Kéya sa Malaí
Spring’s Song

This is an upbeat and positive song about the coming of spring, told from the perspective of steppe people celebrating the end of a long winter.

(Verse1)
Rísa té yusiré,
The snow melts

Shéjo daísu té hasíré.
The cold river runs

Méíré sa nanabé té aírunanaí dé!
Winter’s shadow is gone!

(Chorus)
Kéya, Kéya! Yorí té fína aíré!
Spring, Spring! Joy is here!

Téléra té jíaro írífa la aíkétéré!
The [Earth] receives a new life!

(Verse2)
Kaíté Íshara té aété,
The warm sun shines

Fíra noa té sodáré.
The green field grows

Mímorítaí té nara né sutéré!
The animals come to the meadow!

(Chorus)
Kéya, Kéya! Yorí té fína aíré!
Spring!, Spring! Joy is here!

Téléra té jíaro írífa la aíkétéré!
The [Earth] receives a new life!

Malaí sa Sélénétérí
Song of the Moonlight

This poem tells the story of a shepherd who falls in love with the moon elemental, Séléné, and their tragic, eternal bond.

Tayalínéa soko, shoto ka fíra noa la motaréruína.
From Tayalínéa, a man sought green meadows.

Maírí né, yín né saíté, ga malaí la kíkoméré.
In the forest, by the fire he sleeps and hears a song.

Ríné sa Sélén, utokarí sa tía ga,
The Maiden of the Moon, with an owl’s eyes,

ríon né aíré, ga ímalaé.
is in the lake, and she sings.

Shoto ka ríné la damaruína,
The man saw the woman,

ga haní’íkaré la kuoruína.
and spoke of being in love with her.

Sowa sa utomé né díoréruína.
They made love that night.

To sowa ríné té hasaéí fíéruína,
But that woman left quickly,

“Haní té míraéna ga aíré,” saté shoto ka kuoruína,
“Beautiful one, my love is with you,” the man said.

“To, mínata sa yaíka tarurunanaí.”
“But I cannot be your wife.”

Gíoda líara faíré, shoto ka oré tané.
Many years pass; the man is now old.

Paísa, noré, gíoda aru la ushíruína.
Family, house, many items he had lost.

Utomé kí, ríon né, shoto ka nanamé.
At night, by the lake, the man cries.

Saítémíshí né, Séléné ka sutéruína.
In his sleep, Séléné came.

“Haní té koroa tané,” saté kuoruína,
“My love is everlasting,” she said,

“Yomé sa ría tané, utoséíra né kuéshégaré.”
“You are my star, in the heavens you shall dwell.”

Nomíkíwa sa Hama
The Witch of Silence

This song is a cautionary tale about a king who falls under the sway of a beautiful witch, leading to the ruin of his kingdom and their shared, grim fate.

(Verse1)
Oré dénkía né, éanowa ka sutéruína.
In the old kingdom, a drought came.

Nomé noa té séndéré; Hoshí né aí té aíré.
The southern fields die; there is a war in the west.

Asarí ka hama la aíkétéré,
The king’s court received a Witch,

Íon Hama, sonanaé ga aínara.
“The Fifth Witch, who is wise and just.

(Verse2)
Hama ka tattérí la dédaré,
The witch gave water,

dénkí sa aníarí tané.
She was a friend of the king.

To utomé kí, hama ka íjatéaíré,
But at night, the Witch is whispering,

doroka ka dénkí sa shíéndío né airé.
Treasons in the kings mind.

(Verse3)
“Yomé sa yaíka tané,” saté dénkí ka kuoruína.
“You are my wife,” the king said.

Hama ka rínnédénkí taruína;
The Witch became the Queen;

To gíré té aírunanaí,
But there is no food,

ga aí té haéba tané.
and the war is intense.

(Verse4)
“Jojí!” saté rékotaí ka waoré, “Hama sa yuto té tumíwa tané!”
“Lies!” the people roared, “The Witch’s speech is poison!”

Hama ka nomíkí’íkaruína tané;
The Witch is one who has been silenced,

Hama sa juto ka rénaí né sakéruína.
The tongue of the Witch was cut with a knife.

“Nomíkíwa sa Hama” saté hama sa maéhí tané.
“The Witch of Silence” is the Witch’s name.

(Verse5)
Hama ka kémí soko séndéré,
The witch dies from the neck,

ga dénkí hé séndéré.
and the king dies too.

Dénkísan té írífa la aíkétéré.
The kingdom receives new life.

Noa, kíkoméré, ya kíbí… nomíkíwa sa hama soko.
So, listen, o child… to the Witch of Silence.

Rísa sa Nagéwa
The Snow’s Melancholy

This elegy is a song of mourning from a family in a boreal forest, ending with a message of hope.

(Verse1)
Méíré ka sutéruína,
Winter has arrived,

ga kíbí té aírunanaí.
and our child is not here.

Ko fadé sa saékí paké, rísa né.
Only the shadow of a small foot in the snow.

Shíéndío nagé tané.
Our hearts ache in sadness.

(Verse2)
Néíka maírí né, nomíkí tané dé.
In the white forest, it is so quiet!

Kíbí sa gaídé  té, tíéru paké tané.
The laugh of the child is only a memory.

Sulío né nanamé, “Érí?” saté.
There are cries carried on the wind, “Where?”

Shíéndío té shéjo tané.
Our souls have gone cold.

(Verse3)
To, kéya ka sutégaré,
But, spring will surely come,

ga Íshara té ría no aété.
and the [sun] is radiant like a star.

Rísa ka yusigaré,
The snow will melt,

ga nagéwa hé késagaré.
and melancholy, too, will fade.