Sun, Moon and Stars
I got up in the morning,
before the light of day.
What was my first work?
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, my 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 is waning, sometimes is 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,
vara enne valget.
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.
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.
When the crescent Moon was upright, many children would be born.
Kui noorkuu oli püsti, siis pidi palju lapsi sündima.
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.