Läksin mie kouluun kotonta
In the SKVR edition: Vuole, Näsi. Saxbäck 668. 59.
SKVR textEnglish
1Läksin mie kouluun kotonta,I left home for school,
2Oppiin omilta mailta;To learn from my own lands;
3Kova oil koulu käyäksein,Hard was the school to attend,
4Oppii outo ollaksein,Learning felt foreign to endure,
5Kirja oil kiinteä lukea,The book was stiff to read,
6Paperi paha sanella.The paper was wretched to write on.
7Ensin kuin mie aapsista alotin,First, when I began with the ABCs,
8Laulon kaikki katkismuksenI recited all the catechism,
9Ja sanelin salmi kirjan,And wrote the psalm book,
10Lauloin pienet piplikirjat.I sang the little hymn books.
11Siitt tuotiin sana jälestä:Then word came from behind:
12"Kolme on kuollutta kotona.""Three are dead at home."
13Kuka on kuollunna kotonna?Who has died at home?
14"Yksi on isoisi vanha,"One is your old grandfather,
15Toinen on emoisi vanha,Another your old grandmother,
16Kolmas kurja kumppaliisi."Third, your wretched companion."
17Mill pesen isoini vanhan?How do I wash my old grandfather?
18Pesen saksan saipualla,I wash him with German soap,
19Viron viinan viertehellä.With Estonian liquor's dregs.
20Mill mie kurja kumppalini?How [do I wash] my poor companion?
21Kujass on kusi vessi,In the alley is piss-water,
22Toajo vettä tanhualla,A trough-water on the threshing floor,
23Rännin all on rätti vettä,Under the gutter, rag-water.
24Mist tietän isolle kirstun?From what to make father’s coffin?
25Teräksest mie tietän kirstun,From steel I forge the coffin,
26Vaskest mie valatan naulat.From copper I cast the nails.
27Mist tietän emolle kirstun?From what to make mother’s coffin?
28Teräksest mie tietän kirstun,From steel I forge the coffin,
29Vaskest mie valatan naulat.From copper I cast the nails.
30Mist mie kurja kumppalille?From what [for] my wretched companion?
31Paan mie parkkii altahan.I place bark beneath him.
32Millä vien issäin maahan?How do I bring father to earth?
33Kuin lienöö vesiset matkat,If the journey is watery,
34Venehillä vietäköön,Let him be borne by boats,
35Kuus on kullaista venoista,Six are golden vessels,
36Kuus on ilman kullatonta.Six without gold.
37Kuin lienöö mäkiset matkat,If the journey is hilly,
38Hevoisilla vietäköön,Let him be borne by horses,
39Kuus on kullaista hevoista,Six are golden horses,
40Kuus on ilman kullatonta.Six without gold.
41Mill vien mie emoini maahan?How do I bring mother to earth?
42Niin vien mie emomi maahan,Thus I bring my mother to earth,
43Mill tavoin issäinki.In the way of father too.
44Mill mie kurja kumppalini?How [do I wash] my poor companion?
45Kylän koirill mie kuletan.With village dogs I haul him.
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.
- 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-016869 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.