Rikāz rānda - Livonian Folk Song

While making this video I ran into a problem that few of the livonian letters are not supported by Mostra Nuova font, so I had to improvise and use letters from the latvian and estonian alphabet that sound similar to livonian ones.

Lyrics:
Vaņtligid, kui piedāg tikkiž
Kūldatõd um kȭnka pǟl,
Ammõ randõ pǟvaļikīs
Nǟtõ kūldas pālstam sǟl.

Kajāgõn āt õbdizt tībõd,
Samti am um kākuoļõn,
Ōrõnd nei īž tõurõd lībõd
Rāndadīban, sportistõn.

2x:
Mis tēg minnõn kītõt kūldast,
Õbdõst, mis um mōnallõ,
Kīenta vȯtšõmõst um mūldast,
Tulgid īņõz miernaigõ.

Etagõd sīn pūoi eņtš sīlma,
Sīn, kus pǟva lūojõ lǟb;
Kus siz vȯlks kil iļ mōīlma
Neijen rikūzt, kui sǟi nǟb.

Sǟi nǟb neijen kuldm lāistam,
Kuijen tõvā mier īd um,
Siegās vaidõ õbdõ pāistam
Lāinõd tutkāmis kui lum.

2x:
Mis tēg minnõn kītõt kūldast,
Õbdõst, mis um mōnallõ,
Kīenta vȯtšõmõst um mūldast,
Tulgid īņõz miernaigõ.

Illõ ailõb purpur pīla,
Allõ laint um dimanti.
Amā immõr rikāz vīļa
Äbnimtõd ja ädsmingi.

Kädud imlõs kubbõ pānda
Tēg set võikst ja īdsõ sūs
Kītõ sǟi: "Ūod rikāz, rānda,
Seļļizt rikūzt äb ūo mūs."

6x:
Mis tēg minnõn kītõt kūldast,
Õbdõst, mis um mōnallõ,
Kīenta vȯtšõmõst um mūldast,
Tulgid īņõz miernaigõ.

[ikbintom]

I hope the native speaker born in 2020 will one day sing this song :D

[J.Lichthammer]

As a native Hungarian speaker this feels like what English speakers describe Hungarian as. The more I listen the more confused I get. It's like having a stroke in a Hungarian hospital, you can make something out and it sounds familiar but you cant understand it. Such a beautiful language may it live on!

[finncloison]

I got a HUGE opportunity this summer. A camp in Pärnu began teaching livonian! I went there, and it was amazing.

[steelforcezhd]

Rikāz rānda (rich coast)

See how the pine
all golden at the top of the dune,
look how the whole coast
sparkling gold under the sun.

The seagull has silver wings
sailor's velvet dress,
the same expensive clothes
and the sandpiper-athlete.

What are you telling me about gold,
about underground silver,
who wants to find him on earth,
come to the seaside!

Turn your gaze to that side
where the sun sets;
where else in this world is there
as much wealth as there is seen?

There is glittering gold
to the depths of the sea,
and white silver shines
on the crests of the waves, like snow.

A purple cloud floats above
below - emerald wave,
and around - vast treasures,
incomprehensible, draws.


You can only fold your hands
and say with one voice:
"You are rich, shore,
there is no such wealth anywhere else!”

[OG-Finn]

this sounds so interesting, i can spot differences, this sounds like if you mix estonian, finnish and latvian into a language, my brain is having a stroke since i understand something and yet nothing at the same time

[supaman]

As a Latvian, this is so beautiful, I love Livonian folk costumes, language, flag and everything else

[David-fcuu]

Soooo beautiful! The first time I heard something traditional Livonian and I definitely love it.

[da.jarvinen]

это похоже на смесь латышского, эстонского, финского и нескольких диалектов карельского. удивительный язык, прекрасная песня, слушаю десятый раз по кругу

[godzirareborn]

"Currently, the only person whose native language is Livonian is Kuldi Medne who was born in 2020"

[ekkovaan]

It's so weird hearing this as a finn because it's somehow both vaugley familiar and completley alien. Kind of a cool experience actualy.

[GamingJustice]

As an Estonian, I can barely understand anything.
Few sentances or words based on pronounciation were understandable. No clue if that's what they actually mean.
"Nǟtõ kūldas pālstam sǟl" - Näete kuidas paistab sääl (You'll see how it shines there)
"kūldast" - kullast (made of gold)
"Õbdõst" - hõbedast (made of silver; actually I'm not too sure about that, the pronounciation of the Livonian word sounds like something else)
"mūldast" - mullast (made of dirt / from dirt)
"Sīn, kus pǟva lūojõ lǟb"- siin kus päev looja läeb (here where the day sets)
"Seļļizt rikūzt" - sellist rikkust (wealth of this sort)

Definitely sounded more Latvian than Estonian.

[Mazdental]

the baltic nations feel like a free DLC for europe

[schuylerleithulfr]

O, my great brothers and sisters..
Your plight, I know well. We in the Hebrides are the last, Scottish Gaelic speakers.
And we are disappearing.

[viivikottari]

This song makes me yearn for such times that have gone by a long long time ago. So glad i came upon it what a beautiful language

[tedbehr]

80 years ago, our 5th grade chorus learned a lovely, lilting anthem: "Oh Oh Livonia, noble land. Land of sorrows and of joys. In the great stone church, wedding bells are sounding for my true love...." My brother is cruising the Baltic and mentioned the singing traditions of the modern-day countries that were once Livonia. I wonder if any reader has heard it and could steer me to a recording. We Behrs emigrated from Riga in 1840 and may have inherited our own great tradition of family, community, and church singing from that heritage.

[florenna]

I love this song! I must have some Livonian blood, and the truth is, my family from my father's side comes from a small island in Gulf of Finland, where folk is said to have some Livonian blood... And the truth is, "rikas ranta" is Finnish, and this is very, very close.

[soundseffecter]

Beautiful. Thank you for uploading. Always remember of the languages you don't find out about in language selections.

[jeffrey]

Love from an Estonian American.
Though we may be separated, we are still Baltic Brothers.

[maxi]

>While making this video I ran into a problem that few of the livonian letters are not supported by Mostra Nuova font, so I had to improvise and use letters from the latvian and estonian alphabet that sound similar to livonian ones.

Or... you could... just use a different font

Or edit them in yourself, it's really not hard.

[henrykkeszenowicz]

Love the sound of Baltic songs. Livonian language doesn't have to die!