This is the Message Centre for Hati
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Started conversation Aug 1, 2009
Tere.
I went to a second-hand market today and rummaged through the bookstalls as I usually do. This time I found a volume of Lydia Koidula's poems, printed in Tallinn in 1957. I simply *had* to buy it, even though I can only read one word in every 500... I mean, one never finds anything in Estonian here, let alone a 400-page hardback book. (The man selling the books looked relieved that someone wanted to buy this strange book in a language he didn't recognise.)
Anyway. Now that I've bought the book (for $5) I need to do something with it. I could send it to Mum and ask her to translate it, but she doesn't enjoy translating. I could also try myself, one poem at a time, using the dictionary and asking you if I have questions. But right now, the question is whether this is a good thing to do. Are the poems that good? Should I spend my time doing this? Is there any particular poem that's worth the effort? In fact - do people still read Koidula's works?
Ivan.
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 1, 2009
Interesting indeed.
People still read her works. Even more so they still sing those. One of her poems appears to be the unofficial anthem of Estonia. In fact they even considered making it official at some point. Lyrics in English can be found here: http://www.singingrevolution.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?pg=2&p=12
Kids learn her at school.
Everybody knows her.
Lot of people loves her works.
Translation can be hard though, it's sort of old language. I'll try to look around if there's some more ready translations.
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 1, 2009
Oh, and I forgot to mention that she was in fact that important that we have her on 100 EEK bill.
Wikipedia has almost reasonable entry on her.
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 1, 2009
Another translation of the song: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/My_Country_is_My_Love
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 1, 2009
Thanks.
I did notice that some words have footnotes - I assume they're the more old-fashioned bits of language. That sort of thing would put Mum off translating, I know. Her formal education happened in English, so she doesn't always have the 'literary' language in the front of her mind.
It might be interesting to read the original version against a translation, just to see how much I understand. (Not much at all, probably.) Right now, though, I should go and get some sleep. See you tomorrow, probably.
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 1, 2009
Probably you'll have to learn some Estonian. Do you at least have a decent dictionary?
Oh, and sleep well.
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 1, 2009
I have a very basic dictionary, but no grammar guide. It's a problem that I was never taught to *read* Estonian, only to say and understand the sort of language appropriate for a small child. The older people had their reasons, of course - it was all about us integrating into Australian society and not isolating ourselves. As a result, I can correct the English of native speakers but not read anything my grandmother wrote and left in her belongings. This is unfair.
Even worse, I don't have the time to study the language properly these days. I'll have to retire before I get enough time. Hopeless, isn't it?
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 1, 2009
Naturally, there's only one place to learn Estonian these days... Perhaps I should start saving for the airfare.
In a way I'm annoyed that I didn't learn properly when I was younger, when it would have been easier for me. But the old people made their decision, and I have to accept that they had the best possible reasons, even if it did leave me with an ability to say only basic things like 'hello', 'goodbye', 'thank you', liverwurst' and 'where is your umbrella'.
But never mind. I have a book, and a dictionary, and I like a challenge.
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 1, 2009
Yes, an umbrella. There was a lot of vihm about that day, as I recall.
A grammar book would be a great help.
Incidentally, among my grandmother's papers we found a 'teach-yourself-Dutch' book. As far as I know she never did teach herself, but she'd certainly have tried. Once upon a time she had a Dutch boyfriend, Mum recalls... I assume this was before she married Mum's stepfather, but one can never be sure with her.
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 2, 2009
No, I never tried to learn Dutch.
(Not that you asked.)
I'll look around for the books. I know there's one teach-yourself book for Russians, I must check if there's a word in Russian in it as well or is it only pictures and Estonian.
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 2, 2009
Itt's almost impossible to find English/Estonian texts here. Even the tourist phrasebook is a Baltic States phrasebook, which is absurd considering the three languages have nothing in common apart from their incomprehensibility to outsiders...
I've had another quick look at Koidula, and I'm more and more surprised the Soviets allowed such a patriotic book to be published. Or did they not censor Estonian-language books, because only Estonians could read them? (I was told this once by one of the old people, but he had a reputation for not being completely truthful...)
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 2, 2009
Oh, but they did censor mostly everything. With Koidula the thing is that her patriotic feelings were "against" Germans. She was "fighting against German usurpers" or whatever the expression was those days.
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 3, 2009
Ah, I see. Historical (mis)interpretation can justify anything. How odd, that they couldn't see the irony...
Lydia Koidula
Hati Posted Aug 4, 2009
Could be indeed.
Then again, most of people can be disposed. Give them a ready explanation and say that it has always been like this, and they believe it and carry on the "truth".
Lydia Koidula
Ivan the Terribly Average Posted Aug 4, 2009
Yes, that's perfectly correct. It's a bit like our last Prime Minister (), who managed to convince a lot of people that he could manage the economy. Somehow everyone forgot that he was the Treasurer from 1975 to 1983, and that when he had that job the country almost went broke. Presumably if you say something often enough and loud enough it becomes true.
Key: Complain about this post
Lydia Koidula
- 1: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 1, 2009)
- 2: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 3: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 4: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 5: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 1, 2009)
- 6: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 7: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 1, 2009)
- 8: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 9: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 1, 2009)
- 10: Hati (Aug 1, 2009)
- 11: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 1, 2009)
- 12: Hati (Aug 2, 2009)
- 13: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 2, 2009)
- 14: Hati (Aug 2, 2009)
- 15: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 3, 2009)
- 16: Hati (Aug 3, 2009)
- 17: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 4, 2009)
- 18: Hati (Aug 4, 2009)
- 19: Ivan the Terribly Average (Aug 4, 2009)
- 20: Hati (Aug 4, 2009)
More Conversations for Hati
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."