collected by M. A. Castrén (fieldwork 1842–1849, pub. 1940)

These five songs belong to the oral tradition of the Nenets (Yurak Samoyeds), the reindeer-herding people of the western Siberian tundra and the Yamal Peninsula. They were recorded by the Finnish linguist and ethnographer Matthias Alexander Castrén (1813–1852) during his Siberian expeditions of the 1840s — journeys through lands never before visited by a European scholar, which produced the most comprehensive record of the Samoyed peoples to that date. Castrén did not survive to publish the bulk of his material; he died of tuberculosis at thirty-eight. His song transcriptions were edited posthumously by Toivo Lehtisalo and published as Samojedische Volksdichtung (SUST LXXXIII) by the Finno-Ugrian Society in Helsinki, 1940.

The collection contains nineteen Nenets songs in Castrén's phonetic transcription alongside German prose translations. Songs 1–10 are epic heroic narratives (sjudbabts'). Songs 11–12 are ordinary narrative songs (hįnnabts'). Song 13 is a lament (jārabts'). Songs 15–18 are euphoria or intoxication songs (jābje'ma) — performed during ecstatic drinking celebrations at Russian trading posts and church fairs, where Nenets reindeer herders encountered the colonial economy of the Tsar's frontier. Song 19 is a shaman song (sām badabts') — an account of a shamanic séance dictated to Castrén by a shaman in the village of Sjomža in December 1842.

The euphoria songs document a world of collision: the orphan rowing a Russian boat, the herder drunk before the Orthodox cathedral, the lover visiting a tent while the men are out hunting geese. These are not sacred texts in the liturgical sense — they are the raw voice of a tundra people navigating the pressures of Russian colonization, singing their joys and sorrows in a form that predates written Nenets literature by a century. Song 19, the Shaman Song, is of a different order entirely: a complete account of a shamanic journey through the spirit world, with the sky-tree, the cloud-sled, the blood-river, the iron tent, and the shaman's self-dissolution in fire — the oldest recorded Nenets shamanic text.

The translation chain is honestly acknowledged: Nenets (oral) → Castrén's phonetic field notation → German prose translation (Lehtisalo, 1940) → English (NTAC, 2026). The English is independently derived from the German text; no prior English translation of these songs exists. Castrén's notes (Erklärungen, pp. 344–350) have been used to clarify obscure passages.

Song 15 — The Sea-Journey

Euphoria song (jābje'ma)

A shipwreck, a drifting, a shape-change, a captivity, and a homecoming.

We let ourselves down
into the middle of the sea —
into the sea we let ourselves down.
I swim, driven by the water,
in the turning current — in the throat of the whirlpool —
our vessel went under.

A board remained.
I sat upon it.
A board remained —
on nothing but the board,
seven days.

After a week,
in the direction before me
an island — look — is visible.
The board drifts
toward the island.

Coming near,
it was no island —
a small tree driven by the current,
a small tree it was.

The small tree I took in my hand:
hard dried blood it was.
The hard blood I threw away.

"Surely I killed
my young master —
to me he had been good."

I go forth.
Where do I go forth?
Now — where do I go?

Taking the form of a seal
I dived.
After seven,
seven days,
in the form of a seal
I set out on the way.

After seven,
seven days,
in the direction before me —
land — look — is visible.

In clear weather,
in still weather,
a boat — look — came down.
The boat comes toward me,
toward me it comes.

I dived.
One heard him say:
"Look — a seal was to be seen.
At this place
he will likely come up."

In human form
I came up.
The boat's edge I seized.

I said:
"Do not kill me!"

My hands they bound
behind my back.
Away they took me.

They said:
"Your companion — you brought him where?
Where did you bring him?"

My elder master
came, his hands in his pockets.
My flat hands I show.
My elder master
seized my flat hands.

He said:
"You are not guilty."

He said:
"In the turning current
their boat went under.
One remained —
a board remained
on which he sat.

On the board,
in the middle of the sea,
he swam
seven days long.

In the direction before him
an island became visible.
Coming near,
it was no island —
a tree driven by the water it was.

The tree driven by the water he seized —
a tree driven by the water it was not:
hard dried blood it was.
The hard blood he threw.
From that place
his coming was visible
in the form of a seal.

The small tree driven by the water —
had he not seized it,
he would have spoken for himself."

They set me free.
With the elder,
with my master —
then we went.
Home we went.

Song 16 — The Orphan

Euphoria song (jābje'ma)

An orphaned child, alone on the Russian sea, rowing until his hands blister.

My mother, my father
died together.
Me they left
all alone.

After my mother's death,
after my father's death —
on a Russian boat only,
at the rudder of the boat only,
my hands grow stiff,
on my hands come blisters.

Only then —
after the second year —
I went out
upon the great sea.

My hands grew stiff.
On my hands came blisters.
I weep outright:
my father left behind —
left behind debts,
about a thousand,
about four hundred.

Song 17 — The Bright Ones at the Church

Euphoria song (jābje'ma)

A herder drinks at the Russian cathedral, tangles his reindeer, and defends himself to his father. Castrén's note identifies the "four bright ones" as the singer's draft reindeer, tied outside the Orthodox church during services.

My four bright ones
stand before the main church.

To the point of unconsciousness
I drank.
My eyes grew clear:

my companions have left me —
they have left me.

At the hitching-post
my four bright ones
have tangled in the traces.
I freed them.
To my tent I went.

My father said:
"Dog-bastard —
you drink too much."

I said:
"When I drink,
to unconsciousness
I absolutely do not drink.
My four bright ones
I have in no way drunk away."

Song 18 — The Four White Ones

Euphoria song (jābje'ma)

A night journey to a woman's tent, and a hasty departure when the men return.

I caught
my four white ones.
I harnessed
my four white ones.
I drive them —
my four white ones —
into a far-off region
I drive
my four white ones.

To the tents I came.
The dogs began to bark.
My four white ones
I tied up.
To the tent on foot I went.

The door I opened.
In the great tent —
no one,
a single woman.

I said:
"Your companions — where did they go?"

The single woman said:
"My companions may have gone
on the goose-hunt they may have gone."

I said:
"My beloved —
make my bed!"

The bed she began to make.
We lay down to sleep.

By the heat of my companion,
by the heat of her body,
we awoke.

The goose-hunters have come.
At my side-reindeer, my white reindeer bull —
they cut through the harness.

Hearing this,
I leapt out.
My reindeer bull I caught.
My reindeer bull I harnessed.
I drove on —
my four white ones.
To my tent I came.
My reindeer I set free.

Song 19 — The Shaman Song

Shaman song (sām badabts')

The only shaman song in the collection. Castrén's notes identify the singer as a shaman (tadibe) who dictated this text in the village of Sjomža in December 1842. The song describes a complete shamanic séance: the grasping of the sky-tree (the shamanic pole or world-pillar), the flight on the great cloud-sled, the crossing of the blood-river, the entry into the iron tent, and the shaman's dissolution in fire — which Castrén's manuscript glosses as "he lays himself down on the fire to sleep, in order to perish," adding that after the séance the shaman-form is destroyed, to be reborn stronger than before.

Then I seized it —
my sky-tree I seized.
How many are my companions —
let them bow before me!

On their feet at once they leapt.
Then they took it in their lap.

"The smallest of my seven —
my sky-reindeer, harness it!
At the guide-rein of my reindeer — hold!"

The great sled of the Cloud-Hill-Peninsula —
the great sled began to glide.

Then we found it —
the bear-moss ridge we found.
At the foot of the bear-moss ridge
is the grass-mound.

The grass-mound they pierced —
seven lizards pierced it through.

"Mother of the Lizard, my grandmother —
a boy only give!
As my companion only give!"

The Son of the Lizard, my companion,
pierced my side at the belt.

An ice-ridge we found.
Beside the ice-ridge
was the blood-river.

From the blood-river slides
the rapids — only slides.
In the swift of the blood-river,
those who try to cut themselves —
their hair only flutters.

Over the blood-river I drew a line.
With the flat of my hand I drew the line.
The blood-river ceased.
The rapids ceased.
Over the blood-river we went.

The iron tent we found.
Into the iron tent I stepped.
Seven women sat.

My seven I embraced —
I took them to my breast.
Seven boys they wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Then the great sled began to glide —
the sled of the Cloud-Hill-Peninsula.
At our tent we arrived.

"Our idol-reindeer — unyoke it,
the smallest of my seven!
To my resting-place I make haste.

Each of my companions,
to your resting-place — go!
Of the seven, let one remain —
only one remain!"

My sky-tree they took away.

A good resting-place I did not find.
In the middle of the fire
I dissolved in my limbs.

Colophon

Five Nenets (Yurak Samoyedic) folk songs from the fieldwork of Matthias Alexander Castrén (1813–1852), collected during his Siberian expeditions of 1842–1849. Published posthumously by Toivo Lehtisalo as Samojedische Volksdichtung, Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia (SUST) LXXXIII, Helsinki, 1940. Songs 15–18 (pp. 295–302) are euphoria songs (jābje'ma); Song 19 (pp. 302–304) is a shaman song (sām badabts'). The German prose translations were rendered into English for the Good Work Library; no prior English translation exists. Castrén's explanatory notes (Erklärungen, pp. 344–350) provided essential context, particularly for Song 19.

Translation chain: Nenets (oral, 1840s) → Finnish field notes (Castrén) → German prose translation (Lehtisalo, 1940) → English (NTAC, 2026). The English is independently derived from the German text. The Nenets source text is presented below in Castrén's phonetic transcription.

Compiled, translated, and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Samojedische Volksdichtung (SUST LXXXIII, 1940)

Nenets (Jurak Samoyedic) source text in M. A. Castrén's phonetic transcription, from pp. 295–304 of Samojedische Volksdichtung, edited by T. Lehtisalo (Helsinki, 1940). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Song 15

manji kāmjinfah)
jāmda kāmjin(ah).
sjurnje jëndatah
anouu tsajah.
5 ob kājuu(v)eh,
manj ūmdeāmfuh),
lāta hājuu(v)eh,
lātakōri njenje
jāsida jērmjeh
10 manj hūljurŋamfah)
siu(ho) jāleh.
siu ŋāsanganah
njār am njāna
o òi aòòa;
15 lāta jiētkiembi
om jiētkiembi.
jānai(n) dauos
o njeuuvvefeh),
huuko beäkutse
20 beäkutse euueh.
beäkutsemfah) njamam(ah),
seälvuko euuveh,
seälvum mirnipteufuh).
»heles hāòaufuh)
25 njuôeāuh jervuu-uh,
njānan savosh.»
manj hāntam-uh
hun kāntamfuh)
tjätan kantamfuh)?
30 seak mir muats
manj mįlkadamfah),
siu(hō) jālēh
jāli ŋāsanganah
seäk mir muats
35 manj joamdamah.
siu(hō) jāle(eh)
siu ŋāsanganah
jāli ŋāsanganah
njēram njāna
40 ja òi aôôa.
hājar numgana
hānjuk numgana
ano òi hāmna,
ano jiëtkembi
45 sju jieťkembi.
manj mįlkadamfah).
pįdafeh) māmnōdafah):
»seäk ôi aôis,
tjeum birhana
50 tarpuvan gavī-ih.»
nients mirkana
manj darppujiiduh).
ano vār njamamfuh).
manj daremmamfah):
55 »sju njoda kōdafah)!»
uôin siara(ah)
mahakon njāh,
sju hāna(ah),
pidan daremmah:
60 »njīd hānsān(ah)
huna hānsān-ah?»
ārkau jĕruou
sānoptįtjeusa do,
peāih lisolamfah).
65 ārkau jēruou
pĕin njāmafah).
pįôa daremmah:
»pur seäla jānguh.»
pįôa daremmah:
70 »sjurnje jëndat(ah)
anodan seijuuveh,
ob kājuueh,
pįda āmdesjandah
lāta hājuuvih.
75 lātakōri njenje
jāsida jermje
hūljurmueh
siu jāle jāmpāh.
njērda njāna
80 oh aôimuih,
jānain dauos
o njeuuvve(eh),
huuko euuih.
huukom njamuufeh),
85 huuko njeuuēfeh),
seälvuko euuvefeh).
seälvum mirnipteu(eh),
tjika jādanda(ah)
tūmada aòī
90 seak mir muads.
huukum beäkutsem(ah)
njipnjanda njamfah)
hartta vualnis.»
siu eäÒaraiah).
95 ārkkakonjāfah)
jērukonjā(ah)
tad hajen(eh)
haradan hajen(eh).

Song 16

njeväu nisjau
obkana hangāh,
siu hājingāh
pili ōpurís.
5 njewen hāmādfa)
nisjen hāmād(a)
lutseh anorīeh
āno laberīeh
uòin häeuotsu'ah,
10 uôin jidimsu'ah.
tjikarinō'oh
ānirn bo djēnjeh
tāvi hajem'ah
ārkka jau jierah.
15 uòin haeuā'ah,
uôin jidime'eh.
pili jārtsetimʼnh:
nisjau haijes
atjeu hājes
20 jujurum bir'ah
tjet jurum bir'ah.

Song 17

tjāt jālikou
sobórnoi ŋellna.
jĭsi jabĕumaua.
saeuan jālamāh:
5 njin hājuuīHh
siu hājuuťih.
sjārulovāna
tjat jalikou
sōôo wānuuvúih.
10 man sībudam'ah,
meäkan hajemʼnh.
nisjau darem mah:
»wuan njauôī,
ōka jābien.»
15 man daremmamah
»jābibanō-uh
jīsi vonim jāběh.
tjat jalikou
or vansimŕah.»

Song 18

manj njámamfah)
tjätum serkou,
manj poaderŋamfah)
tjätum serkou,
5 manj hariem(ah)
tjätum serkov,
jāsidlinjah)
manj harebimfah)
tjätum serkow.
10 meäk tauiu(uh),
wuan māōlidfah).
tjätum serkow
manj sjārámʼnh,
meāt(a) jāđaljuuHah).
15 njom tjāòaòamʼnh,
meäkī meäknah
huvihalti jānguh,
ōleri njējéh.
manj daremmamfah):
20 »njīda kuni hāsefeh)?»
ōleri njējeh
puòa darem' mah:
»njīna keauke-eh
japtunsi heauke-eh.»
25 manj daremmam(ah):
»niēdansiuh,
w(u)audu(İh) mīh!»
w(u)aun dāngulmui'feh),
manj gōnajinfih).
30 njān jāduñ'eh
aj jādurī'eh
hōnrāruvanje.
jāptunda tauvťih,
pēléim seram gāpitamah
35 pōderō mada'ah.
tarsém namdahōsi
pin sanojiu'fah),
ìiāptúu njamáu,
hāptuu poaderŋam'(ah),
40 manj hariemʼnh
tjätum serkoiv.
meäkan daeujiu'uh,
írōa edamah.

Song 19

tāvida njammaguemʼnh
nūu(v)undain pōdertsun,
nuumbeau njammaguemʼnh
teān jīnjen moaptsun!»
seämeān njāsanjin
suumbuda kāmarŋajeʼnh!
5 ata njim barttamuadaʼnh,
tāveda lorvadāʼnh.
»seävin anji njōtskoʼnh
nū(v)un dain pōdertsun,
teān jīnjen moaptsun!»
10 tjīrin salja haniejōʼnh
haniiō kaijehalīʼnh.
tāveda hōningāuaʼnh
njārtson goim gōningauaʼnh,
njārtson goin tjāngana
15 lōrtsa sieda tanjuuʼnh,
lōrtsam siedani pōrjuuīʼnh
siu tānsa pōrjuuīʼnh.
Hānsa nieve hādakau,
obum njūda tārinjin
20 njātsadan tārinjin!»
tānsa nju njāsanau
hengihīna pōrjuuīʼnh.
sērani goim gōningauaʼnh,
sēran goin gaeuhana
25 heam jihā danjiuīʼnh,
heau jihan gajeparŋah
jēnlalida hajeparŋah,
heau jihā jëntakana
matorajeh kōritsanaʼnh
30 ēaptaridan tįrtsonāʼnh.
heau jiham jiēnauemʼnh
peāndjundi jiēnauemʼnh,
heau jiham matsedāʼnh
jientalida matsedāʼnh,
35 heau jiham madāuaʼnh.
jiesi meädam gonaeuaʼnh,
jiesi meätan tjūriuemʼnh,
siu njā arndjuuī-ih,
siu njim māngalŋamʼnh,
40 siu nanim siedavuih-ih.
taveda hajehalī-eh
tjīri(n) sale haniiō'oh.
meäkana taeujina'ah.
»hähen dieua ādasun,
45 sievin ani njōtskō'oh!
seāngahana parumam'ah;
seämeān njāsanjin,
seāngahatta kaeriŋādā'ah!
siuhatt hājurngajēh
50 ōlerida kājurngajēh!»
nuumbeau hānūiťeh.
sauvam sieŋam nimsi hō'oh,
tun jier'an saptsiodam'ah.

Source Colophon

Nenets (Jurak Samoyedic) source text from M. A. Castrén, Samojedische Volksdichtung, edited by T. Lehtisalo, Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia (SUST) LXXXIII, Helsinki, 1940, pp. 295–304. Freely available through Fenno-Ugrica, National Library of Finland (handle: 10024/89921). Castrén's phonetic transcription represents 1840s Nenets dialects from the Archangel area (European tundra) and the Obdorsk area (West Siberia), recorded during his expeditions of 1842–1844 and 1845–1849. The transcription system uses diacritics not found in modern Nenets orthography.

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