KÖYHÄIN LASTEN KIITOSLAULU
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 6
Adapted Version
Once, there was no food. The mill was quiet. Mother was sad. Father was weak. Brother was sick in bed. We were all hungry.
People forgot to say thank you to God. God gave us so many good things. But we forgot to say thank you.
We had to leave home. We had to find food. Only God knew where we could rest. We walked and walked.
We saw empty tables. We walked in the cold snow. We were cold and hungry. The wind blew on our faces. Our feet were so tired. We kept walking.
Families were apart. Like leaves blowing in the wind. We missed our warm homes. We missed our soft beds.
The winter was long and hard. Many had a very hard time. We hoped in God. We prayed for help. We prayed every day.
Then God made the sun shine. The ice melted. The bad time was over. The world felt warm again. We felt warm again.
Good things grew in the fields. The harvest was big. Summer and autumn were happy. We saw many colors. We saw red and yellow.
Now the mill works again. Mother and Father work. We are home. Our home is warm. Our hearts are warm.
We are thankful. We say thank you. We say it every day. Even the stones would say thank you. Even the bread would say thank you. The trees would say thank you too. The flowers would say thank you.
Our hearts are happy. Like young trees. We sing thanks to God. We sing every day. We sing in the morning.
Thank you, God. You took away our sadness. You gave us light. You gave us food. You gave us a home.
Please help us know what to do. Help us enjoy your good gifts. Help us share with others. Help us share our food.
We will say thank you always. We will have peace. We will have happy hearts. Thank you, God, for the food. Thank you, God, for our home. Thank you, God, for our family. Thank you, God, for everything. Thank you, God. Thank you.
Original Story
KÖYHÄIN LASTEN KIITOSLAULU
Suomen vuodentulosta syksyllä 1868.
Vuos' sitte mylly seisoi vaan,
Ei äiti nähnyt itkultaan,
Ja isän käsi puutui,
Kalvaana veikko vuoteellaan.
Meit' ynnä koko Suomea
Rankasi Herra Jumala,
Kun Hänet unhotimme,
Vaikk' kyllin Hän soi kaikkea.
Me pienet laajaan maailmaan
Kodista pantiin kulkemaan;
Miss' saimme lepovuoteen,
Sen tiesi yksin Herra vaan.
Me näimme pöydät tyhjinä,
Sai kovuutta, sai sääliä;
Kuljimme lumisina
Kuin pilvet pohjan perillä.
Niin hajaannuimme poloiset
Kuin syksyn tuuliin lehtyset:
On tuntematon koivu,
Miss' ennen ovat ollehet.
Niin pitkä talvi kului, vaan
Kaatuipa mon' — ei noussutkaan;
Mut taivaan tähdet loisti
Toivoimme yksin Jumalaan.
Ja Herra päivän paistaa soi;
Se säteet jäiseen Pohjaan loi,
Ja poistui vihan vitsa,
Mi viime vuonna hädän toi.
Ja siunaus loisti taivainen
Jokaiseen tähkään, kortehen,
Ol' ihmeen kaunis kesä
Ja syksy sangen viljainen.
Nyt pääsi mylly jauhamaan,
Nyt äiti kehrää lankojaan,
Nyt isä pui, ja meillä
Lapsill' on koti ennallaan.
Jos tään me unhotammekin
Suin mykin, kylmin sydämmin,
Niin kivet, jotka jauhaa,
Puhuisi tästä kuitenkin;
Kiitosta pelto julistais,
Ja akanatkin äänen sais,
Ja leipäkulta laulais,
Itsensä riihi kaunistais.
Riemuitsee toki rintamme,
Kuin vesa taipuu sielumme;
Nyt täytyy meidän laulaa
Kiitosta taivaan Herralle.
Ylistys harras Sulle, oi
Jumala, sielustamme soi:
Maastamme murheen poistit,
Teillemme armos valon loi.
Sua rukoilemme: neuvo vaan
Meit' pyhää tahtoos tuntemaan.
Opeta meitä lahjas
Sun tahtos mukaan nauttimaan.
Suo, ajall' ilon, murheiden
Sinulle tuomme kiitoksen;
Pelossas lepo, rauha
Ajainen suo ja ijäinen!
Story DNA
Moral
Even in the deepest suffering, one must maintain faith and give thanks to God for eventual deliverance and blessings.
Plot Summary
A year ago, Finland suffered a devastating famine, with mills idle, families scattered, and many perishing. The people believed this was divine punishment for forgetting God. Children were forced to wander, experiencing great hardship. However, through enduring faith, God's grace returned, bringing a beautiful summer and a bountiful harvest. Now, families are reunited, mills are grinding, and the children sing a heartfelt song of gratitude, promising to remember God's mercy and pray for continued guidance.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This poem explicitly references the Great Famine of 1866-1868 in Finland, one of the last major famines in Northern Europe, which caused widespread death and displacement. The poem reflects the deep religious sentiment and the struggle for survival during this period.
Plot Beats (14)
- A year ago, the mill was silent, mothers cried, fathers were weak, and a brother lay pale on his bed due to famine.
- God punished Finland for forgetting Him, despite His previous generosity.
- Children were sent from their homes to wander the wide world, with only God knowing where they found rest.
- They saw empty tables, experienced both cruelty and pity, and wandered through snow like clouds in the north.
- Families were scattered like leaves in autumn winds, losing their familiar places.
- Many died during the long winter, but the survivors placed their hope solely in God, guided by the stars.
- God allowed the sun to shine again, melting the ice and removing the scourge that brought last year's distress.
- Heavenly blessings shone on every ear of grain and stalk, resulting in a beautiful summer and a very fruitful autumn.
- Now, the mill grinds, mothers spin, fathers thresh, and the children are back in their homes.
- The children declare that even if they forget, the grinding stones, fields, chaff, and bread would still sing praises.
- Their hearts rejoice, and their souls bend like saplings, compelling them to sing thanks to the Lord of heaven.
- They offer heartfelt praise to God for removing sorrow from their land and shining light on their paths.
- They pray for guidance to understand God's holy will and to enjoy His gifts according to His wishes.
- They ask to bring Him thanks in times of joy and sorrow, and for eternal peace and rest in His fear.
Characters
The Mother
A woman of slender build, likely showing signs of hardship and fatigue from the famine. Her frame might be somewhat stooped from labor and sorrow, but she possesses an underlying resilience. Her skin would be weathered from outdoor work in the harsh Finnish climate.
Attire: She wears practical, durable Finnish peasant clothing from the late 19th century: a long, dark wool skirt, a simple linen blouse, and a plain apron, possibly made of homespun fabric. Her clothes are mended and worn but clean, reflecting her diligence despite poverty. A simple headscarf or 'huivi' might cover her hair.
Wants: To provide for her children and family, to endure hardship, and to find solace in faith.
Flaw: Her deep emotional pain and despair during times of famine, which can overwhelm her.
Starts in deep despair and blindness from weeping due to famine, then finds renewed purpose and joy as the harvest returns and her family is reunited and fed.
Resilient, sorrowful, hardworking, devoted, grateful.
The Father
A man of sturdy, working-class build, but his body shows the toll of manual labor and the recent famine, perhaps thinner than he should be. His hands are calloused and strong, indicative of a farmer's life.
Attire: He wears typical Finnish peasant attire of the late 19th century: sturdy, dark wool trousers, a simple linen shirt, and a homespun vest. His clothes are practical, mended, and designed for hard work in the fields and around the farm. He might wear sturdy leather boots.
Wants: To provide for his family, to work the land, and to restore prosperity to his household.
Flaw: His inability to provide for his family during the famine, leading to a sense of helplessness and despair.
Starts in a state of physical and emotional paralysis due to the famine, then regains his strength and purpose as the harvest allows him to work the mill and thresh grain again.
Hardworking, responsible, stoic, despairing (during famine), renewed with hope, grateful.
The Sick Brother
A young boy, very thin and frail, with a pale complexion. His body is weak from illness and malnutrition, confined to a bed.
Attire: Simple, worn nightclothes or a thin, homespun shirt, likely too large for his emaciated frame, indicating his family's poverty and his illness.
Wants: To recover, to be well again.
Flaw: His physical frailty and illness, making him entirely dependent on others.
Starts on his deathbed ('vuoteellaan'), implying he is near death. The poem doesn't explicitly state his recovery, but the family's renewed hope suggests he might have survived or his memory fuels their gratitude.
Vulnerable, suffering, passive (due to illness).
The Poor Children (Narrators)
A group of Finnish children, likely thin and small for their age due to past malnutrition. Their bodies would show the effects of wandering and hardship, but also the resilience of youth. Their skin would be fair, possibly chapped from exposure.
Attire: Simple, patched, and worn Finnish peasant children's clothing from the late 19th century: homespun linen shirts and trousers for boys, simple dresses and aprons for girls, all in muted, natural colors. During their wandering, their clothes would be 'lumisina' (snow-covered) and tattered.
Wants: To survive, to find a home and food, and ultimately, to express profound gratitude for their deliverance.
Flaw: Their vulnerability and dependence on others during the famine, and their susceptibility to despair.
Starts as displaced, suffering children, 'scattered like autumn leaves'. They endure a long, harsh winter, clinging to hope in God. They are then reunited with their family and home, transformed by gratitude and faith.
Resilient, observant, suffering, hopeful, deeply grateful, devout.
Locations
The Family Home
A humble Finnish cottage, likely a log cabin or a simple wooden house, where the family experienced both hardship and eventual recovery. It features a bed where a sick brother lay, and later, a working mill and a spinning wheel.
Mood: Initially somber and desperate due to famine, later filled with warmth, relief, and gratitude.
The family's initial suffering from famine and the eventual return to a state of well-being and gratitude.
Snowy Finnish Landscape
A vast, desolate winter landscape of northern Finland, covered in snow, through which the impoverished children wander. It is characterized by cold, snow, and the presence of birch trees, which become unfamiliar.
Mood: Desolate, cold, lonely, and full of hardship.
The children's forced migration and suffering during the famine winter.
Harvested Fields and Threshing Barn
Fertile fields laden with grain after a bountiful summer, and a threshing barn (riihi) where the harvest is processed. This represents the return of abundance and the source of the family's renewed sustenance.
Mood: Abundant, grateful, joyous, and full of life.
The celebration of a miraculous harvest and the end of the famine.