Läksin suolle sotkulleni
In the SKVR edition: Lempaala. Ahlqvist 521. 54.
SKVR textEnglish
1Läksin suolle sotkulleni,I went to the marsh for my goldeneye,
2Leviöille letkuilleni.To the boggy meadows for my wanderings.
3Löysin suolta mättähäisen,I found a hummock on the marsh,
4Mättähäisestä kotasen.From the hummock, a little hut.
5Kolkutin kotasen usta,I knocked on the hut's door,
6Rämähytin räystäspuuta;Thumped the eaves beam;
7Tuolta neitonen sirahti.From there, a maiden darted.
8Mitä neito tuolla tekee?What is the maiden doing there?
9Kultakangasta kutovi,Weaving golden cloth,
10Hopiaista helskyttävi.Shimmering silver threads.
11Taittui yksi kultalankaOne golden thread snapped,
12Ja toinen hopialanka,And another silver thread,
13Tuota neito itkemähän.Then the maiden began to weep.
14Emo vasten vastaeli:The mother answered back:
15"Elä itke, piikueni,"Do not weep, my girl,
16Kyllä vellot toisen tuovat,The lads will bring another,
17Tuolta vellosi tulevi,Your suitor comes from there,
18Yli korven pää näkyvi,Over the forest's edge he appears,
19Jalat alta kuumottavat."His feet glow beneath him."
20Mitä vello mulle tuopi?What did the suitor bring me?
21Toi vello minulle hanhen.The suitor brought me a goose.
22Mihin panin hanhoseni?Where did I put my goose?
23Panin mie lammas karsinahan,I placed it in the sheepfold,
24Lampahani määkimähän;My sheep began to bleat;
25Panin lehmä-lääväsehen,I put it in the cowshed,
26Lehmäni möläjämähän;My cow began to low;
27Panin sika-pahnasehen,I put it in the pigsty,
28Sikani vikajamahan;My pig began to squeal;
29Panin hevois-tallisehen,I put it in the stable,
30Hevoseni hiraumahan.My horse began to neigh.
31Tein mie tarhan tanhuahan,I built a sturdy fence,
32Panin hanhon tarhasehen,Placed the goose in the pen,
33Panin kukot kuulemahan,Set roosters to listen,
34Harakan havaitsemahan,Magpies to observe,
35Mustan linnun muistamahan,Black birds to remember,
36Pienen linnun piukkamahan,Small birds to keep watch,
37Kävin itse makaamahan.I went to lie down myself.
38Eipä kukko kuullutkana,The rooster did not hear,
39Harakka havainnutkana,The magpie did not notice,
40Musta lintu ei muistanutkaan,The black bird did not remember,
41Pieni lintu piukkanutkaan;The small bird did not guard;
42Pääsi hanhoni pakohon.My goose escaped.
43Menin tietä pikkaraisen,I went a little way,
44Matkoa ani vähäisen.A very short distance.
45Löysin kyntäjän kas'esta.I found a plowman at the field's edge.
46Kyselin mie kyntäjältä:I asked the plowman:
47"Kyntäjäinen, kylväjäinen,"Plower, sower,
48Siemenen sirottajainen,Seed-scatterer,
49Näitkö minun hanhoani?"Have you seen my goose?"
50Hän sitten vasten vastaeli:He then answered:
51"Mikä merkki hanhollasi?""What marks your goose?"
52"Otsassa otavan-merkki,"On its brow, the Great Bear's mark,
53Päässä päivän-pyörykkäinen,On its head, a sun-disc,
54Kupehessa kultamerkki,On its flank, a golden mark,
55Siivessä sininen merkki."On its wing, a blue mark."
56Tuonne lensi löyhötteliIt flew flapping there
57Suomen suurelle merelle,To Finland's great sea,
58Toinen siipi vettä viskoi,One wing splashed water,
59Toinen taivasta tavoitti.The other touched the sky.
60Menin tietä pikkaraisen,I went a little way,
61Matkoa ani vähäisen,A very short distance,
62Löysin sotkijat ojalta.I found ditch-diggers by the ditch.
63Kysyttelin lausuttelin:I asked and inquired:
64"Sotkijat, miun sisoni,"Ditch-diggers, my kin,
65Näittekö mun hanhoani?"Have you seen my goose?"
66Toiset vasten vastaelit:Others answered:
67"Mikä merkki hanhollasi?""What marks your goose?"
68"Päässä päivän-pyörykkäinen, j.n.e."On its head, a sun-disc, etc."
69Tuonne lensi löyhötteli j.n.e."It flew flapping there, etc."
70Menin tietä pikkaraisen j.n.e."I went a little way, etc."
71Löysin paimenet aholta,I found herdsmen on the pasture,
72Kysyttelin, lausuttelin:*I asked and inquired:*
73"Poika paimen, vellueni,"Herdsman lad, my dear,
74Näittekö mun hanhoani?" j.n.e.Have you seen my goose?" etc.
75Paimen vasten vastaeli:The herdsman answered:
76"Tuoll' on Tuonelan kujassa,"There in Tuonela's path,
77Lihat syöty, luut jätetty,Flesh eaten, bones left,
78Veri pellolle veetty,Blood poured on the field,
79Nahka kenkinä pietty."Hide kept as shoes."
80Tuohon kasvoi tasainen tammi,There grew a smooth oak,
81Tammelle tasaiset oksat,On the oak, even branches,
82Joka oksalle omena,On each branch, an apple,
83Omenalle kultapyörä,On each apple, a golden wheel,
84Kultapyörälle käkönen,On each wheel, a cuckoo,
85Kun käki kukahtelevi,When the cuckoo calls,
86Niin syän sykähtelevi,Then the heart throbs,
87Syän syttyvi tulehen,The heart ignites in fire,
88Pää palolle paukahtavi.The head bursts into flame.
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-016510 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.