Nälkämaan laulu
Encyclopedia
Nälkämaan laulu is a Finnish
poem by Ilmari Kianto
. It was turned into a song by Oskar Merikanto
.
The poem is a traditional poem from the region of Kainuu
. Its lyrics describe the natural beauty of Kainuu, the hard-working nature (see sisu
) of the Kainuu people, and their pride of their homeland.
The poem starts like this:
In English:
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
poem by Ilmari Kianto
Ilmari Kianto
Ilmari Kianto , also known as Ilmari Calamnius and Ilmari Iki-Kianto, was a Finnish poet. He is best known for his books Punainen viiva and Ryysyrannan Jooseppi...
. It was turned into a song by Oskar Merikanto
Oskar Merikanto
Oskar Merikanto was a Finnish musician and composer.He was born to Swedish-speaking parents in Helsinki. His father, originally Frank Mattsson, changed the family name to sound more Finnish....
.
The poem is a traditional poem from the region of Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
. Its lyrics describe the natural beauty of Kainuu, the hard-working nature (see sisu
Sisu
Sisu is a Finnish term loosely translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. However, the word is widely considered to lack a proper translation into any language. Sisu has been described as being integral to understanding...
) of the Kainuu people, and their pride of their homeland.
The poem starts like this:
- Kuulkaa korpeimme kuiskintaa,
- jylhien järvien loiskintaa.
- Meidänpä mainetta mainivat nuo,
- koskien ärjyt ja surkeat suot.
In English:
- Hear the whisper of our woods,
- the splashing of the mighty lakes.
- They are speaking of our reputation,
- the fierce rapids and the dismal swamps.