Joulukalenterin 22. luukku: Joulu pienille linnuille

 

Lumi on jo peittänyt kukat laaksosessa

Järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa

Varpunen pienoinen syönyt kesäeinehen

Järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa

Pienen pirtin portailla oli tyttökulta

Tule, varpu, riemulla, ota siemen multa

Joulu on, koditon varpuseni onneton

Tule tänne riemulla, ota siemen multa

Tytön luo nyt riemuiten lensi varpukulta

Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta

Palkita Jumala tahtoo kerran sinua

Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta

En mä ole, lapseni, lintu tästä maasta

Olen pieni veljesi, tulin taivahasta

Siemenen pienoisen, jonka annoit köyhälle

Pieni sai sun veljesi enkeleitten maasta

❤

Feeding small birds at Christmas is an old tradition in Nordic countries. Varpunen jouluaamuna (Sparrow on Christmas Morning) is a moving poem by Zachris Topelius from 1859. His son had died at the age of one the spring before the poem was written. From the Swedish original it has been translated into Finnish by Konrad Alexis Hougberg (K. A. Waaranen). The translation into English, below, follows the Swedish original.

White snow has fallen on birch trees in forests,

frozen is lake all along, spring winds it expects.

Small sparrow, poor sparrow, eaten all its summer store.

Frozen is lake all along, spring winds it expects.

At a green small house's door was a girl now standing:

Sparrow small, come as before, seeds from me pecking!

Christmas is in our home, and you bird so grey alone.

Sparrow small, come as before, seeds from me pecking!

Bird flew at maiden's feet, on the wings so merry,

Happily I'll take your seed that you for me carry.

God will yet reward you, who to poor a friend was true.

Happily I'll take your seed that you for me carry.

I am not who you assume, as your eyes are in tears.

I am your young brother, whom you in spring lost last year.

When you gave crumbs of bread to the poor and well him fed,

you gave it your brother, whom you in spring lost last year.