Like the cuckoo of the forest,
Like the thrush upon the heather,
Like the lark I learned to twitter,
Learned to sing my simple measures,
Guided by a second mother,
Stern and cold, without affection;
Drove me helpless from my chamber
To the wind-side of her dwelling,
To the north-side of her cottage,
Where the chilling winds in mercy
Carried off the unprotected. 
As a lark I learned to wander,
Wander as a lonely song-bird,
Through the forests and the fenlands
Quietly o’er hill and heather;
Walked in pain about the marshes,
Learned the songs of winds and waters,
Learned the music of the ocean,
And the echoes of the woodlands. 
Many men that live to murmur,
Many women live to censure,
Many speak with evil motives;
Many they with wretched voices
Curse me for my wretched singing,
Blame my tongue for speaking wisdom,
Call my ancient songs unworthy,
Blame the songs and curse the singer. 
Be not thus, my worthy people,
Blame me not for singing badly,
Unpretending as a minstrel. 
I have never had the teaching,
Never lived with ancient heroes,
Never learned the tongues of strangers,
Never claimed to know much wisdom. 
Others have had language-masters,
Nature was my only teacher,
Woods and waters my instructors. 
Homeless, friendless, lone, and needy,
Save in childhood with my mother,
When beneath her painted rafters,
Where she twirled the flying spindle,
By the work-bench of my brother,
By the window of my sister,
In. the cabin of my father,
In my early days of childhood. 
Be this as it may, my people,
This may point the way to others,
To the singers better gifted,
For the good of future ages,
For the coming generations,
For the rising folk of Suomi.

GLOSSARY.

Aar’ni (Ar’ni).  The guardian of hidden treasures. 
A-ha’va.  The West-wind; the father of the swift dogs. 
Ah’ti.  The same as Lemminkainen. 
Ah’to.  The great god of the waters. 
Ah’to-la.  The water-castle of Ahto and his people. 
Ah’to-lai’set.  The inhabitants of Ahtola. 
Ai-nik’ki.  A sister of Ahti. 
Ai’no (i’no).  Youkahainen’s sister. 
An’te-ro.  A goddess of the waves. 
Ai’ue-lake.  The lake into which the Fire-child falls. 
An-nik’ki.  Ilmarinen’s sister. 
An’te-ro.  Another name for Wipanen, or Antero Wipunen. 
Dus’ter-land.  The Northland; Pimentola. 
Et’e-le’tar.  A daugter of the South-wind. 
Fire-Child.  A synonym of Panu. 
Frost.  The English for Pakkanen. 
Hal’lap-yo’ra.  A lake in Finland. 
Hal’ti-a (plural Haltiat).  The Genius of Finnish mythology. 
Het’e-wa’ne.  The Finnish name of the Pleiades. 
Hi’si (original Hiisi).  The Evil Principle; also called Jutas, Lempo,
and Piru. 
Mon’ja-tar.  The daughter of the Pine-tree.