Weekend Project: Ta Lendab Mesipuu Poole

by CKR

I saw "The Singing Revolution" twice this past week, might see it again. It reminded me of something I've understood quite imperfectly from the last Laulupidu in 2004. This video will give you some of the feeling, I think, although I suspect you had to be there.

I was practically crying with the emotion of the crowd. The memory almost makes me cry now. And the applause insisted on a second singing, which evoked even more emotion.

"Ta lendab mesipuu poole" means "It flies toward the honey tree," obviously referring to a bee. My Estonian isn't good enough to get all the words as they're sung, so I have pondered that title. In the film, there is a reference to the Soviet Union reaching west toward Estonia like a bear toward a honey tree, and just a tiny bit from the song.

So I've found the words:

Ta lendab lillest lillesse,
ja lendab mesipuu poole;
ja tõuseb kõuepilv ülesse -
ta lendab mesipuu poole.

Ja langevad teele tuhanded;
veel koju jõuavad tuhanded
ja viivad vaeva ja hoole
ja lendavad mesipuu poole!

Nii hing, oh hing, sa raskel a'al -
kuis õhkad sa isamaa poole;
kas kodu sa, kas võõral maal -
kuis ihkad sa isamaa poole!

Ja puhugu vastu sull' surmatuul
ja lennaku vastu sull' surmakuul:
sa unustad surma ja hoole
ning tõttad isamaa poole!

I can't quite read it all, but I'm starting to see. Like the bee flies to the honey tree, so my spirit flies toward my homeland. That's not exact; I need to look up some of the words.

And maybe PHK or I will write a review of the film. Quick version: It's a very good film. See it if you can. You don't need to understand Estonian.

Update: The review is here.