Arto -- Tack! [What's THAT in Finnish?] This is so cool!

And this partially explains why [yes, I was listening to it over and over once I got the lyrics printed out] I was hearing t substituted with almost a d sound in some places and with a harder t in others.

But I want to learn more and this seems like a perfect song to keep teaching us with.

The Swedish ä is like the a in ask. I notice that sometimes it is in Finnish, too, but not always. When are vowels hard and when soft? [And yes, I keep singing Kylä as tho it were Swedish -- -- Gotta break myself of that one.

AND I want more verses.

Oh, and there's the issue of the translated words making no sense to my non-Finnish mind. Why would they think the brother would come with nothing? And where is the brother in all this? Does he accompany the bride on the boat? Are the singers on land or on other boats [In Sweden, the fiddlers travel with the bride in the boats]? And what's this with the horse? Where'd HE come from? Who's riding?

Okay. I'll be quiet now ....

Barb