Helena hyvä emäntä
In the SKVR edition: Metsäpirtti, Vaskela. Neovius 422. 8/9 88. Lari Nasto.
SKVR textEnglish
1Helena hyvä emäntäHelena, the good mistress
2kasvatt on tytärtä kuusi,raised six daughters,
3viis on laitteli vihille,five she married off,
4kuuvennen kottii heittithe sixth she cast from home,
5isän mieliks pahoiks,to her father's great dismay,
6emo mieli murhehiks;her mother to grief;
7Marketan kottii heitti.Marketa was cast out.
8Marketta puna hamonenMarketa in red attire
9läks pyhänne paimenniee.went to herd at a holy site.
10Löysi nuoren nurmen,She found a fresh meadow,
11nuoren nurmen heinäpohjan,a meadow lush with hay,
12nuoren nurmen päivärinnan.a sunlit meadow's edge.
13Heää käi makkailemmoaa.There she lay to rest.
14Annus soaaren saksalainenAnnus, the Saxon from the isle,
15heposii läks etsimeää,went seeking horses,
16varsoi valitsemmoaa,choosing foals,
17sukukunnan suitset kanssa,with his clan's bridles,
18heimokunnan helsyttimet.his kin's fine harnesses.
19Löys Marketan makkaamast,Found Marketa resting,
20heää o vieree vänähti,he startled beside her,
21jalat ristiin rapasi.legs crossed in haste.
22Marketta punahamonenMarketa in red attire
23tuost paksuks pamahti.leapt up in alarm.
24Alkoit naiset arvajella:The women began to wonder:
25"Mikäs kumma Marketalla,"What strangeness grips Marketa,
26ilman vyöttä vötkehtii,fumbling without her belt,
27turkki peäll tupsehtii,her fur coat askew,
28eikä uo viitta vyössä kiin."her cloak unbelted?"
29Alkoit akat äläksii:The crones then cried out:
30"Mikä kumma Marketalla,"What strangeness grips Marketa,
31kävvyy ulkonna usseinwandering outdoors nightly,
32uutta kuuta katsomass,gazing at the new moon,
33ilmaa ihhaamass."craving the open air?"
34Sano Antti Annillee:Antti said to Annus:
35"Meää sie oltta ottamoa,"Let us claim the bridal barley,
36toaarii tavoittammoaa!"secure the dowry!"
37Siel ei oltta oltukkaa,But there was no barley,
38taarii tavantukkaa.no dowry to be found.
39Heää käi kujat kuukistellen,They wandered moonlit paths,
40leäävän laiat loaakistellen:scoured the wide fields,
41löys lapsen lastuloista,found a child in a cradle,
42pojan porsahiin seasta.a boy among swine.
43Vei miehiin tuppoaa:Brought him to the men:
44"Työ tämä tekemä kennen?""Who fathered this child?"
45Vannu yksi, vannu toine,One swore, another swore,
46vannu kolmais keralla;a third swore in turn;
47kuka ties tehnehieen,whoever knew the culprit
48se vannu valan kovemman.swore the fiercest oath.
49kipiämmän kismitteli. -bound by painful ordeal.
50Siit vei naisii tuppuaa:Then to the women they turned:
51kuka ties tehneh(i)een"Who knew the deed-doer?"
52vannu yksi, vannu toine,One swore, another swore,
53vannu kolmas on keralla;a third swore together;
54se vannu valan kovomman,she swore the harshest oath,
55kipiämmän kiinitteli.fastened by greater pain.
56Annuksen heliä hattuAnnus's cherished hat
57siu vettiee verhakseis!may water shroud you!
58Marketta puna hamonen;Marketa in red attire;
59kui sie tiesit tehneh(i)ees.how you knew to do this—
60siu tulonen turvakseis!may fire consume you!
61Tuoll Luoja kielen anto,Then God granted speech,
62Luoja kielen, Jeesus mielenGod speech, Jesus mind,
63yksi öiselle pojalle,to the night-born boy,
64että Hannuksen heliä hattuthat Hannus's dear hat
65hänen vettieen verhakseen,water be his shroud,
66Marketan punahamonen,Marketa in red attire,
67siu tulonen turvakseis.fire her pyre!
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-072291 · Read at SKS ↗
Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.