Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 5

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "No, your bows I do not covet, For the wretched bows I care not; I myself have plenty of them.

All the walls are decked with crossbows, All the pegs are hung with crossbows; 370 In the woods they wander hunting, Nor a hero needs to span them."

Then the youthful Joukahainen In the swamp he sang yet deeper.

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "I have yet two boats to offer; Splendid boats, as I can witness, One is light, and fit for racing, Heavy loads will bear the other; If it please you, choose between them." 380

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "No, your boats I do not covet, And I will not choose between them, I myself have plenty of them.

All the staves are full already, Every creek is crowded with them, Boats to face the gale adapted, Boats against the wind that travel."

Then the youthful Joukahainen, in the swamp he sang yet deeper. 390

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "I have still two n.o.ble stallions; Ay, a pair of handsome horses; One of these of matchless swiftness, And the other best in harness.

If it please you, choose between them."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "No, I do not want your horses; Do not need your steeds, white-footed.

I myself have plenty of them. 400 Every stall has now its tenant, Every stable's filled with horses, With their backs like water s.h.i.+ning; Lakes of fat upon their haunches."

Then the youthful Joukahainen, In the swamp he sang yet deeper.

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Speak thy words of magic backwards, And reverse thy songs of magic. 410 I will give a golden helmet, And a hat filled up with silver, Which my father won in warfare, Which he won in battle-struggle."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "No, I do not want your silver, And for gold, I only scorn it.

I myself have both in plenty.

Every storeroom crammed with treasure.

Every chest is overflowing. 420 Gold as ancient as the moonlight, Silver with the sun coeval."

Then the youthful Joukahainen In the swamp he sang yet deeper.

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Loose me from this place of terror, And release me from my torment.

All my stacks at home I'll give thee, And my fields I likewise promise, 430 All to save my life I offer, If you will accept my ransom."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "No, your barns I do not covet, And your fields are 'neath my notice, I myself have plenty of them.

Fields are mine in all directions, Stocks are reared on every fallow, And my own fields please me better, And my stacks of corn are finest." 440

Then the youthful Joukahainen In the swamp he sang yet deeper.

Then the youthful Joukahainen, Felt at length the greatest anguish, Chin-deep in the swamp while sinking, In the mud his beard was draggled, In the moss his mouth was sunken, And his teeth among the tree-roots.

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "O thou wisest Vainamoinen, 450 O thou oldest of magicians, Sing once more thy songs of magic, Grant the life of one so wretched, And release me from my prison.

In the stream my feet are sunken, With the sand my eyes are smarting.

"Speak thy words of magic backwards, Break the spell that overwhelms me!

You shall have my sister Aino, I will give my mother's daughter. 460 She shall dust your chamber for you, Sweep the flooring with her besom, Keep the milk-pots all in order; And shall wash your garments for you.

Golden fabrics she shall weave you, And shall bake you cakes of honey."

Then the aged Vainamoinen, Heard his words, and grew full joyful, Since to tend his age was promised Joukahainen's lovely sister. 470

On the stone of joy he sat him, On the stone of song he rested, Sang an hour, and sang a second, And again he sang a third time: Thus reversed his words of magic, And dissolved the spell completely.

Then the youthful Joukahainen From the mud his chin uplifted, And his beard he disentangled, From the rock his steed led forward, 480 Drew his sledge from out the bushes, From the reeds his whip unloosing.

Then upon his sledge he mounted, And upon the seat he sat him, And with gloomy thoughts he hastened, With a heart all sad and doleful, Homeward to his dearest mother, Unto her, the aged woman.

On he drove with noise and tumult, Home he drove in consternation, 490 And he broke the sledge to pieces, At the door the shafts were broken.

Then the noise alarmed his mother, And his father came and asked him, "Recklessly the sledge was broken; Did you break the shafts on purpose?

Wherefore do you drive so rashly, And arrive at home so madly?"

Then the youthful Joukahainen Could not keep his tears from flowing; 500 Sad he bowed his head in sorrow, And his cap awry he s.h.i.+fted, And his lips were dry and stiffened, O'er his mouth his nose was drooping.

Then his mother came and asked him Wherefore was he sunk in sorrow.

"O my son, why weep so sadly?

O my darling, why so troubled, With thy lips so dry and stiffened, O'er thy mouth thy nose thus drooping?" 510

Said the youthful Joukahainen, "O my mother, who hast borne me, There is cause for what has happened, For the sorcerer has o'ercome me.

Cause enough have I for weeping, And the sorcerer's brought me sorrow.

I myself must weep for ever, And must pa.s.s my life in mourning, For my very sister Aino, She, my dearest mother's daughter, 520 I have pledged to Vainamoinen, As the consort of the minstrel, To support his feeble footsteps, And to wait upon him always."

Joyous clapped her hands his mother, Both her hands she rubbed together, And she spoke the words which follow: "Do not weep, my son, my dearest, For thy tears are quite uncalled for.

Little cause have we to sorrow, 530 For the hope I long have cherished.

All my lifetime I have wished it, And have hoped this high-born hero Might akin to us be reckoned, And the minstrel Vainamoinen Might become my daughter's husband."

But when Joukahainen's sister Heard, she wept in deepest sorrow, Wept one day, and wept a second, At the threshold ever weeping, 540 Wept in overwhelming sorrow, In the sadness of her spirit.

Then her mother said consoling, "Wherefore weep, my little Aino?

You have gained a valiant bridegroom, And the home of one most n.o.ble, Where you'll look from out the window, Sitting on the bench and talking."

But her daughter heard and answered, "O my mother who hast borne me, 550 Therefore have I cause for weeping, Weeping for the beauteous tresses, Now my youthful head adorning, And my hair so soft and glossy, Which must now be wholly hidden, While I still am young and blooming.

"Then must I through lifetime sorrow For the splendour of the sunlight, And the moonbeam's charming l.u.s.tre And the glory of the heavens, 560 Which I leave, while still so youthful, And as child must quite abandon, I must leave my brother's work-room, Just beyond my father's window."

Said the mother to the daughter, To the girl the crone made answer, "Cast away this foolish sorrow, Cease your weeping, all uncalled for, Little cause have you for sorrow, Little cause for lamentation. 570 G.o.d's bright sun is ever s.h.i.+ning On the world in other regions, s.h.i.+nes on other doors and windows Than your father's or your brother's; Berries grow on every mountain, Strawberries on the plains are growing, You can pluck them in your sorrow Wheresoe'er your steps may lead you; Not alone on father's acres, Or upon your brother's clearings." 580

RUNO IV.--THE FATE OF AINO

_Argument_

Vainamoinen meets Aino in the wood and addresses her (1-20). Aino hurries home weeping, and informs her mother (21-116). Her mother forbids her to weep, and tells her to rejoice, and to adorn herself handsomely (117-188). Aino continues to weep, and declares that she will never take a very old man as her husband (189-254). She wanders sorrowfully into the wild woods, and reaches the banks of a strange unknown lake, where she goes to bathe, and is lost in the water (255-370). The animals commission the hare to carry the tidings of Aino's death to her home (371-434). Her mother weeps for her night and day (435-518).

Then the little maiden Aino, Youthful Joukahainen's sister, Went for besoms to the greenwood, Sought for bath-whisks in the bushes; One she gathered for her father, And a second for her mother, And she gathered yet another, For her young and ruddy brother.

As she turned her footsteps homeward, Pus.h.i.+ng through the alder-bushes, 10 Came the aged Vainamoinen, And he saw her in the thicket, Finely clad among the herbage, And he spoke the words which follow.

"Maiden, do not wear for others, But for me alone, O maiden, Round thy neck a beaded necklace, And a cross upon thy bosom.

Plait for me thy beauteous tresses, Bind thy hair with silken ribands." 20