Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 20

Who should row the vessel onward?

First, the smith named Ilmarinen.

He it was who rowed the vessel, He was first among the rowers, And the lively Lemminkainen Was the last among the rowers.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, In the stern himself was seated, And he steered the vessel onward, Through the waves he steered it onward, 20 Through the foaming waves he steered it, Steered it o'er the foam-capped billows, Unto Pohja's distant haven, To his well-known destination.

When they reached the goal they sought for, And the voyage at length was ended, To the land they drew the vessel, Up they drew the tarry vessel, Laid it on the steely rollers, At the quay with copper edging. 30

After this the house they entered, Crowding hastily within it, Then did Pohjola's old Mistress, Ask the purport of their coming.

"Men, what tidings do you bring us, What fresh news, O heroes, bring you?"

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Men are speaking of the Sampo, Heroes, of its pictured cover. 40 We have come to share the Sampo, And behold its pictured cover."

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress Answer in the words which follow: "Two men cannot share a grouseling, Nor can three divide a squirrel, And the Sampo loud is whirring, And the pictured cover grinding, Here in Pohjola's stone mountain, And within the hill of copper. 50 I myself rejoice in welfare, Mistress of the mighty Sampo."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "If you will not share the Sampo, Give us half to carry with us, Then the Sampo, all entire, To our vessel will we carry."

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Heard him with the greatest anger, 60 Called together all her people, Summoned all her youthful swordsmen, Bade them all to aim their weapons At the head of Vainamoinen.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Took the kantele and played it, Down he sat and played upon it, And began a tune delightful.

All who listened to his playing Heard it with delight and wonder, 70 And the men were all delighted, And the women's mouths were laughing.

Tears from heroes' eyes were falling, Boys upon the ground were kneeling.

At the last their strength forsook them, And the people all were wearied, All the listeners sank in slumber, On the ground sank all beholders, Slept the old and slept the youthful, All at Vainamoinen's playing. 80

Then the crafty Vainamoinen, He the great primeval minstrel, Put his hand into his pocket, And he drew his purse from out it, And sleep-needles took he from it, And their eyes he plunged in slumber, And their eyelashes crossed tightly, Locked their eyelids close together, Sank the people all in slumber.

Into sleep he plunged the heroes, 90 And they sank in lasting slumber, And he plunged in lasting slumber All the host of Pohja's people, All the people of the village.

Then he went to fetch the Sampo, And behold its pictured cover, There in Pohjola's stone mountain, And within the hill of copper.

Nine the locks that there secured it, Bars secured it, ten in number. 100

Then the aged Vainamoinen Gently set himself to singing At the copper mountain's entrance, There beside the stony fortress, And the castle doors were shaken, And the iron hinges trembled.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, Aided by the other heroes, Overspread the locks with b.u.t.ter, And with bacon rubbed the hinges, 110 That the doors should make no jarring, And the hinges make no creaking.

Then the locks he turned with fingers, And the bars and bolts he lifted, And he broke the locks to pieces, And the mighty doors were opened.

Then the aged Vainamoinen Spoke aloud the words which follow: "O thou lively son of Lempi, Of my friends the most ill.u.s.trious, 120 Come thou here to take the Sampo, And to seize the pictured cover."

Then the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, Always eager, though unbidden, Ready, though men did not praise him, Came to carry off the Sampo, And to seize the pictured cover, And he said as he was coming, Boasted as he hastened forward, 130 "O, I am a man of mettle, And a hero-son of Ukko!

I can surely move the Sampo, And can seize its pictured cover, Standing on my right foot only, If I touch it with my shoe-heel."

Lemminkainen pushed against it, Turned himself, and pushed against it, Pushed his arms and breast against it, On the ground his knees down-pressing, 140 But he could not move the Sampo, Could not stir the pictured cover, For the roots were rooted firmly In the depths nine fathoms under.

There was then a bull in Pohja, Which had grown to size enormous, And his sides were sleek and fattened, And his sinews of the strongest; Horns he had in length a fathom, One-half more his muzzle's thickness. 150

So they led him from the meadow, On the borders of the ploughed field, Up they ploughed the roots of Sampo, Those which fixed the pictured cover, Then began to move the Sampo, And to sway the pictured cover.

Then the aged Vainamoinen, Secondly, smith Ilmarinen, Third, the lively Lemminkainen Carried forth the mighty Sampo, 160 Forth from Pohjola's stone mountain, From within the hill of copper, To the boat away they bore it, And within the ship they stowed it.

In the boat they stowed the Sampo, In the hold the pictured cover, Pushed the boat into the water, In the waves the hundred-boarded; Splashed the boat into the water, In the waves its sides descended. 170

Asked the smith, said Ilmarinen, And he spoke the words which follow: "Whither shall we bear the Sampo, Whither now shall we convey it, Take it from this evil country, From the wretched land of Pohja?"

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Thither will we bear the Sampo, And will take the pictured cover, 180 To the misty island's headland, At the end of shady island, There in safety can we keep it, There it can remain for ever.

There's a little spot remaining, Yet a little plot left over, Where they eat not and they fight not, Whither swordsmen never wander."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Steered away from Pohja's borders, 190 Sailed away in great contentment, Joyous to his native country, And he spoke the words which follow: "Speed from Pohjola, O vessel, Make thy way directly homeward, Leave behind the foreign country.

"Blow, thou wind, and sway the vessel, Urge the boat upon the water, Lend a.s.sistance to the rowers, To the rudder give thou lightness, 200 On the wide expanse of water, Out upon the open water.

"If the oars should be too little, And too weak should be the oarsmen, In the stern too small the steerer, And the vessel's master's children, Ahto, give thyself thy oars, To the boat, O Water-Master, Give the best and newest oars, Give us, too, a stronger rudder. 210 Do thou seat thee at the oars, Do thou undertake the rowing, Speed thou on this wooden vessel, Urge the iron-rowlocked forward, Drive it through the foaming billows, Through the foam-capped billows drive it."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Steered the vessel swiftly forward, While the smith named Ilmarinen, And the lively Lemminkainen, 220 Set themselves to work the oars, And they rowed, and speeded onward O'er the sparkling water's surface, O'er the surface of the billows.

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Formerly when I was rowing, There was water for the rowers, There was singing for the minstrels, But at present time, when rowing, Nothing do we hear of singing, 230 In the boat we hear no singing, On the waves we hear no chanting."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Do not sing upon the waters, Do not chant upon the billows; Singing brings the boat to halting, Songs would but impede the rowing, Then would wane the golden daylight, And the night descend upon us, 240 On the wide expanse of water, On the surface of the billows."

Then the lively Lemminkainen Answered in the words which follow: "Anyway, the time is pa.s.sing, Fades away the lovely daylight, And the night is swift approaching, And the twilight comes upon us, Though no song our life enlivens, Nor the time is given to chanting." 250

Steered the aged Vainamoinen O'er the blue lake's shining water, And he steered one day, a second, And at length upon the third day.

Then the lively Lemminkainen For a second time inquired, "Wherefore sing not, Vainamoinen?

O thou great one, sing unto us!

We have won the splendid Sampo; Straight the course that now we follow." 260

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Gave him a decided answer: "'Tis too early yet for singing, 'Tis too early for rejoicing.

Soon a time will come for singing, Fitting time for our rejoicing, When we see our doors before us, And we hear our own doors creaking."

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "In the stern I'll take position, 270 And with all my might will sing there, And with all my force will bellow.

Perhaps indeed I cannot do so, Loud enough I cannot bellow: If you will not sing unto us, Then will I commence the singing."

Then the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, Quickly pursed his mouth for singing, And prepared himself to carol, 280 And began to sing his carols, But his songs were most discordant, And his voice it sounded hoa.r.s.ely, And his tones were most discordant.

Sang the lively Lemminkainen, Shouted loudly Kaukomieli, Moved his mouth, his beard was wagging, And his chin was likewise shaking.

Far away was heard his singing, Far away across the water, 290 In six villages they heard it, Over seven the song resounded.

On a stump a crane was sitting, On a mound from swamp arising, And his toe-bones he was counting, And his feet he was uplifting, And was terrified extremely At the song of Lemminkainen.

Left the crane his strange employment, With his harsh voice screamed in terror, 300 From his perch he flew in terror, Over Pohjola in terror, And upon his coming thither, When he reached the swamp of Pohja, Screaming still, and screaming harshly, Screaming at his very loudest, Waked in Pohjola the people, And aroused that evil nation.

Up rose Pohjola's old Mistress From her long and heavy slumber, 310 And she hastened to the farmyard, Ran to where the corn was drying, And she looked upon the cattle, And the corn in haste examined.

Nought was missing from the cattle, And the corn had not been plundered.

To the hill of stone she wandered, And the copper mountain's entrance, And she said as she was coming, "Woe to me, this day unhappy, 320 For a stranger here has entered, And the locks have all been opened, And the castle's doors been opened, And the iron hinges broken.

Has the Sampo perhaps been stolen, And the whole been taken from us?"

Yes, the Sampo had been taken, Carried off the pictured cover, Forth from Pohjola's stone mountain, From within the hill of copper, 330 Though by ninefold locks protected, Though ten bars protected likewise.

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Fell into the greatest fury, But she felt her strength was failing, And her power had all departed, So she prayed to the Cloud-Maiden.

"Maiden of the Clouds, Mist-Maiden, Scatter from thy sieve the cloudlets, And the mists around thee scatter, 340 Send the thick clouds down from heaven, Sink thou from the air of vapour, O'er the broad lake's shining surface, Out upon the open water, On the head of Vainamoinen, Falling on Uvantolainen.