Kysyin maata velloltaini

SKVR IV1 586·Kaprio·1853·Collector: Europaeus, D. E. D.

In the SKVR edition: [Tyrö, Harjavalta]. D. E. D. Europaeus. III 3. 138. 1853.

Song types: Lunastettava neito, Myyty neito

Open in the poem reader →

SKVR textEnglish

1Kysyin maata velloltaini,I asked my brothers for land,

2Anoin ainoaiseltaini:I pleaded with my only kin:

3"Anna, vello, miulle maata,"Grant me, brother, some land,

4Anna maata marjuelle!"Grant land for berries!"

5Vello vasten vastaeli:The brother answered back:

6"Mihin maata neitoselle,"Why land for a maiden,

7Niittyä ripajalalle?A meadow for a spindly-leg?

8Niitty on neitoisen rivassa,The meadow's in the maid's row,

9Sarka on kaatterin kasassa,The field's with juniper heaps,

10Pelto pollen kantamessa."The field bears only dust."

11Anto kuitenkin vähäisenYet he gave a tiny

- - -

13Rissikkoa, rassikkoa,Stony ground, scrubby ground,

14Kulunutta kuusikkoa,Worn-out spruce grove,

15Vähäisen hyväistä maata,A scrap of decent land,

16Murukkaisen muuta maata.A crumb of other land.

17Tuohon mie kylvelin sinoja,There I sowed seeds,

18Pilaelin pellavaista,Ruined the flax,

19Kit'in kolkan, kitin toisen,Cleared one plot, then another,

20Kitin kolmannen kerallaCleared a third with them,

21Kolkassa kolmannessa,In the third plot,

22Nenäksessä neljännessä.On the fourth headland.

23Ajoi 2 kaupan miestäCame a merchant man,

24Ja 2 pyhää miestä,And a holy man,

252 kansan enkeliä,The folk's angel,

263 korkkia sulaista,A lofty smooth-talker,

27Antoivat "Jumal-apia":They cried "God-help us!":

28"Oi sie tyttö pikkarainen,"Oh you little maiden,

29Kuin sie tietäisit vähäisen,As if you knew anything,

30Jo siä koissa myyty,You were sold at dawn,

31Kannoi muille kauppaeltu!"Bargained off to others!"

32Mie vasten vastaelinI answered back:

33"Kukkainen miuse myynyt?"Did flowers sell me?

34"Isoi myi, emoi lupasi,Father sold, mother consented,

35Velloi kaupat kauppaeli,Brother struck the deal,

36Sisoi tuuman tuumaeli."Sister schemed the scheme."

37"Mitä otti miun emoni?""What took my mother?"

38"Emosi mahikkelehmän.""Your mother took a speckled cow."

39"Mitä otti miun isoni?""What took my father?"

40"Isosi rahasen ratsun.""Your father took a silvered horse."

41"Mitä vetroi vellyeini?""What did my brother gain?"

42"Vello sotaoroisen.""Brother got a war stallion."

43"Mitä otti miun sisoini?""What took my sister?"

44"Sisoisi sinervoi uuhoin.""Sister took blue linens."

45Mie siitt vasten vastaelin:Then I retorted:

46"Emoni mahikkilehmän"May my mother's speckled cow

47Maito maahan kaatukohonSpill milk on the ground,

- - -

49Rahoin maalle rauetkoonHer silver rust in soil,

50Rahaaikoina parasna;Useless in rich times;

51Velloni sotaoroinenMay my brother's warhorse

- - -

53Sota-aikoina parasna;Be 'best' in war times;

- - -

55Sutoi villat viipsiköhön!"May his wool rot tangled!"

- - -

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-012255 · Read at SKS ↗

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