The mournful tolling of the church-bells
(a ballad)

Kristiina Maas

Mõega village, comes from Mäla village (1975)

[The tune for the second verse is repeated until the end of the song.]

Aledaste üidvad tornikellad,
üht surnut täna maetakse.
:,: Ja pärast matmist altarile
üks pruutpaar laulatatud saab. :,:

Pruut seisis valmis valges ehtes,
oli kinni kaetud looriga,
:,: ja peigmees mustas leinariides
seal seisab seltsis temaga. :,:

Puusärgi kaas sai lahti tehtud
ja õpetaja palvetab.
:,: Peig tahtmata lüöb silmad sinna,
kus seisab valge surnukirst. :,:

Tema sammud tasa sinna viivad,
jääb seisma kirstu kõrvale,
:,: siis põlvili tema langeb maha,
tieb palvet, räägib tasakest. :,:

Oh anna andeks, armas Hilda,
et olen maha jätnud sind,
:,: minu vali isa sunnib seda,
et teisega saan laulatud. :,:

Suur tänu, suuremielne neiu,
et oled vabastanud mind,
:,: jää jumalaga, vali isa,
ei enam näha saa mina sind. :,:

Revolver läikis, pauk see kõlas
ja noormees kukkus kahvatult,
:,: ei aitnud enam arstiabi,
kuul oli ästi trehvanud. :,:

A girl is being buried. Her sweetheart is wedded to another girl. The young man pleads his late bride for forgiveness and shoots himself dead.

Kristiina Maas, 1910–2000, Mõega village, comes from Mäla village. Recorded by E. Tampere, I. Rüütel and O. Kiis in 1975. RKM, Mgn II 2679 p [123].

Publication

Performers

Sound recordings

Videos

Online edition

Editors Janika Oras, Kadi Sarv
Translation into English Inna Feldbach, Olga Ivaškevitš
Project co-ordinator Risto Järv
Web design Lorem Ipsum
Cover photo “Kuivastu Harbour in the early 20th century. Steamship “General Suvortsev” (on the left) and Muhu sailboat uisk (on the right)”. 1910–1919, Saaremaa Museum, SM F 3761:1514 F.

Published materials originate from following archives: Estonian Folklore Archives of Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian National Museum, Saaremaa Museum, Film Archives of National Archives and Estonian Film Institute.

We would like to thank the following contributors for their help in personal information specification: Mihkel Jürisson, Martin Kivisoo, Meelis and Marti Mereäär, Muhu Pärandikool, Helmut Noot, Airi Nõmm, Leena Peegel, Ago Rullingo, Irena Tarvis, Heiske Tuul, Tiiu Tuust, Kadri Tüür and Viia Väli.

Sponsors of the web publication

Ensemble Trad.Attack!
Ministry of Education and Research (IUT22-4)
The European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies)
The Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Publisher

ELM Scholarly Press, 2018
© and ℗ Estonian Literary Museum, 2018
© Ingrid Rüütel
ISBN 978-9949-586-77-6

Online edition is based on

Muhu rahvamuusikat, laulumänge ja tantse
[Traditional Music, Song Games and Dances of Muhu Island]

Collected and compiled by Ingrid Rüütel.
Recordings from the Estonian Folklore Archives 9. Tartu 2015

[CD, DVD and textbook]
Sound production and CD mastering Jaan Tamm
DVD editing and mastering Jaan Kolberg
Editor Janika Oras
Translation into English Inna Feldbach
Language editors Olga Ivaškevitš, Kadri Tamm
Design Krista Saare
Print Kruul
Replication Baltic Disc AS

Rüütel, Ingrid. Muhumaa laule ja lugusid. Mis on jäänud jälgedesse II
[The Songs and Tales of Muhu Island. What Remains in Our Traces II]

Tartu: ELM Scholarly Press 2016

Editor Asta Niinemets
Music transcription Janika Oras, Ingrid Rüütel, Ludmilla Toon
Notation editing Ingrid Rüütel, Edna Tuvi
Sheet music graphics Edna Tuvi
Texts transcription Erna Tampere, Riina Rehe, Alviine Schmuul, Ingrid Rüütel
Dialectic texts editor Alviine Schmuul
Translation of summary Inna Feldbach
Layout and design Krista Saare
Print Greif