Ennen lauloin, ennen taisin

SKVR V2 47·Lempaala·1917·Collector: Räikkönen, Eino

In the SKVR edition: Lemp. Nenimäki. Räikk. 598. 17. Fetjka Feodorovitsch, 60 v., (inkeroinen).

SKVR textEnglish

1Ennen lauloin, ennen taisin,Before I sang, before I knew how,

2Muullo muitai viel opetin,In other times, I still taught others,

3Nyt en taija itsekkää,Now I cannot even myself,

4Taija en oikee osataCannot truly know how,

5Enkä taiten tarkkaella.Nor skillfully observe.

6Mien ois laulaant ensinkää,How could I even start singing,

7Ko eijois käyneet käskemääWhen not commanded to do so,

8Ja suotta susjuttammaa.And grumble needlessly?

9Käyvvä käsketyn tulloop,One must go as ordered,

10Männä määrätyn pittääp,Must depart as appointed,

11Tehhä orjan toisen työtäTo do a slave's work for another,

12Sekä paljon palkkalaisen.And much of a hired hand's.

13Mut mie en rahoitta laula,But I won't sing without coins,

14Vasetta puhheita laita,Nor speak without silver,

15Suuta kullatta kuluta,Waste my mouth without gold,

16Hopijoitta huokaele.Sigh without precious metal.

17Laulasin mie, taitasin mie,I would sing, I'd perform,

18Jos miul palkka pantasii.If reward were granted me.

19Mie en äijjää anoisi,I wouldn't ask for much,

20Varsin tyytyisin vähhää,Truly content with little,

21Tahtoisin tavallisesti,I'd want ordinarily,

22Koikusin kohallisesti:Seek properly:

23Saisin polttinan pojist,A drink-vessel from the lads,

24Alttinan joka akast,An offering from each woman,

25Neljin riunoin neitoloist.Four goblets from maidens.

26Mie enemp rahhoi saisin,I'd gain more wealth

27Ko herrat hevosillaa,Than lords with their steeds,

28Talonpojat tammoillaa,Farmers with oxen,

29Pappi seurakunnallaa.Priests with congregations.

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.