Trees and shrubs
Setokeelse laulu laevapuu otsimisest on üleskirjutaja või laulik loovalt mugandanud põhjaeesti laulust, millele osutavad seto keeles võõrad sõnad, nagu kirn, killakuurm, luusima, ning laul on tuntud Põhja-Eestis. Tõlkijale võisid eeskujuks olla selleks ajaks juba trükis ilmunud regilaulud, mille seas on mitu siinse lauluga sarnast, kuid mitte kattuvat varianti (ERl 1926, lk 150–152). Kindlasti pole see esimene kord, kus mõni lauljatest sobitas naabrite laulu kohalikku pärimusse, kuid siinset mugandust ei paista lauljad olevat omaks võtnud. Siiski on tulemuseks ilus poeetiline tekst, mida võib lugeda setokeelse kirjakultuuri hulka.
The writer or singer, who submitted the song text to the Folklore Archives, has creatively adapted a Northern Estonian song about the search for a ship's tree into Seto language. It is likely that the examples used were Estonian folk songs that had already been published in print by that time, (such as in ERl 1926, p. 150–152). While it is not uncommon to adapt songs from neighboring regions into local traditions, this particular song does not appear to have become popular with Seto singers, who have not incorporated it into their oral tradition. Nevertheless, the resulting poetic text is beautiful and can be considered a valuable part of the literary culture of the Seto language.
I got up in the morning,
early before dawn.
I was roaming through the forest,
I was roaming, I was rambling,
I was searching for ship's timber.
Where did I arrive?
I reached a birch tree.
I asked the birch:
"Hail, birch, proud man,
proud white-fur man!
Will you make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail,
underpinning for the anchor?"
The birch just knew how to reply,
how to respond with wisdom:
"I won't make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail,
underpinning for the anchor.
I will become the wheels -
the carts and the sledges,
to roll with the load of spirits
to jostle the train of cargo."
I was roaming through the forest,
I was roaming, I was rambling,
I was searching for ship's timber.
I got into the golden/sweet fir forest.
I began to ask the fir:
"Hail, spruce, tall man,
tall man, high boy!
Will you make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail,
underpinning for the anchor?"
"I was made to be stakes
to be stakes, to be palings,
to harbor the field of braird
to watch the field of grain
to guard the field of oats."
I was roaming through the forest,
I was roaming, I was rambling,
I was searching for ship's timber.
I reached to the wise oak-forest.
I began to ask the oak:
"Hail, oak, low man,
low man, thick man!
Will you make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail,
underpinning for the anchor?'
The oak just knew how to reply,
how to respond with wisdom:
"I won't make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail,
to range over the top of the sea,
to cruise the middle of the sea,
to ply the harbor waters,
to carry the wealth of cargo.
From my timber vats are made,
wheel spokes cut,
runners of sleigh put on,
expensive capes are made,
and nice little chests;
from the stem barrels are made,
from the treetop baby cradles,
from the middle a church,
from the surface milk jugs,
from the bark cream churns,
from the end beer kegs."
Then I came home sadly,
I, sprout, came angrily,
I, darling, went to the apple orchard,
to the merry cherry orchard,
I am floating to the apple tree,
I am rolling to the cherry tree:
"Listen, my busy little apple tree,
my little darling cherry!
Will you make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail?
The branches of the apple tree spoke:
“Yes, I'll make boards for the ship,
boards for the ship, beams for the sail."
Tulin üles hommikul,
vara enne valget,
läksin metsa luusima,
luusima, hulkuma,
laevapuid otsima.
Mille juurde juhtusin?
Kase juurde juhtusin.
Hakkasin kaselt küsima:
„Tere, kask, uhke mees,
uhke valgevatimees!
Kas sust saab ka laevalaudu,
laevalaudu, purjepuid,
ankrule aluspakku?“
Kask mõistis, kohe kostis,
targasti mulle ta kõneles:
„Ei must saa küll laevalaudu,
laevalaudu, purjepuid,
ankrule aluspakku.
Minust tehakse rattapuid1 -
vankriteks1, regedeks
viina-aami veeretajaks,
killakoorma kiigutajaks.“
Läksin metsa luusima,
luusima, hulkuma,
laevapuid otsima.
Sain kuldsesse kuusemetsa.
Hakkasin kuuselt küsima:
„Tere, kuusk, kõrge mees,
kõrge mees, pikk poiss!
Kas saab sinust laevalaudu,
laevalaudu, purjepuid,
ankrule aluspakku?“
„Mind on loodud roikaks,
roikaks ja teibaks,
orasevälja hoidjaks,
viljavälja vahtijaks,
kaeravälja kaitsjaks.“
Läksin metsa luusima,
luusima, hulkuma,
laevapuid otsima.
Sain tarka tammemetsa.
Hakkasin tammelt küsima:
„Tere, tamm, madal mees,
madal mees, jäme mees!
Kas saab sinust laevalaudu,
laevalaudu, purjepuid,
ankrule aluspakku?“
Tamm mõistis, vastu kostis,
targasti mulle ta kõneles:
„Ei must saa neid laevalaudu,
laevalaudu, purjepuid;
ei saa merel sõitjat,
keset merd keerutajat,
linna ligi libisejat,
kalli kauba kandjat.
Minust tehakse tõrsi,
raiutakse rattakodaraid,
pannakse reejalaseid,
tehakse kalleid kapikesi,
kenasid kirstukesi,
tüvest tehakse tündreid,
ladvast lapsehällikesi,
keskpaigast kiriku,
pinnast piimapütte,
koorest koorekirne,
otsast õllepütikesi.“
Siis ma kurvalt koju tulin,
tulin, virves2, vihasena,
läksin, armas, õunaaeda,
lõbusasse kirsiaeda,
Ujun õunapuu juurde,
veeren kirsipuu juurde:
„Kuule, usin, õunapuukene,
lõbus kirsipuukene!
Kas sust saab neid laevapuid,
laevapuid, purjepuid?“
Õunapuu okstest kõneles:
„Jah, must saab neid laevapuid,
laevalaudu, purjepuid.“
1 Originaali ratas võib siin tähendada nii vankrit kui ratast.
2 võrse
A small oak, low tree,
that grew there in the valley.
Refr: Traa riidi rallalla,
traa riidi rallalla.
Break, break the branches,
don't break the tops.
Treetop becomes the babies' cradles,
the trunks become the girls' beds.
Tammekene madal puu,
mis seal kasvas oru sees.
Refr: Traa riidi rallalla,
traa riidi rallalla.
Murdke, murdke oksakesi,
ärge murdke ladvakesi.
Ladvast saavad laste hällid,
tüvest tütarlaste sängid.