maankorvessa

My wandering mind took me to this wonderful version of an old song that my Mom used to sing to me! In my head are the visuals of many paintings of a child, wandering a treacherous path through the wilderness, her hand in the hand of a benevolent angel.

Only, I often wondered, why didn't the angel just pick the child up? Some lesson there about self-actualization, probably unintended, because the legend is that the writer of the lyrics was dead drunk when he wrote the lines, having just been thrown in the drunk-tank by the police...

Take it for whatever you want, I love this version of a childhood favorite of mine!

Below is a more traditional version.



Maan korvessa kulkevi lapsosen tie
In the wilderness of earth goes a child's way
hänt' ihana enkeli kotiihin vie
A lovely angel takes her home
niin pitkä on matka ei kotia näy
The journey is so long, she can't see home
vaan ihana enkeli vieressä käy
But the lovely angel walks by her side
vaan ihana enkeli vieressä käy
But the lovely angel walks by her side

On pimeä korpi ja kivinen tie
It is dark wilderness and the way is rocky
Ja usein se käytävä liukaskin lie
And often this corridor may be also slippery
Oi pianhan se lapsonen langeta vois
Oh, soon could this child fall
Jos ei käsi enkelin kädessä ois
If she was not hand in hand with the angel
Jos ei käsi enkelin kädessä ois
If she was not hand in hand with the angel

Ja siltikin mustia verkkoja vaan
And still only black nets
On laajalle laskenut korpehen maan
Has widely fallen into the wilderness (of the land)
Niin pianhan niinkin tarttua vois
And soon could she stick to them
Jos ei käsi enkelin kädessä ois
If she was not hand in hand with the angel
Jos ei käsi enkelin kädessä ois
If she was not hand in hand with the angel

maan korvessa kulkevi lapsosen tie
In the wilderness of earth goes a child's way
hänt' ihana enkeli kotihin vie
A lovely angel takes her home
oi laps' ethän koskaan ottaakaan vois'
Oh child, you could not ever take
sä kättäsi enkelin kädestä pois
Your hand away from the angel's hand
sä kättäsi enkelin kädestä pois
Your hand away from the angel's hand

Composed by P.J. Hannikainen Lyrics by Immi Hellén

The second version, from a charity concert, reminds me of a conversation I had on Sunday morning with my running companions. It concerned the glimpses of a larger meaning that we sometimes are privileged to see in the mysterious turns that our lives can take.

As a health care worker, I often struggle with the strange notions people pick up from talking to neighbours and friends. But it seems most often that diseases, particularly cancer, are such taboo subject still, that it's amazing that any information of any kind is disseminated at all (no pun intended!!). Especially if that information concerns anything about the regions of the body below the waist!

So I found a great sense of beauty and symmetry in the story my friend told of how her father, a very athletic guy, faced a diagnosis of bowel cancer with great courage. As a result, his thirteen siblings were inspired to get checked out themselves, and in two of his sisters, polyps were found and removed. Medicine today has observed that polyps are often precursors to cancer. My friend's father believes he was meant to get cancer because he was "chosen" to save his sisters. Not that far-fetched.

It makes me wonder how often we are placed in a situation in which we can be "angels-unaware" to somebody in our lives. If we let go of the people in our lives, withdraw our hand, refuse to go through the trials that are before us, or refuse to allow people to share in our struggles, are we missing an opportunity to be something larger than our usual limited human selves?

Are you tired of this song yet?