"Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään"
Song by Ivo Linna and In spe
LanguageEstonian
English titleI Am Estonian and I Will Remain Estonian
Genrerock
Lyricist(s)Alo Mattiisen

Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään (Estonian: "I am Estonian and I will remain Estonian") is a protest song from the Estonian Singing Revolution performed by Ivo Linna and the group In Spe with lyrics by Alo Mattiisen.[1][2]

Written despite the official attitude of the Soviet Union that all its citizens were Soviets, rather than the individual nationalities, the lyric makes the singer's contrary position very clear. Loosely translated from Estonian into English, Linna sings "I am an Estonian and I will remain an Estonian/when I was created as an Estonian/Being Estonian is proud and free like a crow/Yes, just like that, freely like our forefathers".

The song is often performed at the Estonian Laulupidu and other patriotic events, as well as being regarded as one of Estonia's favourite songs.

Lyrics

Estonian original English translation

Tuhat korda kas või alata
tuhat aastat tõusu mitte luigelend
oma rahvust maha salata
sama ränk on nagu orjaks müüa end.

Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään,
kui mind eestlaseks loodi.
Eestlane olla on uhke ja hää
vabalt vaarisa moodi.

Tuhat kõuehäälset küsijat
Vaba meri. Põlistalud. Püha muld.
Tuhat korda tuhat püsijat
kõige kiuste elus hoiab püha tuld.

Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään,
kui mind eestlaseks loodi.
Eestlane olla on uhke ja hää
vabalt vaarisa moodi.

Mm... jah, just nõnda vabalt vaarisa moodi.
Nende mehiste meeste moodi.

Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään,
kui mind eestlaseks loodi.
Eestlane olla on uhke ja hää
vabalt vaarisa moodi.

Jah, just nõnda vabalt vaarisa moodi.
Nende mehiste meeste moodi.

A thousand times, even without land
a thousand years of ascension, not swan flight
hiding your nationality
is as bad as selling yourself as a slave.

Estonian I am and Estonian I'll remain,
since I was created Estonian.
Being Estonian is glorious and beautiful
free like our forefathers.

A thousand loud questioners
Free sea. Native farms. Holy soil.
A thousand times, a thousand stalwarts
keep the sacred fire alive despite everything.

Estonian I am and Estonian I'll remain,
since I was created Estonian.
Being Estonian is glorious and beautiful
free like our forefathers.

Mm... Yes, free just like our forefathers.
Like those manly men.

Estonian I am and Estonian I'll remain,
since I was created Estonian.
Being Estonian is glorious and beautiful
free like our forefathers.

Yes, free just like our forefathers.
Like those manly men.

References

  1. Figueroa, Michael; Jones, Jaime; Rommen, Timothy (2022-09-29). Encounters in Ethnomusicology: Essays in Honor of Philip V. Bohlman. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 129. ISBN 978-3-643-91411-8.
  2. Muuseum, Sarah Lavigne, Courtesy of the Betti Alveri. "'You Until Death': how one man's music freed Estonia from Soviet rule". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-27.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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