Its most familiar lyrics were written in 1872 by Fenno-Swedish poet Zacharias Topelius; the piece is commonly known as the "March of the Finnish Cavalry during the Thirty Years War".

The march is known by several names in different languages: On Pohjolan hangissa meill' isänmaa sen rannalla loimuta lietemme saa; käs' säilöjä käyttäiss' on varttunut siell’ on kunnialle, uskolle hehkunut miel’

Kun raunion, tuhkan yli lennetähän, niin kaviotpa loimun luo säihkyävän' Jok' isku se hehkuu kuin aamun koi ja vapauden puolesta säilämme soi!

On pohjolan hangissa maa isien saa loimuta lietemme rannoilla sen me kasvoimme kalpaan mi mainetta suo ja uskon huomisen kun sä luontoomme luot

We watered our snorting horse in the Neva's bath; he swam across the Vistula as happy as to a feast, he carried our avenging steel over the Rhine, he drank the emperor's toast from the Danube.

And if we ride forth over ash and gravel, from the hoofs spring sparks of light, each cut like the blow of a hammer descends and for the world a future day dawns.

At Breitenfeld we took Pappenheim into our arms; we wrote on Kronenberg’s armour our name; we burnt Tilly’s beard grey at Lech; we bled with our King’s blood at Lützen’s hedge.

At the river Neva our mounts did draw their first blood like in a wedding march they went across the Vistula flood Our swords they did bring to the Rhineland's coast and by the Danube they raised up the Emperor's toast!

And if forth over ash and gravel we ride, the hoofs sparking light from its hidden hide; Like a dawn, every hit will brightly shine and for freedom our blades very audible chime!