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Krister Stoor Yoiks on Giella Page

Ruovga, ruovga – A Reindeer Calf

(1953 yoik text)

(Orig. Johannes Alexander Nutti, Övre Soppero 1915-66, 1953)

Grunt, grunt, you clear-sounding voice

which is heard much further than the great reindeer bell.

Thus the empty mountains when there is fog

the misty and stormy mountains.

Your clear voice sounds farther than the great reindeer bell

or the note of the great bell

your voice is heard farther.

The calf’s grunting says:

Grunt, you clear-sounding voice

so that the herding boy and girl

hear where you grunt,

your voice in the stormy mountain.

You can go over mountain, over flat valleys,

you are not so close by.

It is heard from afar

it is heard much farther

it is heard for ten miles

when it grunts in fog and the storm

it is heard much farther.

Basic musical pattern of each verse is: F+C C C Bb –– D+C D D C

+ sign indicates a melisma (2 notes sung to one syllable) – first verse begins on E+C

1            ay+ay ju lu la –– lay+ay ju lu la

2            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

3            ru+ovg ga ruog ga –– ªe+el ges jie na [grunt, grunt, clear sound]

4            ru+ovg ga ruog ga –– ªe+el ges jie na                        breath

5            o+o lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu

6            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

7            voy+oy go gul lui –– voy+oy go gul lui [oh, it can be heard, can be heard]

8            gu+uh ki bu go –– stu+or bjellu [farther than the great bell]

(NB: last half verse only 4 syllables)            breath

9            mu+ur ra bor ga –– du+od da ri s(ul) [through trees, fog on the tundra]

10            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

11            ay+ay ju lu la –– lu+u lu lu la

12            loy+oy ju lu lu –– lu+u lu lu la

13            lo+o lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

14            ru+ovg ga ruog ga –– nu+u aht’ reain nár [grunt, grunt, that the herd girl]

15            ni+eid da reai nár –– lu+un ta gu lái [herd boy can hear]

16            go+os don ruv ge –– u+u lu lu lu [where you grunt]            breath

17            loy+oy ju lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu

18            lu+u lu lu la –– loy+oy ju lu la

19            lo+o lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

20            pickup to main verse on C: la – lo+o lo lo la –– lay+ay ju lu la

21            loy+oy ju lu lu –– lu+u lu lu lu            breath

22            vo+oy ja na a –– vu+ost e gier dái [they drive the reindeer against the sun]

23            ma+an ná jo o –– va+a riid bad djel [to go, over mountains]

24            lá+á guid ras tá –– loy+oy ju lu lu [right over the plateaus]            breath

25            lay+ay ju lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu

26            lo+o lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu

27            lo+o lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

28            i+it don leat jur –– da+a sta na ga [you are not at all near]

29            go+o ruo ga stit –– ju+u lu lu lu [when it grunts just once}            breath

30            oy+oy ju lu la –– lu+u lu lu lu

31            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu            breath

32            pickup to main verse on C: na – lay+ay ju lu la –– lu+u lu lu lu

33            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu

34            lu+u lu lu la –– lay+ay ju lu lu