Hakkapeliittain Marssi
Encyclopedia
Hakkapeliittain marssi or Finska Rytteriets Marsch in Swedish ("March of the Finnish Cavalry"), also known as Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi 30-vuotisessa sodassa or Finska rytteriets marsch i trettioåriga kriget ("March of the Finnish cavalry in 30 years war") is one of the Finnish and Swedish cavalry's battle march
es and one of the oldest currently played. It originates from the times of Thirty Years' War
when Finnish cavalrymen were known as hakkapeliitta
and it became popular with military bands. It was given lyrics (in Swedish) in 1872 by Zacharias Topelius
and is commonly known as the "March of the Finnish Cavalry during the Thirty Years War". The Prussian
army officially adopted it for use in 1891; it is now a standard of the German marching band repertoire.
The march is the official regimental march of the Swedish 19th Infantry regiment, "I19". The Swedish cavalry regiment "K1" also claims the march as "theirs" because of their heritage from the Finnish cavalry in the late 1700th.
The Finnish composer Uuno Klami
developed a free orchestral version of this theme under the title "Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi" ("March of the Finnish Cavalry" op. 28) in 1939. The Finnish poet Eino Leino
published another "Hakkapeliittain Marssi" as part of a collection by the name of Tähtitarha ("Garden of stars") in 1912.
Names of the song in different languages: (see Swedish Wikipedia article) or Schwedischer Reitermarsch ("Swedish Cavalry March")
Alternative lyrics
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
es and one of the oldest currently played. It originates from the times of Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
when Finnish cavalrymen were known as hakkapeliitta
Hakkapeliitta
Hakkapeliitta is a historiographical term used for a Finnish light cavalryman in the service of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the Thirty Years' War...
and it became popular with military bands. It was given lyrics (in Swedish) in 1872 by Zacharias Topelius
Zacharias Topelius
Zachris Topelius was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history in Swedish.-Life and career:...
and is commonly known as the "March of the Finnish Cavalry during the Thirty Years War". The Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
army officially adopted it for use in 1891; it is now a standard of the German marching band repertoire.
The march is the official regimental march of the Swedish 19th Infantry regiment, "I19". The Swedish cavalry regiment "K1" also claims the march as "theirs" because of their heritage from the Finnish cavalry in the late 1700th.
The Finnish composer Uuno Klami
Uuno Klami
Uuno Klami was a Finnish composer. He was born in Virolahti. Many of his works are related to the Kalevala. He was also influenced by French music, in particularly by Maurice Ravel and the group Les Six...
developed a free orchestral version of this theme under the title "Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi" ("March of the Finnish Cavalry" op. 28) in 1939. The Finnish poet Eino Leino
Eino Leino
Eino Leino was a Finnish poet and journalist and is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry. His poems combine modern and Finnish folk elements. The style of much of his work is like the Kalevala and folk songs. Nature, love, and despair are frequent themes in Leino's work...
published another "Hakkapeliittain Marssi" as part of a collection by the name of Tähtitarha ("Garden of stars") in 1912.
Names of the song in different languages: (see Swedish Wikipedia article) or Schwedischer Reitermarsch ("Swedish Cavalry March")
Finnish lyrics
-
- On Pohjolan hangissa meill' isänmaa
- sen rannalla loimuta lietemme saa
- käs' säilöjä käyttäiss' on varttunut siell'
- on kunnialle, uskolle hehkunut miel'
- Kun ratsujamme Nevan vuossa uitettihin
- kuin häihin se ui yli Veikselinkin;
- Ja kalpamme kostavan Reinille toi
- ja Tonavasta Keisarin maljan se joi!
Alternative lyrics
-
- On pohjolan hangissa maa isien
- saa loimuta lietemme rannoilla sen
- me kasvoimme kalpaan mi mainetta suo
- ja uskon huomisen kun sä luontoomme luot
- Ja ratsuamme Nevan vuossa juotettihin
- se uljaasti ui yli Leipz-Erikin!
- Se kalpamme Reinin rannalle toi
- ja Tonavasta Keisarin maljan se joi!
- Yli rovion tuhkan kun karautamme
- tuli kipunoi kavioista ratsujemme!
- Ja missä nämä säilämme säihkyy ja lyö
- siel vapaus on kallistunut ja väistyköön!
Original Swedish lyrics
-
- Den snöiga nord är vårt fädernesland,
- där sprakar vår härd på den stormiga strand,
- där växte vid svärdet vår seniga arm,
- där glödde för tro och för ära vår barm.
- Vi vattnade i Nevans bad vår frustande häst
- han sam över Weichseln så glad som till fest,
- han bar över Rhen vårt hämnande stål,
- han drack utur Donau kejsarens skål.
- Och rida vi fram över aska och grus,
- så springa ur hofvarna gnistor av ljus,
- så blinkar vart hugg som en strimma sol,
- och frihet går ut från den ljungande pol.
- Var tröst, du som suckar i mörker och band!
- Vi komma, vi komma, vi lösa din hand.
- Där pustar ej träl i vår frostiga nord;
- friborne vi rida i fält för Guds ord.
- Vid Breitenfeld vi togo Pappenheim i vår famn;
- vi skrefvo på Kronenbergs brynja vårt namn;
- vi svedde grått skägg för Tilly vid Lech;
- vi blödde med kungsblod vid Lützens häck.
- Och rida vi långt från vårt nordliga spår,
- till glödande druvor och blödande sår,
- så smattra trumpeterna segerbud.
- Hugg in, tappra led! Fram! Med oss är Gud.
Literal English translation
-
- The snowy north is our fatherland;
- there our hearth crackles on the stormy beach.
- There our sinewy arm grew by the sword,
- there our chest burned with faith and honour.
- We watered our snorting horse in the Neva's bath;
- he swam across the Vistula as happy as to a feast,
- he carried our avenging steel over the Rhine,
- he drank the emperor's toast from the Danube.
- And if we ride forth over ash and gravel,
- from the hoofs spring sparks of light,
- each cut glimmers like a ray of sun
- and freedom proceeds from the thundering Pole.
- Take heart, you who dwell in darkness and chains!
- We’re coming, we’re coming, we will free your hand.
- Slaves do not sigh in our frosty North;
- freeborn we ride into the field for God’s word.
- At Breitenfeld we took Pappenheim into our arms;
- we wrote on Kronenberg’s armour our name;
- we burnt Tilly’s beard grey at Lech;
- we bled with our King’s blood at Lützen’s hedge.
- And if we ride far from our northern track,
- to glowing grapes and bleeding wounds,
- then the trumpets call the message of our victory.
- Cut them down, brave ranks! Forward! With us is God.
Poetic English translation
Source: http://tetrad.stanford.edu/list/dbm-listV2-268-275.html-
- Our homeland lies in the snows of the North;
- the hearth of the home glowing warm and strong
- Our hand has grown sure with playing the sword
- and honour and pure faith lies in our record
- At the river Neva our mounts did draw their first blood
- like in a wedding march they went across the VistulaVistulaThe Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
flood - Our swords they did bring to the RhinelandRhinelandHistorically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
's coast - and by the DanubeDanubeThe Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
they raised up the EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
's toast!