Three Tune Tuesday: Finnish Children's Songs from My Childhood
For this week's Three Tune Tuesday, popularized on Hive by @Ablaze , I’m diving into some nostalgic Finnish children's tunes that I used to listen to as a kid. These songs bring back some great memories — some of which I’ve even passed down to my own kids. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane, with a little space for you to enjoy the tunes too!
1. Pieni Ankanpoikanen by Kipparikvartetti & Metro-tytöt
This one’s a funny little tune about a happy duckling swimming in a pond, hanging out by a water lily with his friends — a frog and a water flea. Everything is going well until, well... the duckling flea gets eaten by a happy water snake. (Edit: I listened it through and it seems I had forgotten who gets eaten.) It’s a quirky and oddly cheerful song that was a staple in my childhood. Even though the ending is a bit dark, it never fails to make me smile.
2. Jänöjussin mäenlasku by Georg Malmstén
This one gave me chills as a kid — and not the good kind! The song is about a bunny going downhill skiing, and for some reason, it made me nervous about trying it myself. I didn't even give downhill skiing a go until my late teens! But when I finally did, I ended up loving it, and now it's something I want to do every winter. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of an expensive hobby, but it’s worth it when I get the chance to hit the slopes.
3. Rosvolaulu by Elina Salo (from Kolme Iloista Rosvoa / Kardemumman Rosvot)
This song has a special place in my heart because it’s connected to the story Kolme Iloista Rosvoa (The Three Merry Robbers) by the Norwegian author Thorbjørn Egner. My parents used to read the story to me, and they would sing this song while doing so. Now, I’ve done the same with my kids — reading the story and singing this song to them when they were little. It’s one of those songs that’s tied to family memories, both as a kid and as a parent.
By the way, Elina Salo might sound familiar to many, because she was the Finnish voice actor for Pikku-Myy (Little My) in the Moomin series, based on Tove Jansson's world-famous books.
These songs may be simple children’s tunes, but they hold a lot of meaning for me. It’s amazing how music can connect us to our past and how it shapes our experiences. Hope you enjoy these little pieces of Finnish childhood!
I enjoyed the one with the duck which got eaten by the snake.... So sad!
And yes, most of the music I have ever loved comes from my memories.
Thank you! I did try to fix the error though, because I had remembered wrong, that the duckling would have been eaten by the snake, but it was actually the flea that got eaten, and the snake scared away the duckling and the frog. In the end of the song, only the water lily remained, and it felt lonely.
Here's a translation of the lyrics:
Finnish:
Pieni Ankanpoikanen
Pieni ankanpoikanen, polskutteli veessä,
pien ankanpoikanen, lumpeenlehden eessä.
Se lehdestä haukkasi palasen ja
sanoi sitten — "Mä olen iloinen".
"Olen ankanpoikanen, polskuttelen veessä."
"KVAK, KVAK , KVAK."
Pieni sammakko, kurnutteli veessä
pien sammakko, lumpeenlehden eessä.
Se sieppasi suuhunsa palasen,
jota ankka söi ja sanoi, "olen iloinen".
"Olen pieni sammakko, kurnuttelen veessä."
"KRR, KRR, KRR."
Pieni vesikirppu myös, uiskenteli veessä,
pien vesikirppu myös, lumpeenlehden eessä.
Ui luokse ankan ja sammakon
ja sanoi niille, "Iloinen tää veikko on".
"Olen vesikirppu vain, uiskentelen veessä."
"KUIK, KUIK, KUIK."
Pieni käärme veikeä, kiemurteli veessä,
pien käärme veikeä, lumpeenlehden eessä.
Pois pelotteli muut...
vesikirppusen söi suuhunsa...
ja sanoi, "olen iloinen".
"Olen käärme veikeä, kiemurtelen veessä."
"SSSS, SSSS. SSSS."
Pieni lumpeenlehti vain, yksin kelluu veessä,
pien lumpeenlehti vain, matalassa veessä.
Ei sammakkoa näy ei ankkaakaan,
pois käärme ui vesikirppu vatsassaan.
Pieni lumpeenlehti vain, yksin kelluu veessä.
"BUUU HUUU HUU"
English:
The Little Duckling
A little duckling, splashing in the water,
A little duckling, in front of a lily pad.
It took a bite of the leaf and
Then said — "I'm happy."
"I'm a little duckling, splashing in the water."
"QUACK, QUACK, QUACK."
A little frog, croaking in the water,
A little frog, in front of a lily pad.
It snatched a bite of the leaf,
Which the duck had eaten and said, "I'm happy."
"I'm a little frog, croaking in the water."
"RIBBIT, RIBBIT, RIBBIT."
A little water flea too, swimming in the water,
A little water flea too, in front of a lily pad.
It swam up to the duck and the frog
And said to them, "This fellow is happy."
"I'm just a water flea, swimming in the water."
"CLICK, CLICK, CLICK."
A little sly snake, slithering in the water,
A little sly snake, in front of a lily pad.
It scared the others away...
And ate the water flea...
Then said, "I'm happy."
"I'm a sly snake, slithering in the water."
"HISS, HISS, HISS."
A little lily pad, floating alone in the water,
A little lily pad, in the shallow water.
No frog in sight, no duckling either,
The snake swam away with the water flea in its belly.
A little lily pad, floating alone in the water.
"BOO HOO HOO."
Thank you for the translation.
You are welcome!