Top 5 Finnish Christmas Songs: Number 1

Here you go, the last and best song on the list.

Sylvian joululaulu (The Christmas Song of Sylvia), written in Swedish by Zacharias Topelius in 1853, composed by Karl Collan and translated into Finnish by Martti Kospilahti in 1918.
The "Sylvia" the song talks about is referring to Sylvia Atricapilla, also known as Eurasian Blackcap. It's a bird which spends it's winters in Sisilia, Italy, and other seasons elsewhere, also in Southern Finland. Also, the "beautiful Etna" in the song refers to Mount Etna in Sisilia.

The song is my favorite mostly because of the music, but also the lyrics are beautiful. They're sad, because the bird is in his/her cage, and no one listens to him/her sing, but the lyrics are also patriotic and because of that, beautiful. Here you go:

1. Ja niin joulu joutui jo taas Pohjolaan,
joulu joutui jo rintoihinkin.
Ja kuuset ne kirkkaasti luo loistoaan
jo pirtteihin pienoisihin.
Mutt' ylhäällä orressa vielä on vain
se häkki, mi sulkee mun sirkuttajain,
ja vaiennut vaikerrus on vankilan;
oi, murheita muistaa ken vois laulajan?

2. Miss' sypressit tuoksuu nyt talvellakin,
istun oksalla uljaimman puun,
miss' siintääpi veet, viini on vaahtovin
ja sää aina kuin toukokuun.
Ja Etnanpa kaukaa mä kauniina nään,
ah, tää kaikki hurmaa ja huumaapi pään,
ja laulelmat lempeesti lehdoissa soi,
sen runsaammat riemut ken kertoilla voi!

3. Sä tähdistä kirkkain nyt loisteesi luo
sinne Suomeeni kaukaisehen!
Ja sitten kun sammuu sun tuikkeesi tuo,
sa siunaa se maa muistojen!
Sen vertaista toista en mistään ma saa,
on armain ja kallein mull' ain Suomenmaa!
Ja kiitosta sen laulu soi Sylvian
ja soi aina lauluista sointuisimman.
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1. And so Christmas came again to the North,
Christmas came to our chests, too.
And spruces they brightly bring their shine
to small cottages
But up on the beam there is still
the cage, which locks away my chirper,
and silent is the moan of that prison,
oh, who could remember the grief of the singer?

2. Where cypresses scent now on winter, too,
I sit on the branch of the most graceful tree,
where there's water, wine is foaming
and weather always like in May.
And Etna I see far, she's so beautiful,
ah, this all charms and stuns my head,
and songs play on the groves oh so gentle,
it's lushest joys who can tell!

3. You, the brightest star, now bring your light
to my far away Finland!
And when your twinkle runs out,
you bless that land of memories!
Nowhere I can find another one like it,
Finland is always the most dear and valued for me!
And as thank you for that is playing the song of Sylvia
and always it plays the most melodious song.