Words to Finnish Songs

[Karen Douglas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Douglas]

I am looking for the words to some Finnish songs that my mother taught my sister and I when we were children. The reason for my query: My sister now has Alzheimer's. I have been told that music from the past often soothes the soul of an individual coping with this dread disease. I would like to sing these songs to her. The first song: The Finnish words to "Are You Sleeping, Are You Sleeping, Brother John, Brother John? I believe it goes something like this, phonetically: "Jaako kulta, Jaako kulta, herra jo, herra jo."

The second song, again, phoentically as I remember it: "Jo no-ska lapsi kulla, jo kak-ee koo-kun kom." (Then two lines that I don't remember) Then, "Nit-noska, Nit-no-ska, jo kak-ee koo-kun kom. Koo-Koo. Koo-Koo. Koo-koo, Koo-koo, Koo-koo."

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Karen

[Merja Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Merja]

Hi Karen,

What a wonderful idea to sing to/with your sister the old songs of her childhood. Music is the way to emotions and they stay longest with a person with Alzheimer, much longer than cognition.

The first song is easy:
Jaakko kulta, Jaakko kulta
Herää jo! Herää jo!
Kellojasi soita! Kellojasi soita!
Pium paum poum
Pium paum poum

The second one I´m not completely sure about but perhaps someone else is. It starts like this:
Jo nouskaa lapsikullat! Jo käki kukkunut on.
Jo nouskaa lapsikullat! Jo käki kukkunut on.

I can´t remember if there is something in between, but the end is something like:
Nyt nouskaa! Nyt nouskaa!
Jo käki kukkunut on.
Kukkuu kukkuu kukkuu

This second song is copyrighted and I couldn´t find the words in the internet and in any of the songbooks I have.

Both are songs you sing to someone you want to wake up.

[Karen Douglas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Douglas]

Thank you!

Dear Merja,

Thank you so much! I am happy to have the correct spelling of the Finnish words. As I read them, I could almost hear my mother singing them!

In "Jo Nouskaa Lapsikullat!," I believe there are two more lines, just before "Nyt nouskaa!" I will keep searching, but want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time to share this much with me.

With warm regards,
Karen