Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 13

"There I stood, and burst out weeping, Wept for one day and a second, 230 And at length upon the third day, Then I climbed a mighty mountain, To the peak of all the highest.

On the peak I called and shouted, And the woods made answer to me, While the heaths re-echoed likewise: 'Do not call, O girl so senseless, Shout not, void of understanding!

There is no one who can hear you, None at home to hear your shouting.' 240

"Then upon the third and fourth days, Lastly on the fifth and sixth days, I to take my life attempted, Tried to hurl me to destruction, But by no means did I perish, Nor could I, the wretched perish.

"Would that I, poor wretch, had perished, Hapless one, had met destruction, That the second year thereafter, Or the third among the summers, 250 I had shone forth as a gra.s.s-blade, As a lovely flower existed, On the ground a beauteous berry, Even as a scarlet cranberry, Then I had not heard these horrors, Would not now have known these terrors."

Soon as she had finished speaking, And her speech had scarce completed, Quickly from the sledge she darted, And she rushed into the river, 260 In the furious foaming cataract, And amid the raging whirlpool, There she found the death she sought for, There at length did death o'ertake her, Found in Tuonela a refuge, In the waves she found compa.s.sion.

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, From his sledge at once descended, And began to weep full loudly, With a piteous lamentation. 270 "Woe my day, O me unhappy, Woe to me, and all my household, For indeed my very sister, I my mother's child have outraged!

Woe my father, woe my mother, Woe to you, my aged parents, To what purpose have you reared me, Reared me up to be so wretched!

Far more happy were my fortune, Had I ne'er been born or nurtured, 280 Never in the air been strengthened, Never in this world had entered.

Wrongly I by death was treated, Nor disease has acted wisely, That they did not fall upon me, And when two nights old destroy me."

With his knife he loosed the collar, From the sledge the chains he severed, On the horse's back he vaulted, On the whitefront steed he galloped, 290 But a little way he galloped, But a little course had traversed, When he reached his father's dwelling, Reached the gra.s.s-plot of his father.

In the yard he found his mother, "O my mother who hast borne me, O that thou, my dearest mother, E'en as soon as thou hadst borne me, In the bath-room smoke hadst laid me, And the bath-house doors had bolted, 300 That amid the smoke I smothered, And when two nights old had perished, Smothered me among the blankets, With the curtain thou hadst choked me, Thrust the cradle in the fire, Pushed it in the burning embers.

"If the village folk had asked thee, 'Why is in the room no cradle?

Wherefore have you locked the bath-house?'

Then might this have been the answer: 310 'In the fire I burned the cradle, Where on hearth the fire is glowing, While I made the malt in bath-house, While the malt was fully sweetened.'"

Then his mother asked him quickly, Asked him thus, the aged woman: "O my son, what happened to thee, What the dreadful news thou bringest?

Seems from Tuonela thou comest; As from Ma.n.a.la thou comest." 320

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "Horrors now must be reported, And most horrible misfortunes.

I have wronged my very sister, And my mother's child dishonoured.

"First I went and paid the taxes, And I also paid the land-dues, And by chance there came a maiden, And I sported with the maiden, 330 And she was my very sister, And the child of mine own mother.

"Thereupon to death she cast her, Plunged herself into destruction, In the furious foaming cataract, And amid the raging whirlpool.

But I cannot now determine Not decide and not imagine How myself to death should cast me, I the hapless one, should slay me, 340 In the mouths of wolves all howling, In the throats of bears all growling, In the whale's vast belly perish, Or between the teeth of lake-pike."

But his mother made him answer: "Do not go, my son, my dearest, To the mouths of wolves all howling, Nor to throats of bears all growling, Neither to the whale's vast belly, Neither to the teeth of lake-pike. 350 Large enough the Cape of Suomi, Wide enough are Savo's borders, For a man to hide from evil, And a criminal conceal him.

Hide thee there for five years, six years, There for nine long years conceal thee, Till a time of peace has reached thee, And the years have calmed thine anguish."

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: 360 "Nay, I will not go in hiding, Fly not forth, a wicked outcast, To the mouth of Death I wander, To the gate of Kalma's courtyard, To the place of furious fighting, To the battle-field of heroes.

Upright still is standing Unto, And the wicked man unfallen, Unavenged my father's sufferings, Unavenged my mother's tear-drops, 370 Counting not my bitter sufferings, Wrongs that I myself have suffered."

RUNO x.x.xVI.--THE DEATH OF KULLERVO

_Argument_

Kullervo prepares for war and leaves home joyfully, for no one but his mother is sorry that he is going to his death (1-154). He comes to Untamola, lays waste the whole district, and burns the homestead (155-250). On returning home he finds his home deserted, and no living thing about the place but an old black dog, with which he goes into the forest to shoot game for food (251-296). While traversing the forest he arrives at the place where he met his sister, and ends his remorse by killing himself with his own sword (297-360).

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, Now prepared himself for battle, And prepared himself for warfare.

For an hour his sword he sharpened, Sharpened spear-points for another.

Then his mother spoke unto him, "Do not go, my son unhappy, Go not to this mighty battle, Go not where the swords are clas.h.i.+ng! 10 He who goes for nought to battle, He who wilful seeks the combat, In the fight shall find his death-wound, And shall perish in the conflict, By the sword-blades shall he perish, Thus shall fall, and thus shall perish.

"If against a goat thou fightest, And wouldst meet in fight a he-goat, Then the goat will overcome thee, In the mud the he-goat cast thee, 20 That like dog thou home returnest, Like a frog returnest homeward."

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "In the swamps I shall not sink me, Nor upon the heath will stumble, In the dwelling-place of ravens, In the fields where crows are croaking.

If I perish in the battle, Sinking on the field of battle, 30 n.o.ble 'tis to fall in battle, Fine 'mid clash of swords to perish, Exquisite the battle-fever, Quickly hence a youth it hurries, Takes him quickly forth from evil, There he falls no more to hunger."

Then his mother spoke and answered, "If you perish in the battle, Who shall cater for your father, And shall tend the old man daily?" 40

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words that follow: "Let him perish on the dust-heap, Leave him in the yard to perish."

"Who shall cater for your mother, And shall tend the old dame daily?"

"Let her die upon a hayc.o.c.k, In the cowshed let her stifle."

"Who shall cater for thy brother, Tend him day by day in future?" 50

"Let him perish in the forest, Let him faint upon the meadow."

"Who shall cater for thy sister, Tend her day by day in future?"

"Let her fall in well, and perish, Let her fall into the wash-tub."

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Just as he his home was leaving, Spoke these words unto his father: "Now farewell, O n.o.ble father! 60 Shall you perhaps be weeping sorely, If you hear that I have perished, And have vanished from the people, And have perished in the battle?"

Then his father gave him answer: "Not for thee shall I be weeping, If I hear that you have perished, For another son I'll rear me, And a better son will rear me, And a son by far more clever." 70

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "Nor for you shall I be weeping, If I hear that you have perished.

I will make me such a father, Mouth of clay, and head of stonework, Eyes of cranberries from the marshes, And a beard of withered stubble, Legs of willow-twigs will make him, Flesh of rotten trees will make him." 80

Then he spoke unto his brother: "Now farewell, my dearest brother.

Shall you weep for my destruction, If you hear that I have perished, And have vanished from the people, And have fallen in the battle?"

But his brother gave him answer, "Not for you shall I be weeping, If I hear that you have perished.

I will find myself a brother, 90 Better brother far than thou art, And a brother twice as handsome."

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "Nor for you shall I be weeping, If I hear that you have perished.

I will make me such a brother, Head of stone, and mouth of sallow, Eyes of cranberries I will make him, Make him hair of withered stubble, 100 Legs of willow-twigs will make him, Flesh of rotten trees will make him."

Then he spoke unto his sister, "Now farewell, my dearest sister.

Shall you weep for my destruction, If you hear that I have perished, And have vanished from the people, And have perished in the battle?"

But his sister gave him answer: "Not for you shall I be weeping, 110 If I hear that you have perished.

I will find myself a brother, Better brother far than thou art, And a brother far more clever."

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "Nor for you shall I be weeping, If I hear that you have perished.