Lennä, lennä, leppäkerttu
"A traditional Finnish lullaby in more or less Kalevala metre. Kalevala poems originated in the Finnish iron age. The poems survived as a singing tradition until they were collected and published in written form in the 19th century. Just like Kalevala poems, this little traditional song about a ladybird is still today transferred from parents to their children as a lullaby." -Moorvis2
![Lennä, lennä, leppäkerttu - Finnish Children's Songs - Finland - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image Lennä, lennä, leppäkerttu - Finnish Children's Songs - Finland - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image](https://www.mamalisa.com/images/non_ml_images/prunus-padus-pd.jpg)
Lennä, lennä, leppäkerttu
Fly, Fly Ladybird
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Finnish)
(English)
Lennä, lennä, leppäkerttu,
ison kiven juureen.
Lennä leikkikedon kautta
unipuuhuun suureen.
Kulta-kultalehden alla
äiti puuron keittää.
Unituutu leppäkertun
lämpimästi peittää.
Laula, laula, unilintu,
tuoksu, tuomenterttu.
Nuku, punapaitulainen,
pikku leppäkerttu.
Fly, fly, ladybird*,
To the root of the big rock,
Fly through the playground
To the large dream-tree.
Under the golden-gold leaves,
Mom cooks porridge,
Dream-cradle, the ladybird
She warmly covers.
Sing, sing, dream-bird,
Smell the bird cherry tree clusters**.
Sleep, kind red-smocked
Little ladybird.
Notes
*Ladybird is the British word for ladybug.
**This is the prunus padus tree which is a species of cherry tree. It's native to northern Europe and northern Asia and is known as bird cherry, hackberry, hagberry, or Mayday tree.
![Listen](https://www.mamalisa.com/images/ml_images/listen_english.jpg)
![Watch](https://www.mamalisa.com/images/ml_images/watchEnglish.png)
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated by Lisa Yannucci and Marja-Leena Lounasmaa. Thanks to Christopher Wirtanen for correcting the translation.
Photo by Leo Michels.