Weather magic
The Sun, come out,
from your stony cellar,
from your tinsel chamber!
A keg of milk, a loaf of bread,
two spoonfuls for good measure.
[I will give you.]
Päike, tule välja,
kivisest keldrist,
karrasest1 kambrist!
Pütt piima, päts leiba,
kaks lusikat pealekauba!
1 kard – õhuke plekk; metallist ehisniidike
Piimapütt. Milk keg.
The Sun, come out,
Bring a keg of milk,
The heel of the bread,
And a bowl of flummery!
Päike, tule välja,
too pütt piima,
kontsuots leiba,
kausiga kaerakilet ka!
Dear little rain, my brother,
kas´ke, kan´ke,
let me go home dry,
kas´ke, kan´ke,
just as I came dry from home.
Bring the rain to Russia,
bring the Sun to this land.
The rain has a brother in Russia,
the drought has a sister in this land.
I don't have a beater of a dry [shirt]1
nor a washer of a wet [shirt].
The beater of the dry has gone home,
the washer of the wet is buried.
1 In the past, laundry was beaten smooth after washing and drying.
Vihmakene, vellekene,
kas´ke, kan´ke,
lase kuivalt koju minna,
kas´ke, kan´ke,
nagu ma kuivalt kodunt tulin.
Vii vihm Venemaale,
too põud siia maale.
Vihmal veli Venemaal,
põual sõsar siin maal.
Pole mul kuiva kolkijat1
ega märja pesijat.
Kuiva kolkija koju läinud,
märja pesija maha maetud.
1 Vanasti pesu kolgiti pärast pesemist ja kuivatamist siledaks.
Rain, go to Viru County,
Sun, come to our land!
In Viru County men are black,
men are black, women are lazy,
girls sweaty of work.
Ottilie-Olga Kõiva: Where did you hear that?
Marie Helimets: I don't know, we sang it ourselves when we tended the herd. I don't think having heard it elsewhere, but some of us sang it. When we were out with the herd, our feet were wet, we splashed also in the brook - and wanted the rain to pass - and in the puddles. And then we sang. I don't know where I heard that.
Vihm, mine Virumaale,
päike, tule meie maale!
Virumaal on mehed mustad,
mehed mustad, naised laisad,
tüdrukud tööst higised.
Ottilie-Olga Kõiva: Kus te seda kuulsite?
Marie Helimets: Seda ma ei tea, me ise laulsime, kui me karjas olime. Kuskilt ma'i tea seda kuulnud olevat, aga no mõni ikka laulis meil. Kui me karjas olime, siis meil olid jalad märjad, ka ojas sulistasime – ja tahtsime, et vihm üle läheks – ja loikude sees. Ja siis laulsime. Mina ei tea, kust ma seda kuulnud olen.
Fly by, dear little rain,
fly by, dear little rain,
go, rain, to Viru County,
float, shower, to Harju County!
In Viru County they need rain:
men are black, women are lazy,
girls are dropping of sweat,
boys look like the stumps.
Go, rain, whip them,
go, rain, flush them!
Come out, dear little Sun,
shake off the bad weather,
call away the evil weather!
I'll give the Sun a loaf of bread,
to the Sun-boy half a loaf.
Mine üle, vihmakene,
mine üle, vihmake,
mine, vihm, Virumaale,
uju, hoog, Harjumaale!
Virumaal oo vihma vaja:
mehed mustad, naised laisad,
tüdrukud higitilgalised,
poisid kännukarvalised.
Mine, vihm, viruta neid,
mine, hoog, uha neid!
Tule välja, päiksekene,
aja ära halb ilm,
kutsu ära kuri ilm!
Ma annan päiksele pätsi leiba,
päikse poisile pool pätsi.
1 kännu värvi