THEN COULD DEATH COME

A. Oksanen (August Ahlqvist, 1826-1889)

When should Death come,

demise meet me?

Then should death come,

sweet demise meet,

when that girl would give a kiss.

And then could Death come,

harsh demise meet,

when would end the singing,

fade the stream of song.

And then could Death come,

blessed demise meet,

when I would see from exhaustion

my Finland recover,

when I would hear the Finnish language

from the mouth of the whole people of Finland.