Sun, Moon and Stars
I got up in the morning,
before the light of day.
What was my first task?
Big washing of my face,
large grooming of my hair,
quickly putting on my shoes.
I trod my way to the pond,
made footsteps to the lake,
brought to drink to the Jutiks,
carried water to Kareses1.
What did I find on leaving,
what on returning home?
I saw a horse dying,
a linen mane falling.
I ran over to watch –
I tore a horsehair, tore the other,
took them home to my mother.
"My darling mother, tender mother,
my dear bearer, my little bird,
please, weave me big hankies,
make large tablecloths.
Weave the Moon signs to the end,
the Sun signs on the top,
pour copper yarn at the edge,
a Rainbow print in the middle of them.
Then the Moon will woo me,
the Dawn will bring betrothal wine."
"Hello, beautiful sky-daughter,
under heaven, you wise child –
will you be a Sun's wife,
the bride of the Sun's son?" –
"The Sun has a lot of trouble –
getting up in the morning
going down in the evening."
"Hello, beautiful sky-daughter,
under heaven, you wise child,
will you be a Moon's wife,
a bride of the Moon's son?" –
"No, I won't be a Moon's wife,
a bride of the Moon's son.
The Moon has a lot of trouble –
sometimes waning, sometimes waxing,
and the third time it goes without."
"Hello, beautiful sky-daughter,
under heaven, you wise child,
will you be a Star's wife,
a bride of the Star's son?" –
"I need to wed the Star,
to become a wife of the Star's son.
The Star has good horses,
the Star has nice oat eaters.
Their manes flutter on the clouds,
their heads dance to the heavens,
their lips make a reel,
their hooves weave fabric."
1 Jutik, Kares – the names of the cows
Tõusin üles hommikul,
enne varavalget.
Mis oli töö mul esimene?
Suur näo-pesemine,
lai pea-sugemine,
käbe jala-kängimine.
Tegin tee tiigi poole,
jätsin jäljed järve poole.
Tõin juua Jutikule,
kandsin vett Karesele.
Mis ma leidsin sinna minnes,
mis [leidsin] koju tulles?
Nägin hobu surevat,
linalaka langevat.
Jooksin juurde vaatama –
katkusin jõhvi, katkusin teise,
viisin koju ema kätte.
"Emakene, hellakene,
oh mu kandja, linnukene,
koo sa suured suurätid,
loo laiad laudlinad.
Otsa koo kuutähed,
peale koo päevatähed,
veerde vala vasklõnga,
keskele loo loogakirja.
Siis tuleb Kuu mulle kosja,
Agu kihlaviina andma."
"Tere, ilus ilmatütar,
taeva all sa tark laps,
kas sust saab Päikse naine,
Päikse poja pruudikene?" –
"Päiksel on ju palju vaeva –
hommikul tõusmine,
õhtul looja minemine."
"Tere, ilus ilmatütar,
taeva all sa tark laps,
kas sust saab Kuu naine,
Kuu poja pruudikene?“ –
"Ei must saa küll Kuu naist,
Kuu poja pruudikest.
Kuul on ju palju vaeva –
korra kaob, teise kasvab,
kolmanda puudub koguni.“
"Tere, ilus ilmatütar,
taeva all sa tark laps,
kas sust saab Tähe naine,
Tähe poja pruudikene?“ –
"Tähele mul vaja minna,
Tähe poja naiseks saada.
Tähel on head hobused,
Tähel kaunid kaerasööjad.
Lakk neil pilvedele lehvib,
pea neil tantsib taevastesse,
huuled teevad kangapoole,
kabjad koovad kangast.“
Põlva khk. Sõba. A plaid.
The shepherd evening song.
Roll along, roll dear Sun [=day],
elle elle leelo leelo,
roll to your brother,
wheel to your sister!
Your brother is five versts away,
sister is behind six spruces.
There you will be cherished,
you will be held on the palm,
carried in the hollow of the hand,
put to sleep on pillows,
to rest in silk,
to fall into a golden bed,
to float into a silver bed.
Karjalaste laul. Õhtul.
Veere, veere, päevakene,
elle elle leelo leelo,
veere sinna, kus su veli,
keerle sinna, kus su õde!
Veli viie versta taga,
õde kuue kuuse taga.
Seal sind hellalt hoitakse,
peo peal sind peetakse,
kamalus sind kantakse,
pannakse padjule magama,
siidi sisse puhkama,
kuldsängi kukkuma,
hõbesängi hõljuma.
Roll along, roll dear Sun,
Roll now by the creator's waters,
Sink down by way of the birch tree crowns!
The Sun has no time to roll along:
the Sun is combing the heads of the serfs,
combing the heads of the herder children,
brushing the heads of the wretched,
smoothing the tresses of the maidens.
The comb fell from the [sun's] hand into the sea,
the brush into the cold spring,
the rake into the waves,
the comb onto a vast coast.
The Sun went to beg St. Peter:
“Peter, you son of a holy man,
Andrew, you son of an artisan,
go get my comb out of the sea,
the brush from the cold spring,
the rake from the waves,
the comb from the vast coast!”
St. Peter did not listen to this prayer,
St. Andrew did not heed these good words.
The Sun went little by little,
the tiny one along the path,
the small one along the water,
the pretty one along the coast,
the setting one along the land.
The Sun brought it's comb from the sea,
the brush from the cold spring,
the rake from the waves.
Viere, viere, pääväkene,
viere nüüd looja vettä müedä,
lasõ kasõlatvu kaudu!
Ei olõ aega pääväl veerdä:
pääv soeb sulastõ päidä,
kammib karjalastõ päidä,
arib päidä armõtumil,
laamib1 neiu lakkasida.
Suga kukkus käest merese,
arja külmä allikassõ,
laamilauda laenõtõssõ,
kammi suurõ kalda'esse.
Päe läks Pietri palvõ'elle:
“Pieter, sa pühä mehe poega,
Andrus, sa amõtmehe poega,
mine tuõ mu suga merestä,
arja külmä allikasta,
laamilauda laenõtõsta,
kammi suurõ kalda'estä!”
Pieter ei võtnud palvõ'eidä,
Andrus äidä sõnumida.
Päe läks ise illukesi,
müedä tiedä till'ukene,
müedä vettä väikene,
müedä kallast kaunikene,
müedä muad madalukene,
tõi oma sua merestä,
arja külmä allikasta,
laamilaua laenõtõsta.
1 kammib
On long winter evenings, when the spinning wheels are merrily whirring in front of virgins and in hands of grandmothers, when the silver-clear Moon shines in the sky, old people have much to tell about the Moon Maiden. The younger ones even eat these words with their ears, when the grandmother talks about how the have come onto the Moon.
Long ago there lived an orphan. She lived in the house of very unkind people. At dawn, she was the first to leave for work and at dusk, she was the last to lie down to sleep. Even on Saturday afternoons she could not go to the sauna* with the others, but was only allowed to go there much, much later. Once, after she’d taken her sauna, she crossed the yard, carrying her birch whisk and pail, and she begged of the Moon,
Moon my dear, Moon my love,
Take me away, take me to thee!
Scant is my food in summer,
Freezing are my feet in winter!
Whereupon the Moon gathered the orphan up and she was lifted all the way to the Moon. Ever since then, we’ve been able to see a little girl, with a birch whisk and a pail, in the Moon. If another child on earth as good as she can be found, the Moon will gather that child up as well. However, since then no child that good has ever been found.
Pikkadel talveõhtutel, kui vokid neitsite ees ja vanaemakeste käes virgalt vurisevad, siis kui hõbeselge kuu taeva küljes paistab, on vanadel inimestel kuuneitsist üht-teist kõnelda. Nooremad söövad lausa kõrvadega sõnu, kui vanaema pajatab, kuidas inimesed kuu peale saanud.
Ükskord vanasti elanud üks vaenelaps kurja pererahva juures. Peremees ja perenaine pole talle ilmaski asu andnud. Alati pidi vaenelaps enne teisi tööle minema ning õhtul hilja pärast teisi pimedani väljas olema. Ka laupäeva õhtul ei tohtinud ta teistega koos sauna minna ikka alles pärast teisi. Kord tulnud ta saunast välja, võtnud viha ja pange kätte ning hakanud kuud paluma:
Kuukene, kullakene,
võta mind enesele!
Suvel söön ma soolata,
talvel käin ma kingata!
Siis võttis kuu vaeselapse üles enda manu. Tollest ajast saadik näemegi kuu peal väikest tüdrukut, ühes käes pang, teises viht. Kui maa peal veel kunagi mõni niisama hea laps leitakse kui too vaenelaps, siis võtab kuu ka tema enda juurde. Tänase päevani pole aga ühtegi sellist last veel leitud.
Sunturn1: the darker side of the Sun (=Day) is turned on. --- At sunturn again the lighter side of the Sun is turned on.
1 Solstice: it means at first the summer solstice, and later the winter solstice. "Turning the Sun" evokes the idea of someone intervening, also, that the Sun was imagined like a disk with two sides.
Pööripäev, päiksel (päeval) pööratakse mustem pool peale. --- [Talvisel] pööripäeval pööratakse päiksel (päeval) jälle valgem pool peale.
Babies should not be swaddled during sunset, so that the glow is seen from the window; then there will be an accident.
Eha ajal ei tohi last mähkida, nii et eha aknast peale paistab; siis tuleb õnnetus.
If the Moon remains visible during the Sun (Day), then it is best to treat (eliminate) crickets and cockroaches.
Kui kuu päeva kätte jääb, siis on kõige parem ritsikaid ja prussakaid rohitseda (kaotada).
If you see a red spider, your wish will come true. You can wish for three things. But you also must see the Sun or Moon and a white horse. Two must-sees.
Kui punast ämblikku näha, siis läheb soov täide. Võib kolme asja soovida. Peab nägema päikest ehk kuud ja valget hobust. Kahte asja peab kindlasti nägema.
When the Sun, Moon and Stars are in the sky at the same time, then all the wishes will come true.
Kui päike, kuu ja täht on korraga taevas, siis iga palve läheb täide.
If the Moon remains in the Sunlight, it's a good time to cut logs for construction, because they will never rot.
If both the Moon and the Sun are in the sky at the same time, then nothing should be sown, because the Moon's gaze will destroy the grains and then there is no ho
Cabbage plants cannot be sown when the Sun and Moon are shining together.
Kui kuu ja päike korraga üleval, ei või kapsa taimi külida.
When the Moon and Sun are together in the sky, then peas and beans - these are animal crops - cannot be sown.
Kui kuu ja päev on üheskoos taevas, siis herneid ja ube - need on loomaviljad - ei või külvata.
General law about sowing: do not sow when the Moon sees.
Üldseadus külvamise kohta: ära külva, kui kuu näeb.
If there is a lunar or solar eclipse, the Moon or the Sun is being eaten. There is a saying: The Moon or the Sun is being eaten = overshadowed. If man wants to see how it is being eaten, water is brought outside with a bucket and looked inside. Then you can see how the big worms are eating the Sun or the Moon.
Kui on kuu või päikese varjutus, siis kuud või päikest süüakse. On selline kõnepruuk: Kuud või päeva süüakse = varjutatakse. Kui tahetakse näha, kuidas süüakse, siis tuuakse vesi ämbriga õue peale ja vaadatakse sinna sisse. Siis näed, kuidas suured vaglad päikest või kuud söövad.
The Sun enclipse was thought to mean, that it would be eaten. If you look through the glass, you can see one eating the Sun with an alder spoon.
The eclipse of the Sun and Moon was believed to mean that while they were eclipsed, angels were cleaning them. Sometimes only one side is cleansed, sometimes the other side, sometimes even the entire Moon or the Sun; because as soon as spots are visible on the Sun or the Moon, the angels immediately start cleaning. Keeping a smoked glass in front of your eyes, you can see, how the angels are at work.
Päikese ja kuu varjutamisest usuti, et kui parajalt neid varjutatakse, siis olevat inglid neid puhastamas. Kord puhastatavad ainult üks külg, kord teine külg, kord koguni kõik terve kuu ehk päike; sest nõnda pea kui päikese ehk kuu pääl plekisi näha olla, võtvad kohe inglid puhastamise ette. Suitsetadud klaas silmi ees hoides olla just tunda/näha, kuida inglid töös olevat.
When there was a lunar or solar eclipse, the ancient people believed that the Moon, or the Sun, was cleaned, because after the eclipse, they shouted to each other: "Look! It's much brighter than before, it's brighter!"
Kui kuu ehk päikese varjutus oli, siis uskus vanarahvas, et kuud ehk päikest puhastadi, sest pärast varjutamist hüüdnud nad ükstõise vasta: "Vaata! On palju heledam kui enne oli, on heledam!"
When the crescent Moon was upright, many children would be born.
Kui noorkuu oli püsti, siis pidi palju lapsi sündima.
Slumber comes a-calling,
villa kombalii,
through the forest a-singing,
villa kombalii.
Refr: Villa kompalija,
villai, villai, villaija,
villai, villai, villaija,
villa kompalija.
The sleigh, made of pine,
spoke sticks of juniper.
The path took man went in the forest,
bridleless horse in the swamp,
The reins touched the apple tree,
the rods ran in the cherry tree,
I called the Moon, I asked the Sun,
the Moon didn't hear the calling,
the Sun a lot of asking.
The Moon listened under the dead grass,
the Sun thought behind the forest.
Uni tulõ uigatõn,
villa kombalii,
läbi laanõ lauldõ'õn,
villa kombalii.
Refr: Villa kompalija,
villai, villai, villaija,
villai, villai, villaija,
villa kompalija.
Regi perän pedäjäne,
kausspuu kadajanõ.
Mõtsa läts´ mehe tii,
suhu suitsõta obõnõ,
puttuq uhjaq uibu’ehe,
sebivitsaq visnapuudõ.
Kutsõ kuuda, palssi päivä,
kuu es kuulõq kutsumist,
Päiv es palju pallõmist,
kuu kullõl´ kulu all,
päiv mõtõl´ mõtsa takan.
Hello, hello, young Moon,
I'll be young, you'll be old,
I'll get the flea lightness
you an iron weight.
Tere, tere noor kuu,
mina nooreks, sina vanaks,
mina kirbu kergeks,
sina raud raskeks.
Hello, hello young Moon,
let your eyes be blurry,
my eyes clear!
Let the flour vessel be heavy,
and a slice of bread solid –
of the thickness of the bench and
of the weight of iron.
You become old and
I become young.
Note: These words were sung when the new Moon was seen for the first time, because it secured a good month, so it was believed in Moorama parish.
Tere, tere noor kuu,
sinu silmad segasest;
minu silmad selgest.
Jahumatt jaksast,
leivakikk´ kindlast,
pengi paksusest ja
raua raskusest.
Sina vanast ja
mina noorest.
Märkus: Neid sõnu lauldud siis, kui noort kuud esimest korda nähtud, siis olla selles kuus kahklemata hää olnud, nii usti umbes Moorama vallas.
When the new Moon was seen, the apron was shaken and said: "Hello, hello young Moon! Give me..." Then the desired thing was said.
Kui noort kuud nähti, siis raputati põlle ja öeldi: "Tere, tere noor kuu! Kingi mulle..." Siis öeldi see asi, mida sooviti.
Let the Moon turn old, me young;
the slice of bread firm,
and flour vessel durable,
sleep to pig, sickness to gent,
laziness to sheep,
the lightness of a goat to me.
Jahumatt. Flower vessel.
Kuu vanaks, mina nooreks;
leiva kikk kindlaks,
jahu matt jaksaks,
seale uni, saksale tõbi,
lambale laiskus,
mulle kitse kergus.
A fence made during the waning Moon will sink and a fence made during the waxing moon will rise.
Vanal kuul tehtud aed vaob, noorel kerkib.
Lightning in August during the old Moon ripens the crop.
Sow the peas when the Moon is curved and the days are even.
The Moon changes the weather.
Kuu muudab ilma.
If the stars of Pleiades and Orion start to go down by Saint George's Day, you have to plant the crop early in spring but if the stars are late, you may be late with planting the crop.
Kui jüripäevaks hakkavad Sõela- ja Kooditähed õhtul maha käima, siis sel kevadel pead vara suvivilja külvama, aga kui tähed viivitavad, siis võid vilja külvamisega ka viivitada.
If the Pleiades (Est. 'Sief') set three weeks before Christmas, a good summer is coming.
Kui Sõel (tähtkuju) kolm nädalat enne jõulu maha tuleb, saab hea suvi.
Nobody has seen tomorrow.
Homset päeva pole keegi näinud.
Tomorrow is behind a night and a day after tomorrow it's behind a mountain.
Homne päev öö taga, ülehomne mäe taga.
A year has a solstice, a human has a change of mind.
Aastal on pööripäev, inimesel meelemuutus.