The Jäger March
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The Jäger March (Jääkärimarssi, originally Jääkärien marssi) was composed by Jean Sibelius to the words written by the Finnish Jäger, Hilfsgruppenführer Heikki Nurmio in Libau, while in the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battallion of the Imperial German Army. This was fighting against the Russian Empire, of which the Grand Duchy of Finland was part. The words were smuggled into Finland to Sibelius, who composed the song. The first public performance was in Helsinki January 19, 1918 by Akademiska sångföreningen, led by Olof Wallin. The Finnish Civil War began on the same day between the White and the Red troops. The march is the honorary march of many army detachments.
- Jääkärimarssi
- Syvä iskumme on, viha voittamaton,
- meil' armoa ei, kotimaata.
- Koko onnemme kalpamme kärjessä on,
- ei rintamme heltyä saata.
- Sotahuutomme hurmaten maalle soi,
- mi katkovi kahleitansa.
- :,:ei ennen uhmamme uupua voi,
- kuin vapaa on Suomen kansa.:,:
- Kun painuvi päät muun kansan, maan,
- me jääkärit uskoimme yhä.
- Oli rinnassa yö, tuhat tuskaa,
- vaan yks' aatos ylpeä, pyhä:
- Me nousemme kostona Kullervon,
- soma on sodan kohtalot koittaa.
- :,: Satu uusi nyt Suomesta syntyvä on,
- se kasvaa, se ryntää, se voittaa.:,:
- Häme, Karjala, Vienan rannat ja maa,
- yks' suuri on Suomen valta.
- Sen aatetta ei väkivoimat saa
- pois Pohjolan taivaan alta.
- Sen leijonalippua jääkärien
- käsivarret jäntevät kantaa,
- :,:yli pauhun kenttien hurmeisten
- päin nousevan Suomen rantaa.:,:
[edit] English translation
- Deep is our blow, our wrath invincible,
- we have no mercy, no homeland.
- Our fortune is at the point of our swords,
- our hearts may never give in.
- Our war cry rings out, enchanting, to a land
- that is breaking loose of its chains.
- :;: Our defiance may not tire
- until the people of Finland are free. :;:
- When bowed were heads of the people, the land,
- we Jägers still believed.
- In our hearts was a dark night, a thousands pains,
- but one thought proud, holy:
- We shall rise as the revenge of Kullervo,
- it is sweet to face the fates of war.
- :;: A new tale of Finland is to be born,
- it grows, it rushes, it triumphs. :;:
- Häme, Karelia, shores and lands of Viena,
- one and great is Finland's reign.
- Its cause cannot be driven by force
- from beneath the northern sky.
- Its Lion Flag is carried aloft
- by the strong arms of the Jägers,
- :;: Over the thunder of gory fields
- towards the shore of rising Finland. :;:
Note: This song contains some pretty old Finnish. Some peculiarities:
- hurmaten, hurmeisten. (hurmata) Nowadays "hurmata" means to charm, to be charming or enchanting. War cries, however, are rarely charming. There is a related, stronger word, "hurmos", which is a state where you are so enchanted or mesmerized by something that you no longer very well control yourself. It is a fairly rare word. Presumably what is meant here is being enchanted/excited by war, but at least in today's language, it sounds as if the songwriter were saying that war is bliss, which may or may not be the intention. "Hurmeisten", on the other hand, is derived from the obsolescent word "hurme", "gore", so "yli pauhun kenttien hurmeisten" is talking about fields of battle covered in blood and gore.
- "soma on sodan kohtalot koittaa". "Kun kohtalo koittaa" would be normal even today, if poetic. It means "when destined [to happen]". However, the beginning in actual fact means "it is sweet to face the fates of war". "Koittaa" is an obsolete form of the modern "kokea". In the end, the meaning is living through the times of war, seeing what kind of destiny lies before us. How exactly that is sweet is another good question. Perhaps it is in contrast to the thousand pains and dark night in heart.
[edit] External links
- Jääkärien marssi (sound clip, 28 seconds, 488 kB, MP3) presented by Pohjanmaan Sotilassoittokunta (Pohjanmaa Military Band) in the military music homepage of Finnish Defence Forces
