Sylvias hälsning från Sicilien (Swedish, Sylvia's Greeting from Sicily) is a poem by Zachris Topelius from 1853, which was composed to a christmas carol by Karl Collan. The poem has been translated to Finnish by both Elina Vaara and Martti Korpilahti, and the latter one from 1918 is one of the most beloved Finnish Christmas carols. It has been chosen as the best Finnish Christmas carol in the 1960s and again in 2002 in a poll by Yleisradio.[1] The poem is also a part of the collection of Finnish poems called Sylvian laulut.
Summary
Sylvia, a Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), is a migratory bird which hibernates in Sicily. The poem describes the wonders of the South, like Cypress trees and Mount Etna, contrasting with themes of homesickness and patriotism.
The cage mentioned in the first verse refers to a cruel way of catching night-singing birds: the trapper pierces a bird's eyes, and puts it in a cage. The bird's song will attract other birds, which will fly straight into the catcher's net[citation needed]. Topelius opposed this harsh way of netting[citation needed].
The cage is also said to be a reference to Finland while it was still an autonomic but oppressed part of Russia[1] (Finland had declared independence in 1917).
Lyrics of the carol
Original Swedish 1853 Zachris Topelius[2] |
Finnish 1918 fi:Martti Korpilahti[3] |
English 2019 Ion Mittler CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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Och nu är det jul i min älskade Nord, Där borta i taket, där hänger han än, |
Ja niin joulu joutui jo taas Pohjolaan, Mutt' ylhäällä orressa vielä on vain, |
And so Christmas time came again to the North, There lonely on attic a tweeting is heard, |
Jag bor i de eviga vårarnas land, Det flammande Etna, det gnistrar så skönt, |
Miss' sypressit tuoksuu nyt talvellakin, Ja Etnanpa kaukaa mä kauniina nään, |
I am in the land where the springs never cease, The mountains afar beautiful I can see, |
Cypresserna dofta. Det brusande hav Där slumrar en gäst från nordens dal; |
||
Och stråla, du klaraste stjärna i skyn, I blommande vårar på gyllene strand, |
Sä tähdistä kirkkain nyt loisteesi luo Sen vertaista toista en mistään ma saa, |
Oh shine now, the star brightest in nightly sky, The flowering springs and the warm sunny sand |
Alternate Opening Lines
A second translation into Finnish used the following alternate opening lines, similar to a following English translation in 2006:
Finnish © 1931 fi:Elina Vaara[4] |
English © 2006 Anniina Jokinen[5] |
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Nyt joulu on laaksoissa pohjolan maan, joko tullut on rintoihin tuo? ... |
And now it is Christmas in my loved north, is it Christmas as well in the heart? ... |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sylvian joululaulu". yle.fi.
- ^ "Sylvias hälsning från Sicilien av Zacharias Topelius". www.nykarlebyvyer.nu.
- ^ "Sylvian joululaulu". Suomalainen joulu.
- ^ "Elina Vaara 1931".
- ^ English lyrics by Anniina Jokinen