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Hakkapeliittain Marssi

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Wikipedia article


'Hakkapeliittain Marssi' ("March of the 'Hakkapeliittas'") (Swedish: 'Finska Rytteriets Marsch', "March of the Finnish Cavalry") is a Finnish and Swedish military (specifically, cavalry) march, and one of the oldest currently played.

Background



The march 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.

In Finland the march is currently the honorary march of the Finnish Army and the Defence Command.[https://puolustusvoimat.fi/web/historia/maavoimat Maavoimien historia ja perinteet] History of the Finnish Army. Finnish Defence Forces. Retrieved 2020-09-30. Previously the march was used by Hme Cavalry Regiment and Uusimaa Dragoon Regiment with their respective trumpet signals. The march is also the official regimental march of the Swedish Smland Grenadier Corps (No 7), the Karlskrona Grenadier Regiment (I 7), the Smland Hussar Regiment (K 4), the Norrbotten Regiment (I 19) and the Norrbotten Brigade (MekB 19).

The Finnish composer Uuno Klami developed a free orchestral version of this theme under the title "Suomalaisen ratsuven 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 'Thtitarha' ("Garden of stars") in 1912.

Names



The march is known by several names in different languages:

*Finnish:

**'Hakkapeliittain marssi' ("March of the 'Hakkapeliittas'")

**'Suomalaisen ratsuven marssi 30-vuotisessa sodassa' ("March of the Finnish cavalry in the Thirty Years' War")

*Swedish:

**'Finska rytteriets marsch' ("March of the Finnish cavalry")

**'Finska rytteriets marsch i trettioriga kriget' ("March of the Finnish cavalry in the Thirty Years' War")

*German:

**'Marsch der Finnlndischen Reiterei im 30-jhrigen Kriege' ("March of the Finnish cavalry in the Thirty Years' War")

**'Schwedischer Reitermarsch' ("Swedish cavalry march")

Lyrics



Finnish

Original



:; On Pohjolan hangissa meill' isnmaa

:;sen rannalla loimuta lietemme saa

:;ks' silj kyttiss' on varttunut siell'

:;on kunnialle, uskolle hehkunut miel'

:Kun ratsujamme Nevan vuossa uitettihin

:kuin hihin se ui yli Veikselinkin;

:Ja kalpamme kostavan Reinille toi

:ja Tonavasta Keisarin maljan se joi!

:Kun raunion, tuhkan yli lennethn,

:niin kaviotpa loimun luo sihkyvn'

:Jok' isku se hehkuu kuin aamun koi

:ja vapauden puolesta silmme soi!"

Alternative



:;On pohjolan hangissa maa isien

:;saa loimuta lietemme rannoilla sen

:;me kasvoimme kalpaan mi mainetta suo

:;ja uskon huomisen kun s luontoomme luot

:Ja ratsuamme Nevan vuossa juotettihin

:se uljaasti ui yli Veikselinkin!

:Se kalpamme Reinin rannalle toi

:ja Tonavasta Keisarin maljan se joi!

:Yli rovion tuhkan kun karautamme

:tuli kipunoi kavioista ratsujemme!

:Ja miss nm silmme sihkyy ja ly

:siel vapaus on kallistunut ja vistykn!

Swedish

Original



:; Den sniga nord r vrt fdernesland,

:; dr sprakar vr hrd p den stormiga strand,

:; dr vxte vid svrdet vr seniga arm,

:; dr gldde fr tro och fr ra vr barm.

:Vi vattnade i Nevans bad vr frustande hst

:han sam ver Weichseln s glad som till fest,

:han bar ver Rhen vrt hmnande stl,

:han drack utur Donau kejsarens skl.

:Och rida vi fram fver sltter och dld,

:s springa ur hofvarna gnistor af eld,

:s haglar vrt hugg som ett hammarslag,

:s ljusnar fr vrlden en framtids dag.

:Var trst, du som suckar i mrker och band!

:Vi komma, vi komma, vi lsa din hand.

:Dr pustar ej trl i vr frostiga nord;

:friborne vi rida i flt fr Guds ord.

:Vid Breitenfeld vi togo Pappenheim i vr famn;

:vi skrefvo p Kronenbergs brynja vrt namn;

:vi svedde grtt skgg fr Tilly vid Lech;

:vi bldde med kungsblod vid Ltzens hck.

:Och rida vi lngt frn vrt nordliga spr,

:till gldande druvor och bldande sr,

:s smattra trumpeterna segerbud.

:Hugg in, tappra led! Fram! Med oss r Gud.

English

Literal 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 like the blow of a hammer descends

:and for the world a future day dawns.

:Take heart, you who dwell in darkness and chains!

:Were coming, were coming, we will free your hand.

:Slaves do not sigh in our frosty North;

:freeborn we ride into the field for Gods word.

:At Breitenfeld we took Pappenheim into our arms;

:we wrote on Kronenbergs armour our name;

:we burnt Tillys beard grey at Lech;

:we bled with our Kings blood at Ltzens 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 translation



:;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 Vistula flood

:Our swords they did bring to the Rhineland's coast

:and by the Danube they raised up the Emperor's toast!

:And if forth over ash and gravel we ride,

:the hoofs sparking light from its hidden hide;

:Like a dawn, every hit will brightly shine

:and for freedom our blades very audible chime!

:Like a dawn, every hit will brightly shine

:and for freedom our blades very audible chime!

Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050319000333/http://tetrad.stanford.edu/list/dbm-listV2-268-275.html]


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