For mixed voices in seventeen parts
Commissioned by Tim Brown for the Helsinki Chamber choir, and first performed in the Deutschekirche in Helsinki by the Helsinki Chamber Choir, conducted by Tim Brown. A recording of this performance can be found on YouTube. The words are taken from Runo 41 of the Kalevala.
Text
Vaka vanha Väinämöinen,
laulaja iän-ikuinen,
sormiansa suorittavi,
peukaloitansa pesevi. Istuiksen ilokivelle,
laulupaaelle paneikse
hope’iselle mäelle,
kultaiselle kunnahalle.
Otti soiton sormillensa,
käänti käyrän polvillensa, kantelen kätensä alle.
Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi:
“Tulkohonpa kuulemahan,
ku ei liene ennen kuullut iloa ikirunojen,
kajahusta kanteloisen!”
Siitä vanha Väinämöinen
alkoi soittoa somasti
hauinruotaista romua,
kalanluista kanteletta.
Sormet nousi notkeasti,
peukalo ylös keveni.
Jo kävi ilo ilolle,
riemu riemulle remahti,
tuntui soitto soitannalle,
laulu laululle tehosi.
Helähteli hauin hammas,
kalan pursto purkaeli,
ulvosi upehen jouhet,
jouhet ratsun raikkahuivat.
Soitti vanha Väinämöinen:
Ei ollut sitä metsässä
jalan neljän juoksevata,
koivin koikkelehtavata,
ku ei tullut kuulemahan,
iloa imehtimähän.
Oravat ojentelihe
lehväseltä lehväselle;
tuohon kärpät kääntelihe,
aioillen asettelihe.
Hirvet hyppi kankahilla,
ilvekset piti iloa.
Heräsi susiki suolta,
nousi karhu kankahalta
petäjäisestä pesästä.
Susi juoksi suuret matkat,
karhu kankahat samosi
soitantoa kuulemahan,
iloa imehtimähän
iloa ikirunojen,
kajahusta kanteloisen!
Siitä vanha Väinämöinen
alkoi soittoa somasti,
tuntui soitto soitannalle,
laulu laululle tehosi.
Laulu laululle tehosi.
TRANSLATION
Strong old Väinämöinen,
the eternal singer arranges his fingers,
lightly rubs his thumbs together.
He seats himself on a music-stone,
places himself on a song-boulder on a silver hill, on a golden knoll.
He took the instrument in his fingers,
turned the tapering instrument on his knees,
the kantele under his hand.
He uttered a word, spoke thus: ”Let him come to hear,
who may not previously have heard
the joyous music of eternal lays,
the resonance of the kantele!”
Thus old Väinämöinen
began delicately to play
pikebone sounding-board,
the kantele of fish-bone.
His fingers rose rapidly,
his thumb moved lightly up.
Now joyous music resulted in joyous music,
rapture upon rapture burst forth,
the music seemed like music,
the song was like a true song.
The tooth of the pike rang out,
the tail of the fish resounded,
the hairs of the stallion twanged,
the hairs of the steed sang out.
Old Väinämöinen played on:
there was no one in the woods,
running on four feet,
that did not come to listen,
leaping on legs,
to wonder at the joy.
Squirrels reached out
from branch to branch,
the ermine took themselves there,
settled themselves on fences.
The elks capered on the moors,
the lynxes jumped about joyfully.
In the fen the wolf, too, awoke,
the bear on the heath arose
from its den in the pines.
The wolf ran great distances,
the bear roamed the heaths
to listen to the playing,
to marvel at the joyous music, the joyous music of eternal lays,
the resonance of the kantele!
Thus old Väinämöinen
began delicately to play;
the music seemed like music,
the song was like a true song.
The song was like a true song.
