Photograph of the year...

The Photographer of the Year will be named on the 28th April .. but in the mean time you can enter a nature competition.. and I guess show much Estonian you know!

All info here ... in Estonian.. but Google Translate or something may be of use :)

http://www.overall.ee/loodusviktoriin/

Lood ja laulud

Sinugi lood on Sinu sees
- Your stories are inside You
ja piiluvad vahel välja.
- and peek out sometimes.
Kuigi kannad neid eneses,
- Although you carry them inside yourself,
saad nendega vahel nalja.
- sometimes some fun happens with them.

Sinu laulud on Sinu sees ja murravad vahel välja.
- Your songs are inside You and break out sometimes.
Räägivad Sinust enesest ja teevad Su kulul nalja.
- Talk about Yourself and make fun of You.

Sinu elu on Sinu ees. Alati ei tule välja.
- Your life is in front of You. Always it does not work out.
Hoolimata Su teenetest Sinustki teeb keegi nalja.
- Regardless of Your favors, someone makes fun of You, too.

Sinu hetked on Sinu sees. Keegi ei võta neid välja.
- Your moments are inside You. Nobody takes them out.
Parimates Su hetkedes ikka on killuke nalja.
- In the best of Your moments there alaways is a chip of fun.

Sinu naljad on Sinu sees. Kuidas küll saada nad välja?
- Your funny jokes are inside You. How to get them out?
Sügavamalgi südames juurdunud kurbuse viljad...
- In the deepest part of the heart the fruits of sadness have taken root...

Sinu kurbus on Sinu ees. Kes küll siit lasi ta välja?
- Your sadness is in front of You. Who on earth did let it out from here?
Tühjusetunne südames igatseb killukest nalja.
- Feeling of emptyness in the heart yearns for a chip of fun.

Sinu viljad on Sinu sees. Lase nad ometi välja!
- Your fruits are inside You. Let them yet out!
Oma laule Sa imetle kurbuses, tänus ja naljas!
- Your own songs do admire in sadness, in thanksgiving and in fun!
___
by Katrin in June 2011
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee 'a sea, a sunset and a sunrise'

Raha ... mõttes

Raha. Aeg. Suhted.
- Money. Time. Relationships.
Raskused. Edu. Uhkus.
- Difficulties. Success. Pride.
Tänu. Alandlikkus. Austus.
- Gratitude. Humility. Respect.
Truudus. Püüdlused. Sihid.
- Loyalty. Aspirations. Goals.
Õnn. Elu. Surm.
- Happyness. Life. Death.
Ise. Vaba. Üksi.
- Self. Free. Alone.
Alati. Iialgi. Mis mõttes?
- Always. Never. In what sense?
___
by Katrin in May 2011
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee 'a house'

Morning Story

Hommikujutt
- Morning Story

neljapäev 6. märts 2008
- Thursday, March 6, 2008

mees astus karusselli pealt maha ja vaatas enda ümber.
- the man stepped down from the carousel and looked around himself.
maailm kõikus veidike, kuid jäi vähehaaval pidama.
- the world wavered a bit, but little by little it stopped.
mees toetas jalad tugevalt maha ja vaatas ettevaatlikult karusselli poole.
- the man put his feet intensely on the ground and looked carefully towards the carousel.
see tundus imelikult kirju ja lärmakas.
- it seemed weirdly colourful and loud.
inimesed vihisesid kiiresti-kiiresti mööda, naersid ja hõikusid omavahel.
- the people swished by fast-fast, laughed and shouted to each other.
nad paistsid ennast hästi tundvat.
- they seemed to feel themselves good.
vahepeal mõni oksendas üle karusselliääre, pühkis suu puhtaks ja naeris ja hõikus edasi.
- now and then some of them vomited over the edge of the carousel, sweeped his mouth clean and laughed and shouted on.

inimestele karussellil paistis mees ... veider.
- to the people on the carousel the man looked ... weird.
selline ... ebastabiilne.
- such ... unstable.
kord on, kord pole.
- once he is there, then he is not.
kuidagi ... väljaspool.
- somehow ... outside.
teisel pool.
- on the other side.
lihtsam oli teda mitte vaadata ja tema olemasolu unustada.
- it was easier to not look at him and forget about his presence.
seal.
- there.

karussellil vihises mööda Suur Mees.
- on the carousel  swished by the Big Man.
Habemega.
- with Beard.
Mees ei olnud teda varem märganud.
- the Man had not noticed him before.
karussellil olles.
- being on the carousel.
nüüd aga jõudsid temani Suure Mehe Sõnad.
- but now the Words of the Big Man reached him.
Suur Mees vihises mööda kiiresti, aga jõudis selle lühikese hetkega öelda Palju.
- the Big Man swished by fast, but could by that short moment say a Lot.

naudi seda aega. selliseid võimalusi antakse harva. see on suurepärane aeg Loomiseks.
- enjoy this time. such possibilities are given rarely. it is a wonderful time for Creation.

mees vaatas enda ümber. Maailm oli Loodud. mida on enam Luua ühel väikesel Mehel.
- the man looked around himself. the World had been Created. what else can be Created by a little Man.

mees vaatas karusselli ja tundis, kuidas maailm hakkab vaikselt jälle ringi käima.
- the man looked the carousel and felt, how the world slowly starts to go around again.
mees sirutas käe karusselli poole ja sai mööduva pulgaga valusalt mööda sõrmi.
- the man reached his hand toward the carousel and got a painful hit from the passing stick.
mees pistis sõrme suhu ja jäi mõttesse.
- the man put his finger in his mouth and stayed thinking.

mees heitis pikali ja vaatas kõikuvaid oksi ja mööduvaid pilvi.
- the man laid down and looked at the swaying branches and passing clouds.
Rahu oli Maa peal.
- the Peace was on the Earth.
mees jäi vaikselt magama.
- the man fell quietly asleep.
mees nägi unes, et ta on väike tüdruk, kes istub öösärgis arvuti ees ja kirjutab "Mees astus karussellilt maha..."
- the man dreamed that he was a little girl sitting in a nightgown in front of a computer and writing "the Man stepped down from the carousel..."

mehe silmist voolasid pisarad ja nendest tärkasid tema ümber maailma kõige ilusamad lilled.
- from the eyes of the man flowed tears and sprouted around him the most beautiful flowers of the world.




___
Short Story by Katrin in 2008
art by 6-year-old Mari Lee 'Egg and Mother' or 'Mother of the Egg'

Armastus #3

Ma armastan inimesi ja olukordi
- I love people and situations
(ja iseennast)
- (and myself)
koos nende vigadega.
- with all their errors.
See ei takista mind soovimast
- That does not prevent me either from wishing
(ja palvetamast),
- (and praying),
et nad paremaks muutuksid
- for them to beocome better
(ega neid selles aitamast),
- (nor helping them with it),
kuid mu armastus ei sõltu
- but my love does not depend on
nende (ega minu)
- whether they (or myself)
paremaks saamisest.
- become better.
Ma armastan neid (ja ennast)
- I love them (and myself)
ka siis, kui nad ei saa paremaks.
- also when they will not become better.
Ja kui nad paremaks saavad,
- And if they become better,
ei armasta ma neid sellepärast rohkem.
- I will not love them more for that.
Meil on lihtsalt kõigil parem.
- I'll just all be better off.
Aga me armastame üksteist ikka samapalju.
- But we love each other still the same.
Tingimusteta
- With no conditions
ja igavesti.
- and forever.
___
by Katrin in november 2010, translation in February 2011
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee - A Cave
__
ps. Happy Valentine Day to everyone! ... Especially the Special Ones :)

Armastus #2

Another version of the previous regilaul, no translation this time:

Armastus tuleb aegamööda
astub aia ääri mööda
Eile eelmine eemaldus
et ei ehmuks hellakene
Ise ihkab ihaleda
ilma ilut imesteda
Ootamatuid ootamisi
uhkes ulmas uneleda
Õeke õisi õnnisteleb
ämma hälli äiuteleb
Öösel ööbikul ööjutud
üle kõige armastus
___
by Katrin in November 2009
photo by Ian in Wales (?)

Armastus #1

After searching and listening a lot of ancient Estonian folk songs (regilaul) made one myself.
Left it be for a year or so and then decided to try and translate:

Armastus tuleb arutades
- Love comes considering
arutades arvestades
- considering figuring
arglikult ja aegamööda
- timidly and slowly
astub aia ääri mööda
- steps by the edges of the fence
 
Eile eelmine eemaldus
- yesterday the previous withdrew
et ei ehmuks hellakene
- for the brownie would not be startled
ise ihkab ihaleda
- oneself craves to desire

ilma ilut imesteda
- to admire the beauty of the world (or weather)

Ootus lootus ohkab ihkab
- Expectation hope sighs craves
oivalisi ootamisi
- marvelous waitings
unes näeb ulmas unistab
- sees in dreams daydreams in a vision

uusi uhkeid ulakusi
- new proud naughties

Õde õhkab venda vihkab
- Sister sighs hates the brother
ämma äiutab väetit
- the mother-in-law lulls the puny

öösel ööbikul ööjutud
- in the night the nightingale's night chats
üle kõige armastus
- above all the love

the point in the Estonian version is the alphabethical alliteration - the words in rows start with A, E, I, O, U, Õ, Ä, Ö, Ü...

___
in Estonian and translation by Katrin
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee

1st Anniversary

It all started here a year ago!





I thought it would be fitting to have an Estonian Poem here. A poem I found about the Emajõgi river. A river that flows from one lake (Võrtsjärv) to another (Peipsi). It flows through Tartu and past Palupõhja (which is where we were based for our volunteering).

Betti Alver was born in Jõgeva and live from 1906 to 1989. She is one of Estonia's notable poets and more information can be found
here.

I have included both the Estonian and an English version of the poem.

Korallid Emajões - Betti Alver (from a collection of the same name)

Ikka meenuvad minutid
millal
viras vikerkaar
üle vee.

Me seisime raudsel sillal.
Sinu ees oli
raudne tee.

Aeg raputas aardeid mu ette.
sinu ees oli
raudne tee.

Raudsillal
viskasin vette
ma punakorallidest
kee.

Kõik mu aegade aarded on hallid.
Jumet
pole ka jumalatõel.

Veepõhjast
vaid punakorallid
vahel vilavad
Emajõel.


English version
(From Tuulelaeval valgusest on aerud. Windship with Oars of Light. Estonian Modern Poetry, Huma, Tallinn 2001)

My own note here is that the translator decided to say "Ancient River" whilst the original text specifies Emajõgi which means Mother River. Ema being mother and jõgi being river. The Emajõgi is mentioned in the title and also on the last line.

Corals in an Ancient River

A shimmering rainbow’s high ridge
arched over the river that day.
We stood on the cast-iron bridge;
ahead lay your iron-paved way.

Time’s treasures have all lost their lustre,
God’s truth has a dull, lifeless glimmer;
but the river flows stronger and faster
where the beads of coral still shimmer.


This along with other poems by Betti Alver can be found at the Estonian Literary Magazine.

Baturin ... pray ... request ... please ...

at school did a research
about Nikolai Baturin
who is still one
of my favourite Estonian poets.

He has even a homepage
even partly in English,
but no translations of poems.

Some examples of his poems in Estonian
can be found by link 'Luulekogud'
(collections (kogud) of poetry (luule))
on http://www.baturin.pri.ee/
(the first one in a really old version of Estonian language
that is quite difficult to understand
for young Estonians too).

One example (nicely translatable):
Kui oskaks (if one could) palvetada (to pray)
nagu (like) valetada (to lie),
paneks (would put) käed (hands) kokku (together),
paluks (would request) mäed (mountains) kokku (together).

ok - the last 'kokku (together)'
is quite untranslatable.
it's not like
'would ask the mountains to come together'
but more like
'would ask huge mountains of everything i'd ever want to be mine'.

similarity of the words 'palvetada' (to pray)
and 'paluda' (to ask/request
(in the poem the form 'paluks'
with the -ks ending as 'would')).

the first form of the word 'paluma'
is 'palun' (direct translation 'I ask/request')
that means also the English word 'please'
and is one of the two most important words
to teach to polite children
- the other on is of course
'tänan/aitähh' (thanks).

The word 'palun' is used mostly in 2 kinds of situations -
when one wants something ('please give me')
and when one gives something to someone
(like 'palun anna (give me) ...'
- 'palun' (when giving the thing asked)
- 'tänan' (when taking the thing given).

I'm not sure
whether in English
'please' is used when giving sth
or then rather more 'here you go/are' or sth like that.

and also I don't know
what are the old roots
of the English word 'please'
but in Estonian
it is obviously connected with the
in-English-differently-sounding words
'palvetama' ('to pray' like 'God please give me...')
and 'paluma' ('to ask/request' like 'anyone, please give me...').

and 'paluma' (to ask/request) is often used
instead of 'palvetama' (to pray)
- some people say 'palvetama' (to pray)
some people say 'jumalat paluma' (to ask/request the God).

but we don't say 'palvetama' (to pray)
in situations
not connected with God
and we don't say 'jumalat palvetama',
but we sometimes say 'palvetama Jumala poole'
(to pray towards the God).

well, I'm really amazed
that English people have invented
3 absolutely different words (to pray, to request, please)
for the concepts
so closely connected
in Estonian :)

and I think you are very right
that in Estonia
singing/lyrics/poetry/literature
has been a way
of showing
identity
and independence.

could never put it
in words
so simply
myself :)

___
poem by Nikolai Baturin

translations ... explanations ... contemplations ... by Katrin
photo by Ian in Wales 2010

The Poem on Eesti Vabadussammas

poem identified :)

The first part of the poem on the monument :

Tõsta lipp! Las aja käänul
lehvib tõotus tuulte väänul
üle mandri, üle vee:
tund on tulnud vannet vandu,
ei iial enam andu
ikke alla rahvas see!

quite untranslatable
word by word.

the main idea
that this (see)
nation (rahvas)
will vow
(in the poem 'tund (the hour)  
on tulnud (has come)  
vannet (the oath in 3rd form)  
vandu (to vow)')
never (iial)
to be occupied
by anyone
any more
('andu ikke alla'
- really old
and poetic
way to say
'not be occupied').

probably there is
some translation
somewhere
in the world
or even in Internet
but no idea
how to find that...

and would not
help much in learning
Estonian
i guess :)

don't know much
about Gustav Suits.
but u post on blog
everything u find out,
would be really interesting,
really :)

___
poem in Estonian by Gustav Suits on Estonian National Freedom Monument
translation-explanation by Katrin
photo by Jenn in Palupõhja 2009

Ma tulen lõpmatusest / I come from infinity

Ma tulen lõpmatusest
i come from infinity
ja lähen lõpmatusse
and go to infinity
ma mõtlen olemisest
a thing of being (alternative translation is "i think of being")
kaon olematusesse
disappear into nothingness


Ma udumerre lähen
i go into sea of fog
piimvalge niiske soe
milkwhite damp warm
ma taevast võtan tähe
i take a star from the sky
ta sakid kokku loen
and count its points (Original translation was "and count its tabs")

Kuu hõbevalgust valab
moon pours silverlight
ja kõlab yxik ulg
and sounds a lonely howl
on olematus aland
nothingness has started
ja peatub aja kulg
and stops the course of time


Nii olexin veel kaua
so would i be yet long time
eikeegi kusagil
nobody nowhere
kus tõelus leiab haua
where reality finds its grave
ja lahtub tusagi
and the bad mood goes away


sest nyyd ju pole miskit
'cause now there is nothing
mis ootaks ära viix
that would wait would take away
on haihtund viimne piiskki
has vanished the last dewdrop too
ja langeb viimne tilk.
and falls the last drop


Katrin 13.04.1993

p.s. Poem and translation by Katrin... slightly edited by Ian...

photo by Robert B

algus -x-x-x- beginning

Te andke mulle algus
You give me a beginning
sest lõputu on kõik
because everything is without ending
kas elu soojust valgust
whether life's warmth light
mul' keegi anda võix
can anyone give me

Kuis tahaxin ma naerda
how would i want to laugh
ja samas nutaxin
and in the same time i would cry
kuid nutux-naerux aega
but time for cry-laugh
mul pole kunagi
i never have


On elu ainult olek
is life only a state
kas tahke vedel gaas
either solid liquid gas
mul vastust sellel pole
i don't have answer for that
ja alguses ma taas
and in the beginning i am again


Kas olen Kuu või Päike
am i Moon or Sun
kas Mars või Põhjanael
Mars or Northern Star
kas olen suur või väike
am i big or small
kas tuleraud või tael
steel or tinder


Ma ringi torman karjun
i run around yell
ja istun vaixelt maas
and sit silently on ground
ma valedega harjun
i get used to lies
ja tõde otsin taas
and look for truth again


Te andke mulle algus
you give me a beginning
ehk seda polegi
maybe there is no
ei ole soojust valgust
there is no warmth light
ka lõppu pole siin
and neither is here any ending


Ma olen Kuu ja Päike
i am Moon and Sun
nii Mars kui Põhjanael
both Mars and Northern Star
ma olen suur ja väike
i am big and small
nii tuleraud kui tael...
both steel and tinder

by Katrin
15.04.1993 in Estonian
August and September 2009 translation to English

photo by Michelle

tuli -x-x-x- the fire

tuli
the fire
on soe
is warm
tuli
the fire
on valgus
is light
tuli on tulemine
the fire is coming
keegi tuli
someone came
ja tõi tule
and brought the fire
mis tuli
that came
nägi
saw
võitis
won
teda nähti
he was seen
ja jäädigi vaatama
and stayed to look at
sest ta oli soe
because he was warm
ja valge
and white
ja soojendas südant
and warmed the heart


aga siis tuli elekter
but then came the electricity



by Katrin
24.04.1994 in Estonian
August 2009 translation to English

photo by Ellen 2009