Carl Eduard Malm
Carl Eduard Malm (Karl Eduard Malm; 22/10 February 1837 – 14/1 January 1901) was a clergyman, translator of poetry and writer of schoolbooks.
Malm was born and attended school in Tallinn. He studied at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Tartu, obtaining a Candidate of Theology degree and the qualifications of a senior teacher of religious instruction, Greek and Hebrew. He worked as a home tutor and pastor, dean of Lääne-Harju County and assessor of the Consistory of Estonia. Malm was a member of the Learned Estonian Society, later its honorary member. He participated in the activities of the Estonian Literary Association, in the books of which he was one of the first promoters of the new spelling system developed by Eduard Ahrens. Malm died in Rapla and is buried in Rapla cemetery.
Malm’s translations marked a qualitative leap in the translation of poetry into Estonian. His translations of the classics of world literature, such as the ballads of J. W. Goethe, F. Schiller and H. Heine as well as the fables of I. Krylov, are true to the originals, with good verse technique and a rich vocabulary. Malm handled the texts by lesser-known authors more freely, making more adaptions to them. The song Kask (‘Birch’), also known under the title Üks kask meil kasvas õues (‘There Was a Birch Growing in Our Yard’), which has been adapted from the text of W. Müller and performed to the tune of F. Schubert, gained general popularity.
In Malm’s original poems, an important role belongs to meditation with an elegiac tone growing out of nature imagery. He has also written well-rhythmized songs for children. Malm’s originals and translations appeared in the collection of songs and stories Vana ja Uut, Eestirahva ajaviiteks (‘Old and New, for the Pastime of the Estonian People’, 1870, prose pieces by O. W. Masing and Fr. R. Faehlmann) and in the very popular and one of the best school textbooks at the time, Laulud ja Loud (‘Songs and Stories’, 1874), which was issued repeatedly and was in use until the beginning of the 20th century.
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Rapla kirik Harju maal: Rapla kogudusele mälestuseks, ja Laulu-lisa. Tallinn, 1868, 36 lk. [2. trükk: 2001.]
Wana ja uut, Eestirahwa ajawiiteks. Kogumik jutte, luuletusi, kirjutisi. 1. jagu. Tallinn: Lindforsi pärijad, 1870, 126 lk.
Laulud ja Loud. Üks kooli-lugemise raamat. Tallinn: F. Kluge, 1874, 141 lk. [Järgmised trükid: 1875, 1876, 1878, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1888, 1892.]
100 waimuliku laulu, kirikus ja kodu laulda. Revel, 1894, 191 lk.
Meie kuulutame Kristust, kes risti löödud: Jutluse raamat. Rapla õpetaja ja Harju prausti Karl Malm’i enamiste wiimsel elu-aastal (1900. a.) peetud jutlused. Revel, 1903, 447 lk.
