Käim mie piennä paimenessa

SKVR V1 232·Lempaala·1877·Collector: Borenius, A. A.

In the SKVR edition: Lempaala, Hovinmäki. Bor. 93. 14/1 77. Kostin Veru, 60 v. Tuotu Palkeelasta.

Song types: Iivana Kojosenpoika, Luikku lehmän luusta, Läksin piennä paimeneen, Nurmen neito, Torajoelle riitelemään

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SKVR textEnglish

1Käim mie piennä paimenessa,I went as a small shepherd,

2Lassa lampahie jälessä;Tending sheep behind;

3Em mie pillii voan pitänteI could not play the flute,

4Enkä kantant kanteloista,Nor carry the kantele,

5Teim mie luiku lauko luusta,I made a crane-call from hollow bone,

6Torven torstikin jalasta*A horn's joint from a leg,*

7Pillim pieniki selästä,My little pipe from the back,

8Soiti suolle männessäini,Played as I went to the marsh,

9Kajahutin kankahalle.Echoed to the heath.

10Tuo kuulu sepäm paijoane.That reached the smith's ears.

11Seppä karkais seisoalliene,The smith rushed from his anvil,

12Pihit pistyy voa putoisit,Tongs stuck, pliers fell,

13Vasara vajois om moahan.The hammer sank into the earth.

14Tuoho soari siunahuisi,There the island was blessed,

15Soarem peälle nuori nurmi,On the island, young grass,

16Nurmen peälle nuori heinä,On the grass, young hay,

17Heinäm peälle nuori neito.On the hay, a young maiden.

18Käyvät kymmenät kysyjät,Ten suitors came asking,

19Käyvät pipit, käyvät papit,Came pipits, came priests,

20Käyvät Ruotsista rovastit:Came deans from Sweden:

21"Ei täyvy tätä tytöistä"This maid isn't fit

22Ryntyksille, räntyksille,For rough tasks or clatter,

23Renkipoikii rekii,For farmhands' sledges,

24Paimen poikie parrii."A shepherd boys' crowd."

25Tul sulho torajuojelta,The groom came from Torajoki,

26Tul' om sulho keänsi mielim,*The groom came with spring's desire,*

27Pan neijo rekosehese,Put the maid in the sledge,

28Helmiruosall löi hevoista:With pearl-reins struck the horse:

29Hepo juoksi, tie heläji,The horse ran, the road rang,

30Oro juoksi, matka joutu,The steed ran, the journey sped,

31Ulvoit portit uuven linnan,Howled gates of the new castle,

32Vinkuit Viipuri veräjätScreamed Vyborg's gates,

33Tätä, neittä naittajessa,While marrying this maid,

34Vihantaista vietäjessä.Leading the youthful one.

35Vei neijon torajuoelle,Took the maid to Torajoki,

36Alko sulhanen anella,The groom began to beg,

37Alko paijaista anella:Began to coax her:

38"Tie sie, neito, miullem paita"Weave me, maid, a shirt

39Yhest liinan kuituisesta,From one linen thread,

40Ties sie, neito, miulle viittaWeave me, maid, a cloak

41Yhest villan töppöisestä!"From one clump of wool!"

42Neitoinen ajatteluopi:The maiden pondered:

43"Mitä tyhjästä tulluo,"What comes from nothing,

44Valehesta laukiaapi?"Created from lies?"

45Sulho suuttu ja vihastu,The groom raged in fury,

46Leikkas rinnat neitoiselta,Cut the maiden's breasts,

47Pani rinnat riehtilälle,Put them on the sleigh,

48Pilkko sormet piirakaksi,Chopped fingers into pie,

49Pisti piiraka sisseäne,Stuffed the pie inside,

50Vei anopin tuomisiksi.Brought to his mother-in-law.

51Anopp syöpi kiittelyö:The mother-in-law ate praising:

52"Jo ole jottai voa syönty,"Never have I tasted such butter,

53Syönt uo lohta lähtehestä,Not salmon from springs,

54Syönt uo sammii voa merestä,Nor sturgeon from the sea,

55En ole muojenta syöntHave I eaten anything like

56Uuve vävyn tuomisii,My new son-in-law's gift,

57Tyttäre lähättämii."My daughter's sending."

58Orjo lausu lattialta,The servant spoke from the floor,

59Palkkalaine pankom peästä:The hired one from the bed's edge:

60"Kui sie tietäisit vähäise,"If you knew but a little,

61Et sie söise kiittelisiYou wouldn't praise eating

62Uuve vävy tuomisii"*The new son-in-law's gift*"

63"Virka, virka, orjo parka!"Awake, awake, poor servant!

64Annan kyytön kytkyvestä.I'll give a horse from the harness.

65Virka, virka, orjo parka!Awake, awake, poor servant!

66Anna soimelta sorian,Give barley instead of blame,

67Kaunehemma kaura syöjä!"*A fairer oats-eater!*"

68"En virka emäntä parka.""I won't, poor mistress."

69"Virka, virka, orjo parka!"Awake, awake, poor servant!

70Annan ainuvan poijaine,I'll give eternal sons,

71Sem mie annan aittonien,Those I give from the granary,

72Ijäkseis voa itselleise,Forever for your own,

73Ajakseise ainuvaise."*For ages the only ones.*"

74"Nyt virkan, emäntä parka,"Now I'm awake, poor mistress,

75Söit voa linnuis sie lihhoi,You ate your birds' flesh,

76Kannettuis on kalkkusii."Your daughter's bones are carried."

77Käi anoppi itkemeäne,The mother-in-law walked weeping,

78Muuttu mullam muotoisekse,Turned into a soil-clod,

79Kauhtu rauvan karvaisekse.Her hood to iron bristles.

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-016713 · Read at SKS ↗

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