Päivä Kaunis

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Päivä kaunis.

Photographed at Suomenlinna on Kalevalapaäivä (Kalevala Day).
This is one of my favorite places to visit in Helsinki, Finland.

Image: GrrlScientist, 28 February 2009 [larger view].

"Kuu kulta, kivestä pääsit, päivä kaunis, kalliosta,
nousit kullaisna käkenä, hope'isna kyyhkyläisnä
elollesi entiselle, matkoillesi muinaisille.

"Nouse aina aamusilla tämän päivänki perästä!
Teepä meille terveyttä, siirrä saama saatavihin,
pyytö päähän peukalomme, onni onkemme nenähän!

"Käy nyt tiesi tervehenä, matkasi imantehena,
päätä kaari kaunihisti, pääse illalla ilohon!"

Kalevala, Runo XLIX, "Restoration of Sun and Moon" [original text].

English translation

"Rise, thou silver Sun, each Morning,
Source of light and life hereafter,
Bring us, daily, joyful greetings,
Fill our homes with peace and plenty,
That our sowing, fishing, hunting,
May be prospered by thy coming.
Travel on thy daily journey,
Let the Moon be ever with thee;
Glide along thy way rejoicing,
End thy journeyings in slumber;
Rest at evening in the ocean,
When the daily cares have ended,
To the good of all thy people,
To the pleasure Of Wainoloa,
To the joy of Kalevala!"

Kalevala, Poem XLIX, "Restoration of Sun and Moon" [original text].

More like this

The English translation does not quite match the original. The translated segment for the bit you posted should start from "Free art thou, O Sun of silver". Oddly, the last three sentences ("To the good of all thy people", etc.) of the English version do not appear at all in the Finnish one that you linked to. Also, the translation takes some poetic liberties.

Hey, I am actually reading The Kalevala in preparation for my trip to Finland next summer. I don't know Finnish and have to read it in English. I understand much is missed in the translation, but reading the translation is better than not reading it at all, right?

Thanks for posting this.

By Lauren Kahn (not verified) on 02 Mar 2009 #permalink