Top 5 Finnish Christmas Songs: Introduction+ Number 5
Hi again, everyone, and sorry it's been a while. Christmas is almost here, only five days until Christmas Day. :)
So here's the story: I was thinking about translating Finnish Christmas songs into English, and then I got the idea of a Top 5 Finnish Christmas Songs, since there's five days left. I'll publish one song each day, and the songs are selected as following: I took all the Christmas songs Wikipedia says are Finnish, and then selected my personal top 5 of them all. Besides the lyrics, I'll also tell you the song writers' names. Here's the 5th song on the list. Enjoy!
En etsi valtaa loistoa (Not looking for might nor glory) Listen the song here.
Originally a Swedish-speaking Finn Zacharias Topelius wrote this as a poem in Swedish in 1887. In 1895 Jean Sibelius composed a melody to the song, and in 1909 Martti Korpilahti translated it into Finnish. Here's the song's Finnish and English lyrics:
En etsi valtaa, loistoa, en kaipaa kultaakaan,
mä pyydän taivaan valoa ja rauhaa päälle maan.
Se joulu suo, mi onnen tuo ja mielet nostaa Luojan luo.
Ei valtaa eikä kultaakaan, vaan rauhaa päälle maan.
Suo mulle maja rauhaisa ja lasten joulupuu,
Jumalan sanan valoa, joss´ sieluin kirkastuu.
Tuo kotihin, nyt pieneenkin, nyt joulujuhla suloisin,
Jumalan sanan valoa ja mieltä jaloa.
Luo köyhän niinkuin rikkahan saa, joulu ihana!
Pimeytehen maailman tuo taivaan valoa!
Sua halajan, sua odotan, sä Herra maan ja taivahan.
Nyt köyhän niinkuin rikkaan luo suloinen joulus tuo!
So here's the story: I was thinking about translating Finnish Christmas songs into English, and then I got the idea of a Top 5 Finnish Christmas Songs, since there's five days left. I'll publish one song each day, and the songs are selected as following: I took all the Christmas songs Wikipedia says are Finnish, and then selected my personal top 5 of them all. Besides the lyrics, I'll also tell you the song writers' names. Here's the 5th song on the list. Enjoy!
En etsi valtaa loistoa (Not looking for might nor glory) Listen the song here.
Originally a Swedish-speaking Finn Zacharias Topelius wrote this as a poem in Swedish in 1887. In 1895 Jean Sibelius composed a melody to the song, and in 1909 Martti Korpilahti translated it into Finnish. Here's the song's Finnish and English lyrics:
En etsi valtaa, loistoa, en kaipaa kultaakaan,
mä pyydän taivaan valoa ja rauhaa päälle maan.
Se joulu suo, mi onnen tuo ja mielet nostaa Luojan luo.
Ei valtaa eikä kultaakaan, vaan rauhaa päälle maan.
Suo mulle maja rauhaisa ja lasten joulupuu,
Jumalan sanan valoa, joss´ sieluin kirkastuu.
Tuo kotihin, nyt pieneenkin, nyt joulujuhla suloisin,
Jumalan sanan valoa ja mieltä jaloa.
Luo köyhän niinkuin rikkahan saa, joulu ihana!
Pimeytehen maailman tuo taivaan valoa!
Sua halajan, sua odotan, sä Herra maan ja taivahan.
Nyt köyhän niinkuin rikkaan luo suloinen joulus tuo!
_________________________
I'm not looking for might, glory nor miss gold,
I ask heaven's light and peace on the land.
Christmas gives what brings happiness and lifts our minds to Lord.
No might nor gold, but peace on the land.
Bring me a peaceful cottage and children's Christmas tree,
God's word's light, if my soul will be clarified
Bring to home, now to the small also, now the Christmas feast most adorable,
God's word's light and noble mind.
To the poor as well as to the rich, the lovely Christmas comes!
To the darkness of the world it brings the light of heaven!
You I want, you I wait for, you Lord of land and heaven.
Now to the poor as well as to the rich bring your lovely Christmas!
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