Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 16

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words that follow: "Know, the sledge by smith was fas.h.i.+oned, And the boards are bound with iron, 140 And it can withstand the pus.h.i.+ng, And the n.o.ble maiden's struggles."

Then the hapless girl lamented, And bewailed, the copper-belted, Struggled till she broke her fingers, Struggled till her hands were twisted, And she spoke the words which follow: "If you will not now release me, To a lake-fish I'll transform me, In the deepest waves a powan." 150

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words which follow: "Even so you will not 'scape me, I myself as pike will follow."

Then the hapless girl lamented, And bewailed, the copper-belted, Struggled till she broke her fingers, Struggled till her hands were twisted, And she spoke the words which follow: "If you will not now release me, 160 To the wood will I betake me, Hiding in the rocks like ermine."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words which follow: "Even thus you will not 'scape me, For as otter I'll pursue you."

Then the hapless girl lamented, And bewailed, the copper-belted, Struggled till she broke her fingers, Struggled till her hands were twisted, 170 And she spoke the words which follow: "If you will not now release me, As a lark I'll soar above you, And behind the clouds will hide me."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, Answered in the words which follow: "Even thus you will not 'scape me, For as eagle I'll pursue you."

But a little way they journeyed, Short the distance they had traversed, 180 When the horse p.r.i.c.ked ears to listen, And the long-eared steed was shying.

Then her head the maiden lifted, In the snow she saw fresh footprints, And she thereupon inquired, "What has pa.s.sed across our pathway?"

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "'Twas a hare that ran across it."

Then the hapless girl was sighing, Much she sobbed, and much was sighing, 190 And she spoke the words which follow: "Woe to me, unhappy creature!

Better surely had I found it, And my lot were surely better If the hare's track I could follow, In the traces of the Crook-leg.

Than in sledge of such a suitor, 'Neath the rug of one so wrinkled, For the hairs of hare are finer, And his mouth-cleft is more handsome." 200

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, Bit his lips, his head turned sideways, And the sledge drove rattling onward, And a little way they journeyed, When the horse p.r.i.c.ked ears to listen, And the long-eared steed was shying.

Then her head the maiden lifted, In the snow she saw fresh footprints, And she thereupon inquired, "What has pa.s.sed across our pathway?" 210

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "'Twas a fox that ran across it."

Then the hapless girl was sighing, Much she sobbed, and much was sighing, And she spoke the words which follow: "Woe to me, unhappy creature, Better surely had I found it, And my lot were surely better, Were I riding in a fox-sledge, And in Lapland sledge were fleeing, 220 Than in sledge of such a suitor, 'Neath the rug of one so wrinkled, For the hairs of fox are finer, And his mouth-cleft is more handsome."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Bit his lips, his head turned sideways, And the sledge drove rattling onward, And a little way they journeyed, When the horse p.r.i.c.ked ears to listen, And the long-eared steed was shying. 230

Then her head the maiden lifted, In the snow she saw fresh footprints, And she thereupon inquired, "What has pa.s.sed across our pathway?"

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "'Twas a wolf that ran across it."

Then the hapless girl was sighing, Much she sobbed, and much was sighing, And she spoke the words which follow: "Woe to me, unhappy creature! 240 Better surely had I found it, And my lot were surely better If a growling wolf I followed, Tracked the pathway of the Snouted, Than in sledge of such a suitor, 'Neath the rug of one so wrinkled, For the hair of wolf is finer, And his mouth-cleft is more handsome."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Bit his lips, his head turned sideways, 250 And the sledge drove rattling onwards, And at night they reached a village.

With the journey overwearied, Slept the smith, and slept profoundly, And another than her husband Made the girl laugh as he slept there.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen In the morning when he wakened, Mouth and head both twisted sideways, Tossed his black hair in disorder. 260

After this, smith Ilmarinen Pondered till he spoke as follows: "Shall I now commence my singing, Shall I sing a bride like this one, To a creature of the forest, Or a creature of the water?

"Not to forest beast I'll sing her, All the forest would be troubled; Neither to a water-creature, Lest the fishes all should shun her; 270 Better slay her with my hanger, With my sword will I despatch her."

But the sword perceived his object, Understood the hero's language, And it spoke the words which follow: "Not for this was I constructed, That I should despatch the women, And the weak I thus should slaughter."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Presently commenced his singing, 280 And began to speak in anger, Sung his wife into a seamew, Thenceforth round the cliffs to clamour, Scream upon the rocks in water, Moan around the jutting headlands, Struggle with the winds against her.

After this smith Ilmarinen In his sledge again dashed forward, And the sledge drove rattling onward, Head bowed down in great depression, 290 Back he journeyed to his country, Till he reached the well-known regions.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Came upon the road to meet him, And began to speak as follows: "Ilmarinen, smith and brother, Wherefore is your mood so gloomy, Wherefore is your cap pushed sideways, As from Pohjola thou comest?

How at Pohjola exist they?" 300

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "How at Pohjola exist they?

There the Sampo grinds for ever, And revolves the pictured cover, And one day it grinds provisions, Grinds for sale upon the second, On the third what needs the household.

"Thus I speak, and tell you truly, And again repeat it to you, How at Pohjola exist they, 310 When at Pohjola's the Sampo!

There is ploughing, there is sowing, There is every kind of increase, And their welfare is eternal."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Ilmarinen, smith and brother, Where hast thou thy wife abandoned, Where thy youthful bride so famous, That you here return without her, Ever driving homeward wifeless?" 320

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, Answered in the words which follow: "Such a wife she was, I sang her To the sea-cliffs as a seamew; Now she screams aloud as seagull, Shrieks aloud without cessation, Moans about the rocks in water, And around the cliffs she clamours."

RUNO x.x.xIX.--THE EXPEDITION AGAINST POHJOLA

_Argument_

Vainamoinen persuades Ilmarinen to go with him to Pohjola to bring away the Sampo. Ilmarinen consents, and the heroes start off on their journey in a boat (1-330). Lemminkainen hails them from the sh.o.r.e, and on hearing where they are going, proposes to join them, and is accepted as a third comrade (331-426).

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Uttered then the words which follow: "O thou smith, O Ilmarinen, Unto Pohjola we'll travel, And will seize this splendid Sampo, And behold its pictured cover."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words which follow: "No, we cannot seize the Sampo, Cannot bring the pictured cover, 10 From the gloomy land of Pohja, Sariola for ever misty.

There the Sampo has been carried, And removed the pictured cover Unto Pohjola's stone mountain, And within the hill of copper.

There by nine locks is it fastened, And three roots have sprouted from it, Firmly fixed, nine fathoms deeply.

In the earth the first is rooted, 20 By the water's edge the second, And the third within the home-hill."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "O thou smith, my dearest brother, Unto Pohjola we'll travel, And will carry off the Sampo.

Let us build a s.h.i.+p enormous, Fit to carry off the Sampo, And convey the pictured cover, Forth from Pohjola's stone mountain, 30 From within the hill of copper, And the ninefold locks that hold it."

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "Safest is by land the journey.

Lempo on the lake is brooding, Death upon its mighty surface, And the wind might drive us onward, And the tempest might o'erturn us; We might have to row with fingers, And to use our hands for steering." 40

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Safest is by land the journey, Safest, but the most fatiguing, And moreover, full of windings.

Pleasant 'tis in boat on water, Swaying as the boat glides onward, Gliding o'er the sparkling water, Driving o'er its s.h.i.+ning surface, While the wind the boat is rocking, And the waves drive on the vessel, 50 While the west-wind rocks it gently, And the south-wind drives it onward, But let this be as it may be, If you do not like the lake-voyage, We by land can journey thither, And along the sh.o.r.e can journey.

"First a new sword do you forge me, Make me now a keen-edged weapon, So that I with beasts can struggle, Chase away the folks of Pohja. 60 Forth I go to seize the Sampo, From the cold and dismal village, From the gloomy land of Pohja, Sariola for ever misty."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen He the great primeval craftsman, Cast some iron in the fire, Steel upon the glowing charcoal, And of gold he took a handful, And of silver took a handful, 70 Set the slaves to work the bellows, And he made the labourers press them.

Worked the slaves the bellows strongly, Well the labourers pressed the bellows, Till like soup spread out the iron, And like dough the steel was yielding, And the silver shone like water, And the gold swelled up like billows.