Matti poika, maire poika

SKVR IV1 460·Tyrö·1853·Collector: Europaeus, D. E. D.

In the SKVR edition: [Tyrön tienoo]. D. E. D. Europaeus. III 3. 11. 1853.

Song type: Jauhaja neito, miniä

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SKVR textEnglish

1Matti poika, maire poikaMatti boy, gentle boy

2Käi kosissa 3 vuotta,Went courting for year(s),

3Etsi neittä 4 vuotta,Searched for a maiden year(s),

4Katseli 8 vuotta,Scanned year(s),

5Viivytteli 5 vuotta,Lingered year(s),

6Kulutteli 6 vuotta,*Wasted year(s),*

7Seisatteli 7 vuotta.*Stalled year(s).*

8Sai hän neion saaneheksi,He got the maiden as his own,

9Morsiamen tuoneheksi;Brought the bride home;

10Perehesse pieni joutuThe little one joined the household,

11Perehen vihattavaksi.To be hated by the family.

12Anoppi paha tapainenThe ill-natured mother-in-law

13Teki poukun pokroviksi,Made the corner a cover,

14Parahiksi pakkasiksi,Better for frosts,

15Vinkeämmiksi viluiksiSharper for chills,

16Käski minua sotkemahan:Ordered me to clean:

17"Mää, sotke levätessäsi,"You, clean while resting,

18Huuho huokaellessasi!"Sigh while you work!"

19Mäni minno sotkemahan,I went to clean,

20Minno sotki suuren poukun,I ruined the big corner,

21Huuhto äiän huntuloita.Washed father-in-law's rags.

22Tuli tuoalta kotihinCame home from there

23Hyyssä helma, jäässä polvi,Frost on hem, ice on knee,

24Hunnun sikko hyytehessä.Veil's edge frozen stiff.

25Siit ol appi aivan viisas,Then the wise father-in-law,

26Käski minon kiukualle:Told me to the stove:

27"Nouse, minno, kiukualle,"Rise, girl, to the stove,

28Lämmittele jalkojasi!"Warm your feet!"

29Anoppi pahatapainenThe ill-natured mother-in-law

30Otti kuiveet kiukuasta,Took embers from the stove,

31Käski minjon jauhamahan:Ordered me to grind:

32"Mää, jauha levätessäsi,"You, grind while resting,

33Puoha huokoellessasi!"Gasp while you work!"

34Anoppi pahatapainenThe ill-natured mother-in-law

35Ei sanont sitä sanaaDid not say the word

36Miksi jauhot jauhetahan,Why grain is ground,

37Jauhetaanko jauholoiksi,If to flour,

38Survetaanko suurimoiksi.Or crushed to groats.

39Minno viel ol vastomainen,I, still inexperienced,

40Minno laski lastimoiksi.Ground it to coarse meal.

41Anoppi pahatapainenThe ill-natured mother-in-law

42Mäni tuonne katsomahan,Went there to look,

43Mitä minnonen tekee.What the little one did.

44Ensin paino minnon päätä,First pressed the girl's head,

45Sitte kiinnitti kivoa.Then tied her to the stove.

46Tuli tuoalta tupahan:Came into the house:

47"Matti, maire poikueni,"Matti, my gentle son,

48Tunsit tuoa tuhman neion,You brought a foolish maiden,

49Älyttömän osasit:A witless one you chose:

50Ei tuo jauhella osaa,She can't grind properly,

51Jyvä halki, toinen poiki,One grain split, another sprouted,

52Kolmans on koko jyväinen.The third is still whole.

53Matti, maire poikueni,Matti, my gentle son,

54Ota ensin ruunan ruoska,First take the horsewhip,

55Siitt mää metsähän kesällä,Then go to the summer forest,

56Leikkaa lehosta vitsa,Cut a switch from alder,

57Pitkä vitsa pihlajasta,A long switch from rowan,

58Tuo vitsa turkin alla,Bring it under your coat,

59Sillä neuvo neitoasi,With it advise your maiden,

60Opeta omenuttasi!"Teach your little apple!"

61Matti poika, maire poikaMatti boy, gentle boy

62Otti ensin ruunan ruos'an,Took first the horsewhip,

63Leikkasi lehosta vitsan,Cut a switch from alder,

64Pitkän vitsan pihlajaisen,A long rowan switch,

65Toi vitsan turkin alla.Brought it under his coat.

66Sitt mäni tallihin mäelleThen went to the hill-stable,

67Ensin roimi ruunajahen,First rebuked the horse:

68Opetti oroisuttaan:Taught his stallion:

69"Tunsit tuoa tuhman neion"You brought that foolish maiden,

70Älyymättömän osasit."Chose one without sense."

71Ruuna kielille rupesi,The mare spoke up,

72Laatimahan laitteliise:To reproach him rightfully:

73"Ei oo kaaro ruunan syytä;"The crow's not the mare's fault;

74Minkä saitte saanihenne,What you got with your kin,

75Panitte peräpajulle,You left on the back bench,

76Sen ruuno kotihin toi."The mare brought home."

77Mäni aittahan mäelle,Went to the hill-storehouse,

78Leikkais pytkyn kannikaista,Cut a chunk from the loaf,

79Voisi voita pytkyn päälle,Spread butter on the chunk,

80Tuon anto ainollehen,Gave it to his mother-in-law,

81Ojensi omenallehen:Handed to his little apple:

82"Syö tästä tämä palanen,"Eat this piece from here,

83Jauha jauhot hienommaksi!"Grind the flour finer!"

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-012129 · Read at SKS ↗

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