Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland Part 18

At thy hand the honored bridegroom, Near the door he waits to lead thee, Guide thee to his home and kindred; At the gate his steed is waiting, Restless champs his silver bridle, And the sledge awaits thy presence.

"Thou wert anxious for a suitor, Ready to accept his offer, Wert in haste to take his jewels, Place his rings upon thy fingers; Now, fair daughter, keep thy promise; To his sledge, with happy footsteps, Hie in haste to join the bridegroom, Gaily journey to the village With thy chosen life-companion, With thy suitor, Ilmarinen.

Little hast thou looked about thee, Hast not raised thine eyes above thee, Beauteous maiden of the Northland, Hast thou made a rueful bargain, Full of wailing thine engagement, And thy marriage full of sorrow, That thy father's ancient cottage Thou art leaving now forever, Leaving also friends and kindred, For the, blacksmith, Ilmarinen?

"O how beautiful thy childhood, In thy father's dwelling-places, Nurtured like a tender flower, Like the strawberry in spring-time Soft thy couch and sweet thy slumber, Warm thy fires and rich thy table; From the fields came corn in plenty, From the highlands, milk and berries, Wheat and barley in abundance, Fish, and fowl, and hare, and bacon, From thy father's fields and forests.

"Never wert thou, child, in sorrow, Never hadst thou grief nor trouble, All thy cares were left to fir-trees, All thy worry to the copses, All thy weeping to the willows, All thy sighing to the lindens, All thy thinking to the aspens And the birches on the mountains, Light and airy as the leaflet, As a b.u.t.terfly in summer, Ruddy as a mountain-berry, Beautiful as vernal flowers.

"Now thou leavest home and kindred, Wanderest to other firesides, Goest to another mother, Other sisters, other brothers, Goest to a second father, To the servant-folk of strangers, From thy native hills and lowlands.

There and here the homes will differ, Happier thy mother's hearth-stone; Other horns will there be sounded, Other portals there swing open, Other hinges there be creaking; There the doors thou canst not enter Like the daughters of Wainola, Canst not tend the fires and ovens As will please the minds of strangers.

"Didst thou think, my fairest maiden, Thou couldst wed and on the morrow Couldst return, if thou shouldst wish it, To thy father's court and dwelling?

Not for one, nor two, nor three days, Wilt thou leave thy mother's chambers, Leave thy sisters and thy brothers, Leave thy father's hills and lowlands.

Long the time the wife must wander, Many months and years must wander, Work, and struggle, all her life long, Even though the mother liveth.

Great, indeed, must be the changes When thou comest back to Pohya, Changed, thy friends and nearest kindred, Changed, thy father's ancient dwellings, Changed, the valleys and the mountains, Other birds will sing thy praises!"

When the mother thus had spoken, Then the daughter spake, departing: "In my early days of childhood Often I intoned these measures: 'Art a virgin, yet no virgin, Guided by an aged mother, In a brother's fields and forests, In the mansion of a father!

Only wilt become a virgin, Only when thou hast a suitor, Only when thou wedst a hero, One foot on the father's threshold, And the other for the snow-sledge That will speed thee and thy husband To his native vales and highlands!'

"I have wished thus many summers, Sang it often in my childhood, Hoped for this as for the flowers, Welcome as the birds of spring-time.

Thus fulfilled are all my wishes, Very near is my departure, One foot on my father's threshold, And the, other for the journey With my husband to his people; Cannot understand the reason That has changed my former feelings, Cannot leave thee now with gladness, Cannot go with great rejoicing From my dear, old home and kindred, Where as maiden I have lingered, From the courts where I was nurtured, From my father's band and guidance, From my faithful mother's counsel.

Now I go, a maid of sorrow, Heavy-hearted to the bridegroom, Like the bride of Night in winter, Like the ice upon the rivers.

"Such is not the mind of others, Other brides of Northland heroes; Others do not leave unhappy, Have no tears, nor cares, nor sorrows, I alas! must weep and murmur, Carry to my grave great sadness, Heart as dark as Death's black river.

"Such the feelings of the happy, Such the minds of merry maidens: Like the early dawn of spring-time, Like the rising Sun in summer No such radiance awaits me, With my young heart filled with terror; Happiness is not my portion, Like the flat-sh.o.r.e of the ocean, Like the dark rift of the storm-cloud, Like the cheerless nights of winter!

Dreary is the day in autumn, Dreary too the autumn evening, Still more dreary is my future!"

An industrious old maiden, Ever guarding home and kindred, Spake these words of doubtful comfort: "Dost thou, beauteous bride, remember, Canst thou not recall my counsels?

These the words that I have taught thee: 'Look not joyfully for suitors, Never heed the tongues of wooers, Look not in the eyes of charmers, At their feet let fall thy vision.

He that hath a mouth for sweetness, He that hath an eye for beauty, Offers little that will comfort; Lempo sits upon his forehead, In his mouth dwells dire Tuoni.'

"Thus, fair bride, did I advise thee, Thus advised my sister's daughter: Should there come the best of suitors, n.o.blest wooers, proudest lovers, Give to all these wisdom-sayings, Let thine answer be as follows: 'Never will I think it wisdom, Never will it be my pleasure, To become a second daughter, Linger with my husband's mother; Never shall I leave my father, Never wander forth to bondage, At the bidding of a bridegroom: Never shall I be a servant, Wife and slave to any hero, Never will I be submissive To the orders of a husband.'

"Fairest bride, thou didst not heed me, Gav'st no thought to my advices, Didst not listen to my counsel; Wittingly thy feet have wandered Into boiling tar and water, Hastened to thy suitor's snow-sledge, To the bear-dens of thy husband, On his sledge to be ill-treated, Carried to his native country, To the bondage of his people, There, a subject to his mother.

Thou hast left thy mother's dwelling, To the schooling of the master; Hard indeed the master's teachings, Little else than constant torture; Ready for thee are his bridles, Ready for thy bands the shackles, Were not forged for any other; Soon, indeed, thou'lt feel the hardness, Feel the weight of thy misfortune, Feel thy second father's censure, And his wife's inhuman treatment, Hear the cold words or thy brother, Quail before thy haughty sister.

"Listen, bride, to what I tell thee: In thy home thou wert a jewel, Wert thy father's pride and pleasure, 'Moonlight,' did thy father call thee, And thy mother called thee 'Suns.h.i.+ne,'

'Sea-foam' did thy brother call thee, And thy sister called thee 'Flower.'

When thou leavest home and kindred Goest to a second mother, Often she will give thee censure, Never treat thee as her daughter, Rarely will she give thee counsel, Never will she sound thy praises.

'Brush-wood,' will the father call thee, 'Sledge of Rags,' thy husband's mother, 'Flight of Stairs,' thy stranger brother, 'Scare-crow,' will the sister call thee, Sister of thy blacksmith-husband; Then wilt think of my good counsels, Then wilt wish in tears and murmurs, That as steam thou hadst ascended, That as smoke thy soul had risen, That as sparks thy life had vanished.

As a bird thou canst not wander From thy nest to circle homeward, Canst not fall and die like leaflets, As the sparks thou canst not perish, Like the smoke thou canst not vanish.

"Youthful bride, and darling sister, Thou hast bartered all thy friends.h.i.+ps, Hast exchanged thy loving father, Thou hast left thy faithful mother For the mother of thy husband; Hast exchanged thy loving brother, Hast renounced thy gentle sister, For the kindred of thy suitor; Hast exchanged thy snow-white covers For the rocky couch of sorrow; Hast exchanged these crystal waters For the waters of Wainola; Hast renounced these sandy sea-sh.o.r.es For the muddy banks of Kalew; Northland glens thou hast forsaken For thy husband's barren meadows; Thou hast left thy berry-mountains For the stubble-fields and deserts.

"Thou, O maiden, hast been thinking Thou wouldst happy be in wedlock; Neither work, nor care, nor sorrow, From this night would be thy portion, With thy husband for protection.

Not to sleep art thou conducted, Not to happiness, nor joyance, Wakefulness, thy night-companion, And thy day-attendant, trouble; Often thou wilt drink of sorrow, Often long for vanished pleasures.

"When at home thou hadst no head-gear, Thou hadst also little sadness; When thy couch was not of linen, No unhappiness came nigh thee; Head-gear brings but pain and sorrow, Linen breeds bad dispositions, Linen brings but deeps of anguish, And the flax untimely mourning.

"Happy in her home, the maiden, Happy at her father's fireside, Like the master in his mansion, Happy with her bows and arrows.

'Tis not thus with married women; Brides of heroes may be likened To the prisoners of Moskva, Held in bondage by their masters.

"As a wife, must weep and labor, Carry trouble on both shoulders; When the next hour pa.s.ses over, Thou must tend the fire and oven, Must prepare thy husband's dinner, Must direct thy master's servants.

When thine evening meal is ready, Thou must search for bidden wisdom In the brain of perch and salmon, In the mouths of ocean whiting, Gather wisdom from the cuckoo, Canst not learn it from thy mother, Mother dear of seven daughters; Cannot find among her treasures Where were born the human instincts, Where were born the minds of heroes, Whence arose the maiden's beauty, Whence the beauty of her tresses, Why all life revives in spring-time.

"Weep, O weep, my pretty young bride.

When thou weepest, weep sincerely, Weep great rivers from thine eyelids, Floods of tears in field and fallow, Lakelets in thy father's dwelling; Weep thy rooms to overflowing, Shed thy tears in great abundance, Lest thou weepest on returning To thy native hills and valleys, When thou visitest thy father In the smoke of waning glory, On his arm a withered ta.s.sel.

"Weep, O weep, my lovely maiden, When thou weepest, weep in earnest, Weep great rivers from thine eyelids; If thou dost not weep sincerely, Thou wilt weep on thy returning To thy Northland home and kindred, When thou visitest thy mother Old and breathless near the hurdles, In her arms a barley-bundle.

"Weep, O weep, sweet bride of beauty, When thou weepest, weep profusely; If thou dost not weep in earnest, Thou wilt weep on thy returning To thy native vales and highlands, When thou visitest thy brother Lying wounded by the way-side, In his hand but empty honors.

"Weep, O weep, my sister's daughter, Weep great rivers from thine eyelids; If thou dost not weep sufficient, Thou wilt weep on thy returning To the scenes of happy childhood, When thou visitest thy sister Lying, prostrate in the meadow, In her hand a birch-wood mallet."

When the ancient maid had ended, Then the young bride sighed in anguish, Straightway fell to bitter weeping, Spake these words in deeps of sorrow: "O, ye sisters, my beloved, Ye companions of my childhood, Playmates of my early summers, Listen to your sister's counsel: Cannot comprehend the reason, Why my mind is so dejected, Why this weariness and sadness, This untold and unseen torture, Cannot understand the meaning Of this mighty weight of sorrow!

Differently I had thought it, I had hoped for greater pleasures, I had hoped to sing as cuckoos, On the hill-tops call and echo, When I had attained this station, Reached at last the goal expectant; But I am not like the cuckoo, Singing, merry on the hill-tops; I am like the songless blue-duck, As she swims upon the waters, Swims upon the cold, cold ocean, Icicles upon her pinions.

"Ancient father, gray-haired mother, Whither do ye wish to lead me, Whither take this bride, thy daughter, That this sorrow may pa.s.s over, Where this heavy heart may lighten, Where this grief may turn to gladness?

Better it had been, O mother, Hadst thou nursed a block of birch-wood, Hadst thou clothed the colored sandstone, Rather than this hapless maiden, For the fulness of these sorrows, For this keen and killing trouble.

Many sympathizers tell me: 'Foolish bride, thou art ungrateful, Do not grieve, thou child of sorrow, Thou hast little cause for weeping.'

"O, deceive me not, my people, Do not argue with me falsely, For alas! I have more troubles Than the waterfalls have pebbles, Than the Ingerland has willows, Than the Suomi-hills have berries; Never could the Pohya plow-horse Pull this mighty weight of sorrow, Shaking not his birchen cross-bar, Breaking not his heavy collar; Never could the Northland reindeer Heavy shod and stoutly harnessed, Draw this load of care and trouble."

By the stove a babe was playing, And the young child spake as follows: "Why, O fair bride, art thou weeping, Why these tears of pain and sadness?

Leave thy troubles to the elk-herds, And thy grief to sable fillies, Let the steeds of iron bridles Bear the burden of thine anguish, Horses have much larger foreheads, Larger shoulders, stronger sinews, And their necks are made for labor, Stronger are their bones and muscles, Let them bear thy heavy burdens.

There is little good in weeping, Useless are thy tears of sorrow; Art not led to swamps and lowlands, Nor to banks of little rivers; Thou art led to fields of flowers, Led to fruitful trees and forests, Led away from beer of Pohya To the sweeter mead of Kalew.

At thy shoulder waits thy husband, On thy right side, Ilmarinen, Constant friend and life-protector, He will guard thee from all evil; Husband ready, steed in waiting, Gold-and-silver-mounted harness, Hazel-birds that sing and flutter On the courser's yoke and cross-bar; Thrushes also sing and twitter Merrily on hame and collar, Seven bluebirds, seven cuckoos, Sing thy wedding-march in concord.

"Be no longer full of sorrow, Dry thy tears, thou bride of beauty, Thou hast found a n.o.ble husband, Better wilt thou fare than ever, By the side of Ilmarinen, Artist husband, metal-master, Bread-provider of thy table, On the arm of the fish-catcher, On the breast of the elk-hunter, By the side of the bear-killer.

Thou hast won the best of suitors, Hast obtained a mighty hero; Never idle is his cross-bow, On the nails his quivers hang not, Neither are his dogs in kennel, Active agents is his bunting.

Thrice within the budding spring-time In the early hours of morning He arises from his fare-couch, From his slumber in the brush-wood, Thrice within the sowing season, On his eyes the deer has fallen, And the branches brushed his vesture, And his locks been combed by fir-boughs.

Hasten homeward with thy husband, Where thy hero's friends await thee, Where his forests sing thy welcome.

"Ilmarinen there possesses All the birds that fly in mid-air, All the beasts that haunt the woodlands, All that feed upon the mountains, All that graze on hill and valley, Sheep and cattle by the thousands; Sweet the gra.s.s upon his meadows, Sweet the barley in his uplands, In the lowlands corn abundant, Wheat upon the elm-wood fallows, Near the streamlets rye is waving, Waving grain on many acres, On his mountains gold and silver, Rich his mines of s.h.i.+ning copper, Highlands filled with magic metals, Chests of jewels in his store-house, All the wealth of Kalevala."

RUNE XXIII.

OSMOTAR THE BRIDE-ADVISER

Now the bride must be instructed, Who will teach the Maid of Beauty, Who instruct the Rainbow-daughter?

Osmotar, the wisdom-maiden, Kalew's fair and lovely virgin, Osmotar will give instructions To the bride of Ilmarinen, To the orphaned bride of Pohya, Teach her how to live in pleasure, How to live and reign in glory, Win her second mother's praises, Joyful in her husband's dwelling.

Osmotar in modest accents Thus the anxious bride addresses; "Maid of Beauty, lovely sister, Tender plant of Louhi's gardens, Hear thou what thy sister teaches, Listen to her sage instructions: Go thou hence, my much beloved, Wander far away, my flower, Travel on enwrapped in colors, Glide away in silks and ribbons, From this house renowned and ancient, From thy father's halls and court-yards Haste thee to thy husband's village, Hasten to his mother's household; Strange, the rooms in other dwellings, Strange, the modes in other hamlets.

"Full of thought must be thy going, And thy work be well considered, Quite unlike thy home in Northland, On the meadows of thy father, On the high-lands of thy brother, Singing through thy mother's fenlands, Culling daisies with thy sister.

"When thou goest from thy father Thou canst take whatever pleases, Only three things leave behind thee: Leave thy day-dreams to thy sister, Leave thou kindness for thy mother, To thy brother leave thy labors, Take all else that thou desirest.

Throw away thine incantations, Cast thy sighing to the pine-trees, And thy maidenhood to zephyrs, Thy rejoicings to the couches, Cast thy trinkets to the children, And thy leisure to the gray-beards, Cast all pleasures to thy playmates, Let them take them to the woodlands, Bury them beneath the mountain.

"Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Mother-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's mother, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter.

"Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Father-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's father, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter.

"Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Brother-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's brother, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter.

"Thou must hence acquire new habits Must forget thy former customs, Sister-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's sister, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter.

"Never in the course of ages, Never while the moonlight glimmers, Wickedly approach thy household, Nor unworthily, thy servants, Nor thy courts with indiscretion; Let thy dwellings sing good manners, And thy walls re-echo virtue.

After mind the hero searches.

And the best of men seek honor, Seek for honesty and wisdom; If thy home should be immoral, If thine inmates fail in virtue, Then thy gray-beards would be black-dogs In sheep's clothing at thy firesides; All thy women would be witches, Wicked witches in thy chambers, And thy brothers be as serpents Crawling through thy husband's mansion; All thy sisters would be famous For their evil thoughts and conduct.

"Equal honors must be given To thy husband's friends and kindred; Lower must thy head be bended, Than within thy mother's dwelling, Than within thy father's guest-room, When thou didst thy kindred honor.

Ever strive to give good counsel, Wear a countenance of suns.h.i.+ne, Bear a head upon thy shoulders Filled with wise and ancient sayings; Open bright thine eyes at morning To behold the silver sunrise, Sharpen well thine ears at evening, Thus to hear the rooster crowing; When he makes his second calling, Straightway thou must rise from slumber, Let the aged sleep in quiet; Should the rooster fail to call thee, Let the moonbeams touch thine eyelids, Let the Great Bear be thy keeper Often go thou and consult them, Call upon the Moon for counsel, Ask the Bear for ancient wisdom, From the stars divine thy future; When the Great Bear faces southward, When his tail is pointing northward, This is time to break with slumber, Seek for fire within the ashes, Place a spark upon the tinder, Blow the fire through all the fuel.

If no spark is in the ashes, Then go wake thy hero-husband, Speak these words to him on waking: 'Give me fire, O my beloved, Give a single spark, my husband, Strike a little fire from flintstone, Let it fall upon my tinder.'

"From the spark, O Bride of Beauty, Light thy fires, and heat thine ovens, In the holder, place the torch-light, Find thy pathway to the stables, There to fill the empty mangers; If thy husband's cows be lowing, If thy brother's steeds be neighing, Then the cows await thy coming, And the steeds for thee are calling, Hasten, stooping through the hurdles, Hasten through the yards and stables, Feed thy husband's cows with pleasure, Feed with care the gentle lambkins, Give the cows the best of clover, Hay, and barley, to the horses, Feed the calves of lowing mothers, Feed the fowl that fly to meet thee.

"Never rest upon the haymow, Never sleep within the hurdles, When the kine are fed and tended, When the flocks have all been watered; Hasten thence, my pretty matron, Like the snow-flakes to thy dwelling, There a crying babe awaits thee, Weeping in his couch neglected, Cannot speak and tell his troubles, Speechless babe, and weeping infant, Cannot say that he is hungry, Whether pain or cold distresses, Greets with joy his mother's footsteps.

Afterward repair in silence To thy husband's rooms and presence, Early visit thou his chambers, In thy hand a golden pitcher, On thine arm a broom of birch-wood, In thy teeth a lighted taper, And thyself the fourth in order.

Sweep thou then thy hero's dwelling, Dust his benches and his tables, Wash the flooring well with water.

"If the baby of thy sister Play alone within his corner, Show the little child attention, Bathe his eyes and smoothe his ringlets, Give the infant needed comforts; Shouldst thou have no bread of barley, In his hand adjust some trinket.

"Lastly, when the week has ended, Give thy house a thorough cleansing, Benches, tables, walls, and ceilings; What of dust is on the windows, Sweep away with broom of birch-twigs, All thy rooms must first be sprinkled, at the dust may not be scattered, May not fill the halls and chambers.

Sweep the dust from every crevice, Leave thou not a single atom; Also sweep the chimney-corners, Do not then forget the rafters, Lest thy home should seem untidy, Lest thy dwelling seem neglected.

"Hear, O maiden, what I tell thee, Learn the tenor of my teaching: Never dress in scanty raiment, Let thy robes be plain and comely, Ever wear the whitest linen, On thy feet wear tidy fur-shoes, For the glory of thy husband, For the honor of thy hero.

Tend thou well the sacred sorb-tree, Guard the mountain-ashes planted In the court-yard, widely branching; Beautiful the mountain-ashes, Beautiful their leaves and flowers, Still more beautiful the berries.

Thus the exiled one demonstrates That she lives to please her husband, Tries to make her hero happy.

"Like the mouse, have ears for hearing, Like the hare, have feet for running, Bend thy neck and turn thy visage Like the juniper and aspen, Thus to watch with care thy goings, Thus to guard thy feet from stumbling, That thou mayest walk in safety.

"When thy brother comes from plowing, And thy father from his garners, And thy husband from the woodlands, From his chopping, thy beloved, Give to each a water-basin, Give to each a linen-towel, Speak to each some pleasant greeting.

"When thy second mother hastens To thy husband's home and kindred, In her hand a corn-meal measure, Haste thou to the court to meet her, Happy-hearted, bow before her, Take the measure from her fingers, Happy, bear it to thy husband.

"If thou shouldst not see distinctly What demands thy next attention, Ask at once thy hero's mother: 'Second mother, my beloved, Name the task to be accomplished By thy willing second daughter, Tell me how to best perform it.'

"This should be the mother's answer: 'This the manner of thy workings, Thus thy daily work accomplish: Stamp with diligence and courage, Grind with will and great endurance, Set the millstones well in order, Fill the barley-pans with water, Knead with strength the dough for baking, Place the f.a.gots on the fire-place, That thy ovens may be heated, Bake in love the honey-biscuit, Bake the larger loaves of barley, Rinse to cleanliness thy platters, Polish well thy drinking-vessels.