Translation by William Forsell Kirby (1844 - 1912)
Kullervon kuolema
Language: Finnish (Suomi)
Kuoro Kullervo, Kalervon poika, Otti koiransakeralle, Läksi tietä telkkimähän, Korpehen kakoamahan, Kävi matkoi vähäsen, Astui tietä jikkaraisen; Tuli tuolle saarekselle, Tuolle pailalle tapahtui, Kuss'oli piian pillannunna, Turmellutemonsa tuoman. Siin'itki hana nurmi, Aho armihin valitti, Nuoret heinät helliteli, Kuikutti kukat kanervan Tuota päan pillamusta, Emon tuoman turmelusta. Eikä moussut nuori heinä, Kasvanut kanervan kukka, Ylennyt sijalla sillä, Tuolla paikalla pahalla, Kuss'oli piian pillannunna, Emon tuoman turmellunna. Kullervo, Kalervon poika, Tempasi terävän miekan, Katselevi, kääntelevi, Kyselevi, tietelevi, Kysyi mieltä miekaltansa, Tokko tuon tekisi mieli Syoä syylistä lihoa, Viallista verta juoa. Miekka mietti miehen mielen, Arvasi uron pakinan, Vastasi sanalla tuolla: "Miks'en söisi mielelläni, Söisi syylistä lihoa, Viallista verta joisi? Syön lihoa syyttömänki, Juon verta viattomanki." Kullervo, Kalervon poika, Sinisukka äijön lapsi, Pään peltohon sysäsi, Perän painoi kankahasen, Kären käänti rintahansa, Itse iskihe kärelle. Siihen surmansa sukesi, Kuolemansa kohtaeli. Se oli surma nuoren miehen, Kuolo Kullervo urohon, Loppu ainakin urosta, Kuolema kovaosaista.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Kalevala, no. 36 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), "Kullervon kuolema", op. 7 no. 2, from symphony Kullervo, sinfoninen runo mezzosopraanolle, baritonille, mieskuorolle ja orkesterille, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (William Forsell Kirby) , "Kullervo's death", written 1907
- FRE French (Français) (Louis-Antoine Léouzon Le Duc) , "La Mort de Kullervo", first published 1845
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 51
Word count: 149
Kullervo's death
Language: English  after the Finnish (Suomi)
CHORUS Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, At his side the black dog taking, Tracked his path through trees to forest, Where the forest rose the thickest. But a short way had he wandered, But a little way walked onward, When he reached the stretch of forest, Recognized the spot before him, Where he had seduced the maiden, And his mother's child dishonoured. There the tender grass was weeping, And the lovely spot lamenting, And the young grass was deploring, And the flowers of heath were grieving, For the ruin of the maiden, For the mother's child's destruction. Neither was the young grass sprouting, Nor the flowers of heath expanding, Nor the spot had covered over, Where the evil thing had happened, Where he had seduced the maiden, And his mother's child dishonoured. Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Grasped the sharpened sword he carried, Looked upon the sword and turned it, And he questioned it and asked it. And he asked the sword's opinion, If it was disposed to slay him, To devour his guilty body, And his evil blood to swallow. Understood the sword his meaning, Understood the hero's question, And it answered him as follows: "Wherefore at my heart's desire, Should I not thy flesh devour, And drink up thy blood so evil, I who guiltless flesh have eaten, Drank the blood of those who sinned not?" Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, On the ground the haft set firmly, On the heath the hilt pressed tightly, Turned the point against his bosom, And upon the point he threw him, Thus he found the death he sought for, Cast himself into destruction. Even so the young man perished, Thus died Kullervo the hero, Thus the hero's life was ended, Perished thus the hapless hero.
Authorship:
- by William Forsell Kirby (1844 - 1912), "Kullervo's death", written 1907 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Finnish (Suomi) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Kalevala, no. 36
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-08
Line count: 51
Word count: 293