Kaunoba tegi kanteletta
In the SKVR edition: Suistamo. Niemi n. 211. -27/11 06. Suurisarka. Iivana Onoila, 71 v. Mp. Helsingissä.
SKVR textEnglish
1Kaunoba tegi kanteletta,Kauno made the kantele,
2Viron seppä vinkeröistä,The Estonian smith [made it] from resonant parts,
3Eigä puistan, ei muista.He did not explain, nor remember.
4Mistä pohja pantanoobi?From where was the base placed?
5Poropeuran polviluista,From a reindeer's knee-bones,
6Hirven sapsess' on sinisen.In the elk's bluish hue.
7Miss on kansi pantanoobi?Where was the lid placed?
8Lohen ruskian selästä.From the reddish salmon's back.
9Mistä naulat pantanoo?From where were the pegs placed?
10Hauvin suuren hambahista.From the great pike's teeth.
11Mistä kielet pantanoobi?From where were the strings placed?
12Hiien ämmän hivuksista.From the hairs of Hiisi's crone.
13Soabi kannel valmeheksi,*The kantele is made ready*,
14Koitellaah, soitellaakse:To be tested, to be played:
15nEi ilot ilolla tunnu,Joy isn't felt through joy,
16Laulut laululla on tajuse.Songs through song remain unclear.
17Kuulustellah soittajitaThey seek players
18Ylähäsiss', alahasiss'In upper villages, lower villages,
19Sekä keskikerdahisiss';And in middle settlements;
20Eibä kuulun soittajita,No players were heard,
21Eigä kuulun laulajita.Nor singers heard.
22Otti Kauno kantelehen,Kauno took the kantele,
23Viron seppä vinkeröisen,The Estonian smith the resonant one,
24Lähti astuo tietä myöten.Set off walking down the road.
25Tuogi vanha VäinämöinenOld Väinämöinen came
26Astu tiellä on vastahe,To meet him on the road,
27Anto tiellä tervehyön,Gave greeting on the road,
28Dorogalla toprahuon:On the path a welcome:
29"Annas, Kauno, kanteletta,"Give, Kauno, the kantele,
30Viron seppä vinkeröistä!"Estonian smith's resonant one!"
31Antoi Kauno kantelehen,Kauno gave the kantele,
32Viron seppä vinkeröisen.The Estonian smith's resonant one.
33Ottiba tuo Väinö kantelehen,Väinö took the kantele,
34Pani poikki polviloille,Placed it across his knees,
35Sovitteli sormille;Adjusted it for his fingers;
36Iski kerran, iski toisen,Struck once, struck again,
37Iski kohti 3:nenki,Struck toward the third [time],
38Jo ilot ilolla tuntu,Now joy through joy was felt,
39Laulut lauluja tajusi.Songs understood songs.
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-031069 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.