Sentinel
30th December 2010, 17:03
So, I've gotten a shitload of old finnish communist records from my mother. One song that is just so fucking awesome, is called 'The Ballad of Comrade Viljanen'. Here it is, with a translation by me. Sorry about the crappiness of the translation, I'm not a professional translator or even less a poet (lol), but listen to it and read the text which great.
For reference, the actual Okhrana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okhrana) was the secret police of Czar Russia, but the name was used derogatively by leftists to describe the secret police of Finland after the country had gotten it's independence from Russia in 1917. Until after WWII, Finland was a country sharply divided between the left and the right after a civil war between the classes, or a failed revolution if you will, in 1918.
There were many people like Viljanen -- I'm not sure if he was an actual person, but probably he was -- communists that were murdered by the government of Finland, especially during WWII, which is referred to in the song.
L_woJ2YgpTg
Surely you remember comrade Viljanen and the 'hotel of Okhrana'
Surely you remember the cool June night, when Viljanen disappeared
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
When we were accused of treason, Viljanen only said
Honourable Judge, if you excuse me, I will go out to laugh
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
There was something about Viljanen's smile, that annoyed the Okhrana
When his torturers got tired, he told them: 'Let's go on'
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
Comrade Viljanen probably knew, what was awaiting him
That early morning, when they came for him
His teeth had been punched in, and his fingers broken
But still there was no sign of humiliation, or the so important confession
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
He knew how prisoners were treated at the Okhrana's
He might have become a dangerous witness
The sun had already risen, and the moisture was gleaming
When Viljanen stood by his grave, looking east
He didn't cry for his own sake, he was only sorry for his brothers
that the lords of Finland were getting killed on the fields of Carelia
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
The memory of Viljanen doesn't call us to crave vengeange in blood
It calls us to bury what's old and to build something new
It calls for the workers of Finland to join a great front
It calls us to build a better world
We are communists, and we are going to build it
It is our international work and duty
For reference, the actual Okhrana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okhrana) was the secret police of Czar Russia, but the name was used derogatively by leftists to describe the secret police of Finland after the country had gotten it's independence from Russia in 1917. Until after WWII, Finland was a country sharply divided between the left and the right after a civil war between the classes, or a failed revolution if you will, in 1918.
There were many people like Viljanen -- I'm not sure if he was an actual person, but probably he was -- communists that were murdered by the government of Finland, especially during WWII, which is referred to in the song.
L_woJ2YgpTg
Surely you remember comrade Viljanen and the 'hotel of Okhrana'
Surely you remember the cool June night, when Viljanen disappeared
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
When we were accused of treason, Viljanen only said
Honourable Judge, if you excuse me, I will go out to laugh
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
There was something about Viljanen's smile, that annoyed the Okhrana
When his torturers got tired, he told them: 'Let's go on'
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
Comrade Viljanen probably knew, what was awaiting him
That early morning, when they came for him
His teeth had been punched in, and his fingers broken
But still there was no sign of humiliation, or the so important confession
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
He knew how prisoners were treated at the Okhrana's
He might have become a dangerous witness
The sun had already risen, and the moisture was gleaming
When Viljanen stood by his grave, looking east
He didn't cry for his own sake, he was only sorry for his brothers
that the lords of Finland were getting killed on the fields of Carelia
We were communists, and we still are
We remember comrade Viljanen, who was murdered by the Okhrana
The memory of Viljanen doesn't call us to crave vengeange in blood
It calls us to bury what's old and to build something new
It calls for the workers of Finland to join a great front
It calls us to build a better world
We are communists, and we are going to build it
It is our international work and duty