Ei tiiä tytöt kotona

SKVR V1 1272·Toksova·1894·Collector: Pajula, Fanny M.

In the SKVR edition: Toksova, Kopittala. Pajula 271. 94. Katri Itko, 60 v.

SKVR textEnglish

1Ei tiiä tytöt kotonaThe girls don't know at home

2Kysellä kylän akoilta,To ask the village crones,

3Kumpan' on parempi olla,Which is better to be:

4Tyttönä isän kotonaAs a girl in father's house

5Vain on miniän' miehelässä.Or only as a daughter-in-law wed.

6Kysyn kyntörastahalta,I ask the fieldfare,

7Tiaselta tiiustelin.From the titmouse I sought counsel.

8Tianen miull' tiion anto,The titmouse gave me wisdom,

9Kyntörastas raksutteli:The fieldfare clattered:

10Paremp' on tyttönä kotona"Better as a girl at home,

11Kuin miniän' miehelässä.Than a bride in a husband's stead."

12Niin tyttö isän kotonaSo the girl at father's hearth

13Kuin kuningas linnassaan,Is like a king in his keep,

14Pappi seurakunnassaan,A priest in his parish,

15Lukkar' perheessään.A clerk with kin complete.

16Niin on miniä miehelässäBut the bride in wedlock's grip

17Kuin vanki Vennäen moallaIs like a captive on Russian soil,

18Tahi koira kahlehissa.Or a dog bound in chains.

19Kysymätt' ei käy kylässä,She goes not to village unbidden,

20Lausumatt' ei noapureiss';Speaks not on any outing;

21Kysymättä kuin käy kyllään,If she goes without asking,

22Soivat sormet suuta vasten,Fingers ring against her lips,

23Kävvyy käsi poselle.A hand flies to her cheek.

24Kuin ajo anoppi yllääll':When the mother-in-law descends:

25"Nous' ylös, nokikekäle,"Rise up, sooty cinder,

26Havaitse, vesihakonen,Wake, water-demon slothful,

27Puhu tulta, turvekorva,Speak fire, peat-eared one,

28Lietso, lemmon liekuttama!"Pump the bellows, love's fool!"

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.