When I was little

Raissa Noot

Viira village (1975)

Kui mina alles üsna väike olin,
jutustas mul ella emake:
:,: elu ilmas pole mänguasi,
tugev olema piab, lapsuke. :,:

Sündisin mina väiksel Muhu saarel,
mille pind nii kehv ja kivine,
:,: rahvast elamas siin nõnda palju,
maa ei leiba anna kõigile. :,:

Sellepärast mehed aerud võtvad,
kala püidma tõtvad merele,
:,: naised aga põllutüöle lähvad,
vanad, lapsed kaitseks kodule. :,:

Meie tütarlaste vaev on manner
kasutanud juba vanal a’al,
:,: meie nuori mehi kauged rannad
võlunud on juba nuorel eal. :,:

Mõnel armsaks saanud ilmakaared,
teise õnn on viinud kaugele,
:,: kus on suured kullakaevandused,
paljud jõudnud jõuka järjele. :,:

Aga kodusaar neil mieles püsib,
armsa neiu nägus silmepaar,
:,: mõnigi neist vargsi pisart pühib,
kui need mõlemad tal mienuvad. :,:

Kõikjal saadavad neid kodutuuled,
kodu arm neil kõrvu sosistab,
:,: palvetavad vaikselt tema uuled,
kui nad oma lastel mõtlevad. :,:

Ja kui ilmast ükskord päris koju
igavest nad lähvad puhkama,
armsa kodusaare mustas mullas
igaüks neist tahaks puhata,
kodusaare musta mulla põues
igaüks neist tahaks puhata.

Ümber saare vaikne merekohin
puhub üle maa ja metsade,
:,: tuul, mis koju kannab vaikseid ohkeid,
puhub põhjast, lõunast, idaraalt. :,:

When I was little, my mother told me that life is not a toy to play with and a person must be strong. I was born on a small island of Muhu whose soil is poor and stony. There are so many people that the land cannot feed them. Men go fishing, women work in the fields, the girls work in the mainland and young men are lured away by distant shores. Yet everyone remembers the home island. The homeward winds accompany those who have left it and bring back their silent sighs. Everyone wishes to be laid to rest in the black soil of the home island.

Raissa Noot, 1906–1987, Viira village. Recorded by I. Rüütel and O. Kiis in 1975. RKM, Mgn II 2692 k [193].

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