Käin mie piennä paimenessa

SKVR V1 273·Vuole·1859·Collector: Saxbäck, Fr. A.

In the SKVR edition: Vuole, Alakylä. Saxbäck 303. 59.

Song types: Iivana Kojosenpoika, Kolme torvea, Läksin piennä paimeneen, Nurmen neito

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SKVR textEnglish

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

2Mie en pillii pitänytI did not keep a flute,

3Enkä kantant kanteloista,Nor carried kantele instruments,

4Soitin kolmell torven kanssa:I played with three horns:

5Yks oil luinen, toinen puinen,One was bone, another wood,

6Kolmas oil kivinen torvi,The third was a stone horn,

7Soitin suolla männessään.I played on the swamp while traveling.

8Tuohon soaari siunahusi,To that island Siunahusi,

9Saaren pääl nuori nurmi,On the island, young grass,

10Nurmen pääl nuori neito.On the grass, a young maiden.

11Käyvät kymmenet kysyjät,Tens of suitors come,

12Pipit käyvät, papit käyvät,Pepper-men come, priests come,

13Hovvin käyvät hoikat herrat.The court's slender lords come.

14Neito vasten vastaeli:The maiden answered back:

15Ei täyy tätä tytöistäNone of these girls suffice

16Runtuksill, rantuksill,With their rags, their tatters,

17Renkimiehell rekkeen,For a farmhand's sleigh,

18Kasakoill kainaloon.For Cossacks under the arm.

19Kun tuil sulho, käänsi mielen,When the groom came, changed his mind,

20Pani neien rekosehenPut the maid into the sleigh

21Ja loi ruosall hevoista,And whipped the horses,

22Hepo juoksi, tie helähi,The horse ran, the road rang,

23Reko vieri, matka joutu,The sleigh rolled, journey sped,

24Jalas kuusanen kumaili,Spruce shafts bent,

25Vemmel piukku pihlajane,Rowan crossbar creaked,

26Reko rautanen ramaili.Iron sleigh clattered.

27Hän neion kottiin veiHe took the maid home

28Ja sanoo neiollensa:And said to his maiden:

29"Tie sie, neito, miullen paita"Sew me, maid, a shirt

30Yhest liina suortuvasta!"From one linen strand!"

31Neitonen ajatteloo:The maiden thought:

32"Mitä tyhjäst tulloo,"What comes from emptiness,

33Valehest valkiaa?"Whiteness from lies?"

34"Tie sie, neito, miulle turkki"Sew me, maid, a fur coat

35Yhest lampaan nahasta!"From one sheep's skin!"

36"Mitä tyhjäst tuloo,"What comes from emptiness,

37Valehest valkiaa?"Whiteness from lies?"

38"Tie sie, neito, miulle viitta"Sew me, maid, a cloak

39Yhest villa kyynärästä!"From one ell of wool!"

40Neitonne ajattelloo:The maiden thought:

41"Mitä tyhjäst tulloo,"What comes from emptiness,

42Valehest valkeaa?"Whiteness from lies?"

43Tappo tuohon neitosensa,He killed his maiden there,

44Hampaat kivell jauho,Ground her teeth with stone,

45Survo huulet huumaressa,Crushed lips in gums,

46Rinnat pisti piirakaks,Made breasts into pies,

47Anopill tuomisiks.As gifts for mother-in-law.

48Anopp lakas lattiaa,Mother-in-law swept floors,

49Väv tunkei tuppaan:Son-in-law burst in:

50"Täss on, anopp, tuomisii.""Here, mother-in-law, are gifts."

51Orjo tulloo tuppaan.The servant came in.

52Anopp sanoo orjalleen:Mother-in-law told her servant:

53"Täss on orjo tuomisii,"Here are servant's gifts,

54Vävyn uuen tuomisii,Son-in-law's new gifts,

55Tyttären lähettämiä."Sent by the daughter."

56"Malta, malt, emäntä parka,"Wait, wait, poor mistress,

57Kuin sie tietäsit vähäisen,If you knew but a little,

58Ymmärtäisit pikkuraisen,Understood the smallest part,

59Et sie söis ja kiitteleis."You wouldn't eat and praise."

60"Virka, virka, orja parka!""Speak, speak, poor slave!"

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

62"Annan puoli aittajani,"I'll give half my granary,

63Annan kyytön kytkyestä,A load from the harness,

64Annan vaajast vasikan,A calf from the pen,

65Virka, virka orja parka!"Speak, speak, poor slave!"

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

67"Annan ainoan tyttöin.""I'll give my only daughter."

68"Sie söit linnuis lihhaa,"You ate the birds' flesh,

69Kannettuis kainaloo."Carried under your arm."

70Voi mie poloinen piika,Ah, wretched maid am I,

71Hää loi kahta kämmentääThe wedding clapped two palms

72Kuin kahta laivan kantta.Like two ship's decks.

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-016755 · Read at SKS ↗

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