Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 16

All the n.o.ble youths of Saari, Full a hundred skilful swordsmen, 100 All shall rush on thee unhappy, Standing all alone amidst them."

Little heeded Lemminkainen All the warnings of his mother; Chose the best among his stallions.

And the steed he quickly harnessed, And he drove away with clatter, To the village famed of Saari, There to woo the Flower of Saari, She, the peerless maid of Saari. 110

But the women ridiculed him, And the maidens laughed and jeered him.

In the lane he drove most strangely, Strangely to the farm came driving, Turned the sledge all topsy-turvy, At the gate he overturned it.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Mouth awry, and head downsunken, While his black beard he was twisting, Spoke aloud the words which follow: 120 "Never aught like this I witnessed, Never saw I, never heard I, That the women laughed about me, And the maidens ridiculed me."

Little troubled Lemminkainen, And he spoke the words which follow: "Is there not a place in Saari, On the firm ground of the island, For the sport that I will show you, And for dancing on the greensward, 130 With the joyous girls of Saari, With their fair unbraided tresses?"

Then the Saari maidens answered, Spoke the maidens of the headland: "There is room enough in Saari, On the firm ground of the island, For the sport that you shall show us, And for dancing on the greensward, For the milkmaids in the meadows, And the herd-boys in their dances; 140 Very lean are Saari's children, But the foals are sleek and fattened."

Little troubled Lemminkainen, But engaged himself as herd-boy, Pa.s.sed his days among the meadows, And his nights 'mid lively maidens, Sporting with the charming maidens, Toying with their unbound tresses.

Thus the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, 150 Ended soon the women's laughter, And the joking of the maidens.

There was not a single daughter, Not a maid, however modest, But he did not soon embrace her, And remain awhile beside her.

One alone of all the maidens, Of the mighty race of Saari, Would not list to any lover, Not the greatest man among them; 160 Kyllikki, the fairest maiden, Loveliest flower of all in Saari.

Then the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, Wore a hundred boats to tatters, Rowed in twain a hundred oars As he strove to win the maiden, Kyllikki herself to conquer.

Kyllikki the lovely maiden Answered him in words that follow: 170 "Wherefore wander here, O weakling.

Racing round me like a plover, Always seeking for a maiden, With her tin-adorned girdle?

I myself will never heed you Till the stone is ground to powder.

Till the pestle's stamped to pieces, And the mortar smashed to atoms.

"Nought I care for such a milksop, Such a milksop, such a humbug; 180 I must have a graceful husband, I myself am also graceful; I must have a shapely husband, I myself am also shapely; And a well-proportioned husband, I myself am also handsome."

But a little time thereafter, Scarce had half a month pa.s.sed over, On a certain day it happened.

As was usual in the evenings, 190 All the girls had met for pleasure, And the beauteous maids were dancing; In a grove near open country, On a lovely s.p.a.ce of heathland.

Kyllikki was first among them, She the far-famed Flower of Saari.

Thither came the ruddy scoundrel, There drove lively Lemminkainen, With the best among his horses, With the horse that he had chosen, 200 Right into the green arena Where the beauteous maids were dancing.

Kyllikki he seized and lifted, Then into the sledge he pushed her, And upon the bearskin sat her, That upon the sledge was lying.

With his whip he lashed the stallion, And he cracked the lash above him, And he started on his journey, And he cried while driving onward: 210 "O ye maidens, may ye never In your lives betray the secret, Speak of how I drove among you.

And have carried off the maiden.

"But if you will not obey me, You will fall into misfortune; To the war I'll sing your lovers, And the youths beneath the sword-blades, That you hear no more about them, See them not in all your lifetime, 220 Either in the streets when walking.

Or across the fields when driving."

Kyllikki lamented sorely, Sobbed the beauteous Flower of Saari: "Let me but depart in safety, Let the child depart in safety, Set me free to journey homeward To console my weeping mother.

"If you will not now release me, Set me free to journey homeward, 230 O then I have five strong brothers, And my uncle's sons are seven, Who can run with hare-like swiftness, And will haste the maid to rescue."

When she could not gain her freedom, She began to weep profusely, And she spoke the words which follow: "I, poor maid, was born for nothing, And for nought was born and fostered, And my life was lived for nothing, 240 Since I fall to one unworthy, In a worthless fellow's clutches, One for battle always ready, And a rude ferocious warrior."

Answered lively Lemminkainen, Said the handsome Kaukomieli: "Kyllikki, my dearest heart-core, Thou my sweetest little berry, Do not vex yourself so sorely, Do not thus give way to sadness. 250 I will cherish you when eating, And caress you on my journeys, Whether sitting, whether standing, Always near when I am resting.

"Wherefore then should you be troubled, Wherefore should you sigh for sorrow?

Are you therefore grieved so sorely, Therefore do you sigh for trouble, Lest the cows or bread might fail you, Or provisions be deficient? 260

"Do not vex yourself so sorely, I have cows enough and plenty, Plenty are there, milk to yield me, Some, Muurikkis, in the marshes, Some, Mansikkis, on the hill-sides, Some, Puolukkas, on the clearing, Sleek they are, although unfoddered.

Fine they are, although untended.

In the evening none need bind them, In the evening none need loose them, 270 No one need provide them fodder, Nor give salt in morning hours.

"Or perchance are you lamenting, Sighing thus so full of trouble, That I am not high descended, Nor was born of n.o.ble lineage?

"If I am not high descended, Nor was born of n.o.ble lineage, Yet have I a sword of keenness, Gleaming brightly in the battle. 280 This is surely high descended, And has come of n.o.ble lineage, For the blade was forged by Hiisi And by Jumala 'twas polished, Thus am I so high descended.

And I come of n.o.blest lineage, With my sword so keenly sharpened Gleaming brightly in the battle."

But the maiden sighed with anguish, And in words like these made answer, 290 "O thou Ahti, son of Lempi, If you would caress the maiden, Keep her at your side for ever.

Dove-like in thy arms for ever, Pledge thyself by oaths eternal, Not again to join in battle, Whether love of gold may lure you, Or your wish is fixed on silver."

Then the lively Lemminkainen Answered in the words which follow: 300 "Here I swear, by oaths eternal, Not again to join in battle, Whether love of gold may lure me, Or my wish is fixed on silver.

But thyself on oath must pledge thee, Not to wander to the village, Whether for the love of dancing, Or to loiter in the pathways."

Then they took the oaths between them, And with oaths eternal bound them, 310 There in Jumala's high presence, In the sight of the Almighty, Ahti should not go to battle, Nor should Kylli seek the village.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Whipped his steed to faster running, Shook the reins to urge him onward, And he spoke the words which follow: "Now farewell to Saari's meadows, Roots of pine, and trunks of fir-trees, 320 Where I wandered for a summer, Where I tramped throughout the winter, And on cloudy nights took shelter, Hiding from the stormy weather, While I waited for my dear one, And to bear away my darling."

On he urged his prancing courser, Till he saw his home before him, And the maiden spoke as follows, And in words like these addressed him: 330 "Lo, I see a hut before us, Looking like a place of famine.

Tell me whose may be the cottage, Whose may be this wretched dwelling?"

Then the lively Lemminkainen Answered in the words which follow: "Do not grieve about the hovel, Sigh not for the hut before you.

We will build us other houses, And establish better dwellings, 340 Built of all the best of timber, With the very best of planking."

Thus the lively Lemminkainen Reached again his home in safety, Finding there his dearest mother, She, his old and much-loved mother.

And his mother spoke as follows, And expressed herself in thiswise: "Long, my son, have you been absent, Long in foreign lands been roaming." 350

Said the lively Lemminkainen, And he spoke the words which follow: "I have brought to shame the women, With the modest girls have sported, And have well repaid the laughter, And the jests they heaped upon me.

To my sledge the best I carried, And upon the rug I sat her, And between the runners laid her, And beneath the rug I hid her; 360 Thus repaid the laughing women, And the joking of the maidens.

"O my mother, who hast borne me, O my mother, who hast reared me, I have gained what I have sought for, And have won what most I longed for.

Now prepare the best of bolsters, And the softest of the cushions, In my native land to rest me.

With the young and lovely maiden." 370

Then his mother spoke as follows, And in words like these expressed her: "Now to Jumala be praises, Praise to thee, O great Creator For the daughter thou hast sent me, Who can fan the flames up brightly, Who can work at weaving deftly, And is skilful, too, in spinning, And accomplished, too, in washing, And can bleach the clothes to whiteness. 380

"For thy own weal thank him also; Good is won, and good brought homeward: Good decreed by the Creator, Good that's granted by his mercy.

On the snow is fair the bunting, Fairer yet is she beside thee; White the foam upon the water, Whiter yet this n.o.ble lady: On the lake the duck is lovely, Lovelier yet thy cherished darling; 390 Brilliant is a star in heaven, Brighter yet thy promised fair one.

"Let the floors be wide expanded, And the windows widened greatly, Let new walls be now erected, All the house be greatly bettered, And the threshold new-constructed, Place new doors upon the threshold, For the youthful bride beside you, She, of all the very fairest, 400 She, the best of all the maidens, And the n.o.blest in her lineage."

RUNO XII.--LEMMINKAINEN'S FIRST EXPEDITION TO POHJOLA