Lauloin ennen lapsempanna

SKVR V2 64·Toksova·1894·Collector: Pajula, Fanny M.

In the SKVR edition: Toksova, Hittola. Pajula 341. 94. Liisa Itko, 63 v. Oppinut äidiltään.

SKVR textEnglish

1Lauloin ennen lapsempanna,I sang before, as a younger child,

2Kieltä pieksin pienempännä,I beat [practiced] language when smaller,

3Huusin ennen hullumpanna,I shouted before, as one more foolish,

4Vaan en nyt rahatta laula,But I won't sing now without silver,

5Suutain kullatta kuluta,Nor wear out my mouth with goldless use,

6Hopeatta en huokajele,I won't sigh for silverless [causes],

7Vasketta en puhetta vaihha.Nor trade words for copperless exchange.

8Laulasin ma, taitasin ma,I sang, I knew my craft,

9Kun miull' palkka pantasiin.When reward was placed with me.

10En mie äijeä anoisi:I didn't ask for excess:

11Polttinan joka pojalta,I took burnt [offerings] from each son,

12Alttinan joka akalta,Altar-gifts from each woman,

13Neljä riunaa neitoloilta.Four silver coins from maidens.

14Jos mie lapsi liioin laulan,If I, child, sing too freely,

15Paljon mieletön pakajan,Compel much without sense,

16Ei oo hullun kieltäjäistä,There's no restrainer of fools,

17Ankaran asettajaista;No stern lawgiver remains;

18Kiven all' on kieltäjäin,Under stone lie restrainers,

19Moan all' on masentajain,Under soil, the suppressors,

20Kiv' on kova peänalainen,Stone's a hard head-covering,

21Nurm' on kaunis kattehenna,Meadow's a fair blanket,

22Silmill' on heleä hiekkä,On eyes – gleaming sand,

23Suun peäll' on muhea multa.On mouth – soft loam.

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.

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