Eino Leino Translations

A translation of Ylermi Ylermi the proud master rode in through the temple door, spoke in the nave of the church: “Here is a man who has no regrets and does not reach for heaven.” A statue on the wall spoke, quoth a Virgin, made of wood: “You will have regrets once your house is in ashes.” Ylermi the proud master struck his shield, rode away; he saw his house in ashes, spoke among the charred beams: “A new house shall be made, better than the first.” Ylermi the proud master rode to the centre isle, swore at the crossing: “Here is a man who is not on his knees in ash, who becomes greater from his grief.” A statue on the wall spoke, a stony Jesus received words: “You will be on your knees in ash once your wife has died.” Ylermi the proud master broke a whip of walrus bone, rode away; he saw his wife had died, spoke by her side: “A new wife shall be brought here, better than the first.” Ylermi the proud master rode a stallion to the altar, blasp...

A translation of Sininen risti Katrinainen the fair maiden spent her summers as a cowherd, saw strange visions; she gazed into the blue sky, listened as the trees spoke. And so one day clouds took the shape of towers, misty temples arose, golden churches were dimly seen in a summer sunset, in fleeting puffs of cloud. She told others of her visions. They listened and wondered, told her to go to confession, to make the sign of the cross; a girl’s dream, they thought. The young lady hid her visions. – Then one day fir trees spoke on a hill: “Holy smoke does not thicken in the heartlands of Karelia, church bells do not tinkle, no blessed water is sprinkled; the fires of war are seen, red blood gushes, the battle axe makes music at rushing streams, in unbaptised lands.” The young lady hid these words. – She prayed, went to confession, bowed in the morning and in the evening at the base of God’s image; the burning in her chest did not pass. And so one ...

A translation of Kaleva The renowned king Kaleva wished to propose to the peerless bride of the Mountain. The coal-haired maiden of Hiisi wove a net from her hair, the upper threads from the blinks of her eye, the lower threads from the batting of her lashes, set snares across the road, captured the great hero. All the kingdom lamented: “Long has Kaleva been missing.” They searched for him. – The rooster at the church crowed: “Long has Kaleva lain on a bed in the mountain of Hiisi, trapped in net of strong blood; he cannot escape without help.” Saint Peter was walking with the Lord Jesus; hearing the rooster crow, he said to the good Lord: “Kaleva has been lost a long time, please help the mindless man.” The Lord knocked with his staff on the rock of Hiisi, waking the renowned king. “Did I hear a cattle bell from the hill of my home?” The cunning one of the Mountain spoke: “You heard the neighing of the stallion of Hiisi from the alleys of my father.” The Lord knocked on the rock of ...

 A translation of Orjan poika Pirkka, the fur cap wearer, spoke: “Hoy! Get up, men, fresh snow is on the ground; let us go to Lapland’s villages to collect debts from the Laplanders!” They raided Lapland, spilled blood on the fresh snow, killed the men with swords, wooed all women; a wide swath of Lapland was smoking, villages lay abandoned, children were crying in the ashes, dogs roamed on the mountains. Pirkka brought back a slave to be his maid. Some time later the slave was singing to her child: “Fair is your mother’s tribe, fairer the tribe of the grass; your family on the fells is large, your family in the underworld larger; Pirkka’s spears cannot sting them, the axes of his men cannot reach them.” Her mean master growled: “The best songs are the shortest!” He grabbed a sword from the wall, killed the woman he had abused. – Such was Pirkka, the fur cap wearer. A fair boy grew up, the son of a slave. A trip to Lapland was approaching, the men were thinking: “Would the slave ...