Olin orjana Virossa

SKVR VII2 1431·Ilomantsi·1846·Collector: Ahlqvist, A. E.

In the SKVR edition: Ilomantsi. Ahlqvist B, n. 42. -46.

Song types: Luulin riihen riskavaksi - riski rintaluuni, Viron orja ja isäntä

Open in the poem reader →

SKVR textEnglish

1Olin orjana Virossa,I was a slave in Estonia,

2paimenna pakanan maassa;a shepherd in heathen lands;

3lupa orjan annettuna,The slave’s permission was granted,

4lupa orjan, valta vanginthe slave’s leave, the captive’s right

5käyä jouluna kylässäto visit the village at Christmas,

6nukkavierulla nutulla,with a threadbare cloak,

7hamehella harmaalla.with a gray skirt.

8Tuolla orja syöteltynä,There the slave was fed,

9syöteltynä, juoteltuna.fed scraps, given sips.

10Läksi tuolta orja raukka,From there the wretched slave left,

11läksi kotihinsa kohta;left for home at once;

12suistuipa suvilumehen,stumbled into spring snow,

13koprin hankehen kovahan.into a hard ditch’s snowdrift.

14Tuli kolme Tuonen neittä,Three maidens of Death came,

15vietihin Jumalan luokse,led to God’s presence,

16taluttihin taivosehen;guided to heaven;

17tuotihin metinen tuoli:a honeyed chair was brought:

18"Mintähen tämä minulle?""Why is this for me?"

19"Sentähen tämä sinulle:"This is for you because:

20jo oot saanut astuakiyou already trod upon

21orjuuessa ollessasi."while enslaved."

22Mesikannu kannettihin:*A mead jug was brought:*

23"Juoppa tuota, orja raukka!""Drink this, wretched slave!"

24"Mintähen tämä minulle?""Why is this for me?"

25"Sentähen tämä sinulle:"This is for you because:

26jo oot saanut vettä juodayou drank only water

27orjuuessa ollessasi,while enslaved,

28käyessäsi käskyläisnä."serving as a drudge."

29Tuotihin isännän sieluThe master’s soul was brought

30muihen sielujen sekahan;among other souls;

31tuotihin tulinen tuoli,a fiery chair was brought,

32tulikannu kannettihin.a flaming jug was carried.

33"Mintähen tämä minulle?""Why is this for me?"

34"Sentähen tämä sinulle:"This is for you because:

35jo oot istuna paremmassaiyou sat in comfort

36isäntänä ollessasi."while you were master."

37Tuotihin tulinen tuoppi.A fiery tankard was brought.

38"Mintähen tämä minulle?""Why is this for me?"

39"Sentähen tämä sinulle:"This is for you because:

40jo oot saanut olutta juo'ayou drank beer freely

41isäntänä ollessasi."while you were master."

42"Tule, tule, orjaraukka,"Come, come, wretched slave,

43maksan palkkasi paraten!"I’ll pay your wages duly!"

44"Mahoit sillon palkan panna,"You should’ve paid me then,

45kun on olin orjanasi,when I was your slave,

46kävin käskyläisenäsi;served as your thrall;

47luulin riihen riskavaksi,I thought the barn safe,

48kun on riskoi rintaluuni;yet my ribs were strained;

49luulin parret paukkavaksi,I thought beams sturdy,

50paukkoi palliolihani."but my sides were battered."

51"Tule, tule, orjaraukka,"Come, come, wretched slave,

52maksan palkkasi paraten."I’ll pay your wages duly."

53"En tule, isäntä rukka!"I won’t come, master-wretch!

54Mahoit sillon palkan panna,You should’ve paid me then,

55kun on olin orjanasi,when I was your slave,

56kävin käskyläisenäsi,served as your thrall,

57kun koskin korvatyynyäsi,fluffed your pillows,

58laittelin lakanoitasi."arranged your sheets."

59"Tule, tule, orja raukka,"Come, come, wretched slave,

60maksan palkkasi paraten!"I’ll pay your wages duly!"

61"Mahot silloin panna palkan,"You could’ve paid me then,

62kun on olin orjanasi,when I was your slave,

63kävin käskyläisenäsi,served as your thrall,

64kun olin olkihuonehessain the straw shed,

65ja riihessä rimuelin."and slept on the barn’s edge."

66"Tule, tule, orja raukka,"Come, come, wretched slave,

67maksan palkkasi paraten!"I’ll pay your wages duly!"

68"Mahoit sillon panna palkan,"You should’ve paid me then,

69maksoit palkkani pahasti:you paid me cruelly:

70lyhyellä kyynärellä,with a short ell-measure,

71saralla märännehellä,a rotten willow switch,

72lyhyellä pietimellä."a stubby handle."

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-032014 · Read at SKS ↗

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