Eleanoora Rosenholm: Vainajan muotokuva ENG

[Sami / Fonal]

Black Rose

as the spring came found the police an overgrown pond behind the factory
and corpses sunk in the muddy sole of the pond
the papers wrote the police had no certainty of the guilty
but I suspected they were on my trail, closer then ever before
in the papers they write the murderer is a mentally ill woman
delusional, lost, lonely, irresponsible evil fiend
at night I wake to the scream or their sirens and hounds that cannot find what they search
I’m the girl with a black rose in the palm of her hand and I smile at them from the window
black rose in the palm of my hand, dead man in the house in my arms
Susanna Anna Musta Ruusu ill-fated, took her secret to her grave
police found out only afterwards, I was the girl with a black rose in the palm of her hand
I got the milk cart from the shed, hoisted the body on to it, pushed it out of the yard
behind the factory where I put weights on the feet, waded bare feet into the pond
dragged the corpse into the water, into the middle of the pond pulling the feet, sank
and returned home, prayed in my memory of my father
I wake up at night in my bed, the dead scream after their lives
I see languished faces in the water, I hear the shrieks of the waterlogged men
I scream for their forgiving, I was cruel to ask you to visit
I lay down a black flower on the overgrown pond in their memory
Susanna Anna Musta Ruusu ill-fated, took her secret to her grave
police found out only afterwards, I was the girl with a black rose in the palm of her hand

Japanese Garden

I encounter a samurai, I greet him kindly
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)
Are you Musashi, the great master of the katana?
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)
The night is a gate to the land of Nippon, Japan, Bonzai garden
samurai Musashi shall teach me the way of the sword
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)
earths, waters, fires, winds and the secrets of the void he shall reveal
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)
The night is a gate to the land of Nippon, Japan, Bonzai garden

When I close my eyes, I master the katana
I blow a poison arrow, I disappear in to the shadow
suddenly I throw a shuriken in the dark
I run amongst the samurai and strike with my katana

I am equal to Musashi, open to all eight points of the compass
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)
so it is thus impossible to surprise me ever
(wakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasiwakitsasisai!)

I master the strategy and my cohorts sword
the stroke of the read leaves, firestone nuntsa

When I close my eyes, I master the katana
(manutseoniihaa-aa-a-a-aa aa-aa)
suddenly I throw a shuriken from the dark
(manutseoniihaa-aa-a-a-aa aa-aa)
For a moment I calm down in the golden temple
(manutseoniihaa-aa-a-a-aa aa-aa)
I rest on the side of the steppe and release the arrow on my bow
(manutseoniihaa-aa-a-a-aa aa-aa)

Doors and Rooms

I iron the towels, organise, cook,
put the linens and the cloths in to the drier, I halt
I hear someone whisper: “don’t go into the forbidden rooms, remember”
But sometimes alone I feel bored
I cry in the kitchen and see my distorted face reflected in the window
Housewife I am, a bit lonely
Although there are five children, a husband understanding
I stay in the house during the days, I feel it swallowing me
As I stand in the kitchen alone
The rooms accumulate on the walls around me
Many doors appear and rooms where I shan’t go
I wash the bathtub, change the shower curtain,
straighten it, wash the Dutch tiles on the wall,
I pour the sewage in to the drain, it must be changed before it turns brown
I dust the bookshelf, beat the sofa cushions,
I vacuum, polish the silver, pluck the dried petals and collect them in a small vase
When the family leaves in the morning I stay with my chores
When I wash the dishes blood appears on the them
limping steps drag in to the hallway
I hide in the closet holding a knife
there is something inside the walls slowly gnawing through
doors and rooms forbidden
you cannot enter the rooms

why are there more and more doors?
rooms keep accumulating whether I sleep or am awake

Housewife I am, a bit lonely
Although there are five children, a husband understanding
I stay in the house during the days, I feel it swallowing me
As I stand in the kitchen alone
The rooms accumulate on the walls around me
Many doors appear and rooms where I shan’t go
My husband returns home, looks at me
cluthes my hands asks what has gone in to you
says he cannot recognise his wife anymore
he said he left the children out to play
that is when I raised the axe and plunged it to his head
I saw him turn into something you cannot talk about
You cannot talk about it…

Copycat

letters from the murderer of joyous women
strangler refers to classics
Fellini’s “Rome”, Melville’s “La Samurai”, Godard’s “Pierrot le fou”
pins circle the map of the city on my wall
clues lead to cul-de-sac’s and wrong observations
although I scrutinise the material over and over again
I cannot find the vital clue, I stick post-it-notes on my office windows
I flip through the reports from the crime scenes, fast forward through movies all night, but something doesn’t add up, strangler riddles and refers to classics,
gives keys, clues to observations
why cannot I see the big picture, I am missing the final piece of the puzzle,
keyword is “goldfish”
the last scene of the crime is at the alleyway off St. Petersburg’s plaza
the church is on the left from the alleyway
the memorials form a star with the corpse
the corpse is positioned on the alley as if it was a stranded starfish
the bruises from the strangling look friendly
like the victim had wanted it and did not resist
In which movie does the tracks disappear in to the cold corridors of the mortuary
I am on the wrong track and burnt out
endless classics, in which lies the answer?
I cannot find the vital clue, I stick post-it-notes on my office windows
I flip through the reports from the crime scenes, fast forward through movies all night, but something doesn’t add up

Nice or Naughty

The most sensational princess of the trendiest club, I am all the boys want and dream of
but they cannot touch, they can only look at me
In the glare of the mirror balls I conjure magic, flirt and raise the hem of my skirt
I swing past the counter, give a little wave to the boys
Nice or naughty sometimes, Miss Tsekyl and Haid
two totally different personas, one works during the day, the other goes by night
and I don’t mean I don’t care for boys although I don’t let them on my side
with girls I maybe feel something ardent
my breath hastens in the rhythm of the night, my body tingles,
I throw off the scarf from my shoulders, I know they want me
A thousand fantasies
A moth, I am delicate in the nightclub
I dance, I undress the veil of my inhibitions
I wink my eye, boys cannot have me
I flirt, buy a drink with an umbrella
lift a light cigarette on my lips
I tease, I want to be desired
Nice or naughty sometimes, Miss Tsekyl and Haid
two totally different personas, one works during the day, the other goes by night
All the celebrities tell me,
you should play the piano, be an actor, dancer or a model
someone great who will be remembered
But I cannot wake up at those hours, or go to bed so early
Its easier if I celebrate and at the after party I will show what I can already do
What I can already do!
A moth, I am delicate in the nightclub
I dance, I undress the veil of my inhibitions
I wink my eye, boys cannot have me
I flirt, buy a drink with an umbrella
lift a light cigarette on my lips
I tease, I want to be desired
Waiter please can I have a margarita, an olive
virgin mary and a dry martini
ice please to the boys, there they are needed
I am the most coveted girl of the club and I know it
I stand the jealous eyes on my back
When I’m wanted I am alive
Nice or naughty sometimes, Miss Tsekyl and Haid
two totally different personas, one works during the day, the other goes by night

Building Instructions for a Home

Building instructions for a home
I shall now tell to you how to build a good home
Ill tell you now, how to build a good home
stone foundation must be built on a hill, not on a pit, or the sea
walls and roof are insulated, heating is connected

the chimney must be straight, swept clean and spacious
the air conditioning must work, chimney hatch open, laminated floors
home must be clean and peaceful and you cannot horse around
lamps and drapes must be pretty and fireproof
always now and then remember to apologise when you’ve been mean
in a home you must cook and raise children
hang about, be lively and sometimes you should sleep

End of the World

With the Aurora I cycle along the forests edge
a curving path leads to the shore
like a damsel from a fairytale, I lay down in the hay and enjoy myself
I pick a dried violet from the bank, I lay down my basket
the hot wind plays with my hair like the lover I just left
there is no sounds behind the forest, the sea is completely still
I feel peace in my chest, I see everything flash in to the
flames of the beginning of the annihilation
on my face I feel the burning atmosphere,
I hear the screams of death carried from the fringes of the bay
I can smell the horror, taste the fear and blood on my tongue
at last the end of the world came, the shell of the earth too generous melt
the firewalls of destruction burn away all that’s useless with their kelvins
prayers of the suffering, ash, shrieks
flames bury the begging, the end of the world came at last,
humanity drowned in a stream of lava
on my bicycle, I cycle next to the boiling sea,
dead fish wash in to the shore
I ring the bell as a thank you for sweeping away all that’s useless
I see a power plant collapse in the horizon, people fall with their prayers
I see a storm of flames in the skyline get carried away into a final wave of destruction
this long awaited excursion shall be the final, I leave behind a smile most gentle
once more I smell the violet and taste a cherry from my basket
at last the end of the world came, the shell of the earth too generous melt
the firewalls of destruction burn away all that’s useless with their kelvins
prayers of the suffering, ash, shrieks
flames bury the begging, the end of the world came at last,
humanity drowned in a stream of lava

Lyrics by Mika Rättö, Noora Tommila
Translated by Sami Sänpäkkilä