood!"
56Viekkä viestiä isoilla:Took the word to elders:
57"Elä pyyä merestä kaloja"Do not fish from the sea
58Itsellees syöäksees;For your own eating;
59Pyyät velloin maksoja!"You fish kin's livers!"
60Toi tuo merosta kalojaYet they brought fish from sea,
61Itsellee syöäksee.For themselves to eat.
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.
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-007717 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.