Advent Calendar – 16th December, 2021 – Varpunen Jouluaamuna
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar, 2021
16th December, 2021
Varpunen Jouluaamuna
Zachris Topelius (1818 – 1898) & Otto Kotilainen
specially arranged for harp for this recording
Before the Swedish poet Topelius wrote this song in 1859 his son had died at the age of one year old which gives rise to the sorrow and the sentiment that the small sparrow is in fact the young girl’s brother in these words.
The song first appeared in print in 1913 in Joulupukki Magazine. The title here is given in Finnish as it was translated into Finnish by Konrad Alexis Hougberg, becoming very popular indeed and recorded by many Finnish artists. It was by the Finnish title that we first became aware of the song only last year on the lovely Jacquie Lawson Nordic Advent Calendar.
I was beguiled by the song and decided to try to find it. I believe it lends itself well to the harp with the lullaby/cradle rocking style suggestive of the small deceased brother.
White snow has fallen on
birch trees in forests,
Frozen is lake all along,
spring winds it expects.
Small sparrow, poor sparrow,
eaten all its summer store.
Frozen is lake all along,
spring winds it expects.
At a green small house’s door
was a girl now standing:
Sparrow small, come as before,
seeds from me pecking!
Christmas is in our home,
and you bird so grey alone.
Sparrow small, come as before,
seeds from me pecking!
Bird flew at maiden’s feet,
on the wings so merry:
Happily I’ll take your seed
that you for me carry.
God will yet reward you,
who to poor a friend was true.
Happily I’ll take your seed
that you for me carry.
I am not who you assume,
as your eyes are in tears.
I am your young brother, whom
you in spring lost last year.
When you gave crumbs of bread
to the poor and well him fed,
You gave it your brother, whom
you in spring lost last year.
transl. 2019 Ion Mittler
Recorded on David Concert Harp ~ 2000
https://wiki2.org/en/Varpunen_Jouluaamuna
http://ionmittler.com/lyrics/CC_Topelius_Sparven_om_julmorgonen_lyrics.txt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparven_om_julmorgonen