You may want to try to contact Veljo Tormis directly, as he has a English singing transalation for much of his treble choir work (supervised and encouraged by Veljo himself)

 

Martin Benvenuto

Peninsula Women's Chorus

How about asking the Tapiola Choir if they have a translation? www.tapiolankuoro.fi/en

 

 

Translation for "Vespsän poluilla / On Vespian Pathways" is as follows:

 

My sister, my cricket

let us go and stride awhile

let us run and stroll awhile

on our golden paths

on our silver shores.

Let us hop and shout awhile

no one can hear us.

But our dear father heard us

when chopping wood for burn-beating.

 

My sister, my cricket

let us go and stride awhile ...

But our dear mother heard us

when reaping in a wide field.

 

My sister, my cricket

let us go and stride awhile ...

But our dear brother heard us

when ploughing with his stallion.

 

My sister, my cricket

let us go and stride awhile ...

But our dear sister heard us

when thrashing flax in the barn.

 

- Good luck with your project!

Marian Dolan, DMA

The Choir Project; Naples, FL USA

 

 

 

 

 

To clarify what is in the score:  language of one of the 15 Finno-Ugric peoples for each song; with it, a singing translation into Finnish (except. of course, when the original language is Finnish, as in song no. 13, there is no further translation); a literal translation into English of each song is given at the back of the score (which is what Marian Dolan supplied for you), alongside the Finnish text.  The work was completed in 1994 and dedicated to György Kádár & the Onkilahti children's chorus in Vaasa, Finland--which explains why there are complete Finnish translations.  As another responder said, Tormis has  been having more and more of his works translated into singable English, so there's a possibility that such a translation exists.  I'm for singing in the original, whether children or adults,  as long as we know what we're singing about.  The score includes a useful description of pronunciation.  (Fazer, 1995, now Fennica Gehrman)

 Thanks, all for your assistance.  I'm pleased about the translation, Marian!  I think it will work well in the spot I want to use it.

Christina