Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 31

Marjatta the petted damsel In her home long time was growing, In the home of her great father, In her tender mother's dwelling, And five chains wore out completely, And six rings she wore out likewise; For her father's keys she used them, Which around her waist were hanging.

And she wore out half the threshold, With her skirts as she was pa.s.sing, 10 And she half destroyed the rafters Where she hung her silken ribands, And she half destroyed the door-posts As her fine sleeves rubbed against them, And the planking of the flooring Wore away beneath her slippers.

Marjatta the petted damsel Was a very little damsel, And was always pure and holy, And was ever very modest, 20 And she fed on fish the finest, And the soft bark of the fir-tree, But the eggs of hens ate never, Over which the c.o.c.ks were crowing, And the flesh of ewe she ate not, Had the ewe with ram been running.

If her mother sent her milking, Yet she did not go to milking, And she spoke the words which follow: "Never such a maid as I am 30 Udders of the cows should handle, Which with bulls have been disporting, If no milk from calf is flowing, Or from calf it is not running."

If her father sent her sledging, In a stallion's sledge she went not, If a mare her brother brought her, Then these words the maiden uttered: "Never will I sit in mares' sledge, Which with stallion has been running, 40 If no foals the sledge are drawing, Which have numbered six months only."

Marjatta the petted damsel, She who always lived a virgin, Always greeted as a maiden, Modest maid with locks unbraided, Went to lead the herds to pasture, And beside the sheep was walking.

On the hill the sheep were straying, To the top the lambs were climbing, 50 On the plain the maiden wandered, Tripping through the alder bushes, While there called the golden cuckoo, And the silvery birds were singing.

Marjatta the petted damsel, Looked around her and she listened, Sitting on the hill of berries, Resting on the sloping hillside, And she spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed her: 60 "Call thou on, O golden cuckoo, Sing thou still, O bird of silver, Sing thou from thy breast of silver!

Tell me true, O Saxon strawberry, Shall I long remain unhooded, Long among the flocks as herd-girl, On the wide-extending heathlands, And the far-extending woodlands, For one summer, for two summers, Or for five or six of summers, 70 Or perchance for ten long summers, Or the time fulfilled already?"

Marjatta the petted damsel, For a while lived on as herd-girl.

Evil is the life of shepherd, Far too heavy for a maiden; In the gra.s.s a snake is creeping, In the gra.s.s the lizards wriggling.

But not there a snake was writhing, Nor in gra.s.s the lizards wriggling. 80 From the hill there cried a berry, From the heath there cried a cranberry, "O thou maiden, come and pluck me, Rosy-cheeked one, come and gather, Come with breast of tin to pluck me, With thy copper belt to choose me, Ere the slug should come to eat me, Or the black worm should disturb me.

"There are hundreds who have seen me, Thousands more have sat beside me, 90 Girls by hundreds, wives by thousands, Children, too, that none can number; None among them yet has touched me, None has gathered me, the wretched."

Marjatta the petted damsel, Went a very little distance, Went to look upon the berry, And the cranberry to gather, With her skilful hands to pluck it, With her beauteous hands to pluck it. 100

On the hill she found the berry, On the heath she found the cranberry; 'Twas a berry in appearance, And it seemed to be a cranberry, But from ground too high for eating, On a tree too weak for climbing.

From the heath a stick she lifted, That she might pull down the berry; Then from ground the berry mounted Upward to her shoes so pretty, 110 From her pretty shoes arose it, Upward to her knees of whiteness, Rising from her knees of whiteness Upward to her skirts that rustled.

To her buckled belt arose it, To her breast from buckled girdle, From her breast to chin arose it, To her lips from chin arose it, Then into her mouth it glided, And along her tongue it hastened, 120 From her tongue to throat it glided, And it dropped into her stomach.

Marjatta the petted damsel, After this had chanced grew pregnant, And it soon increased upon her, And her burden soon was heavy.

Then she cast aside her girdle, Loosely dressed, without a girdle, Secretly she sought the bathroom, And she hid her in the darkness. 130

Always was her mother thinking, And her mother pondered ever: "What has chanced to our Marjatta, What has happened to our house-dove, That she casts aside her girdle, Always dresses loosely, beltless, Goes in secret to the bathroom, And she hides her in the darkness?"

And a baby gave her answer, And the little child made answer: 140 "This has chanced to our Marjatta, This befel the wretched creature, She has been too long a herd-girl, With the flocks too far has wandered."

And she bore her heavy burden, And the pain it brought upon her, Bore it seven months, bore it eight months, Bore it through the ninth month also, By the reckoning of old women, And for half the tenth month also. 150

While the tenth month thus was pa.s.sing, Then the girl was filled with anguish, Grievous sufferings came upon her, And the weight oppressed her sorely.

For a bath she asked her mother, "O my very dearest mother, Make a warm place ready for me, And a warm room ready for me, Where the girl awhile may rest her.

In the house of suffering women." 160

But her mother gave her answer, Answered thus, the aged woman: "Woe to thee, O wh.o.r.e of Hiisi, Tell me now with whom thou restedst, With a man as yet unmarried, Or beside a married hero?"

Marjatta the petted damsel, Then replied to her in thiswise: "Neither with a man unmarried, Nor with any married hero, 170 But I sought the hill of berries, And I went to pluck the cranberries, And I took what seemed a berry, And upon my tongue I laid it, Quickly in my throat it glided, And it dropped into my stomach.

Thus it is that I am pregnant, Thus it comes that I am pregnant."

For a bath she asked her father, "O my very dearest father, 180 Give me now a well-warmed refuge, Make a warm room ready for me, Where the suffering one may rest her, And the girl endure her suffering."

But her father gave her answer, Gave her back a shameful answer: "Go thou forth from here, O strumpet, Wander forth, O wench for burning, To the bears' own rocky caverns, To the caves where bears are lurking, 190 Thither forth to bear, O strumpet, Bear thy children, wench of fire."

Marjatta the petted damsel, Then returned submissive answer: "Not at all am I a strumpet, Neither am a wench for burning; I shall bear a mighty hero, And shall bear a n.o.ble offspring, He shall be a mighty conqueror, Strong as even Vainamoinen." 200

Then the maid was greatly troubled Where to go, and how to journey, Where a bath she might provide her, And she spoke the words which follow: "O my little damsel Piltti, Thou the best of all my handmaids, Find me now a bath in village, Find a bath near reed-fringed brooklet, Where the suffering one may rest her, And the girl endure her suffering. 210 Go at once, and hasten quickly, For my need is of the greatest."

Then the little damsel Piltti, Answered in the words that follow: "Where am I to ask a bathroom, Who will help me to obtain it?"

Thereupon did our Marjatta Answer in the words which follow: "Go and ask a bath from Ruotus, Near where issues forth the Reed-brook." 220

Then the little maiden Piltti Listened to her words obedient, Always ready, heedless never, Always quick, avoiding gossip, Like a mist, away she hurried, To the yard like snake she hastened, With her hands her skirts she lifted, In her hands her dress she twisted, And upon her course she hastened Straight unto the house of Ruotus. 230 Hills re-echoed to her footsteps, Shook the mountains as she climbed them, On the heath the cones were dancing, Gravel scattered o'er the marshes; Thus she came to Ruotus' dwelling, And the house she quickly entered.

In his shirt sat wicked Ruotus, Eating, drinking like the great ones, In his shirt at end of table, In a shirt of finest linen, 240 And he asked as he was eating, Grunted, leaning o'er the table, "What have you to say, you beggar, Wretch, why come you running hither?"

Then the little damsel Piltti Answered in the words that follow: "Here I seek a village bathroom, Seek a bath near reed-fringed brooklet, That relief may reach the suffering, For the need is very pressing." 250

Then the wicked wife of Ruotus Presently with arms a-kimbo, Slouched along upon the flooring, Swept to middle of the flooring, And she asked upon her coming, Speaking in the words which follow: "Who is seeking for a bathroom, Who is seeking for a.s.sistance?"

Said the little damsel Piltti, "Needed 'tis for our Marjatta." 260

Then the wicked wife of Ruotus Answered in the words that follow: "Vacant baths are rare in village, None at mouth of reed-fringed streamlet.

There's a bath upon the clearing, And a stable in the pinewood, Where the wh.o.r.e may bear her children, And the vile one cast her offspring, While the horses there are breathing, Let her take a bath and welcome." 270

Then the little maiden Piltti, Hurried back with rapid footsteps, And upon her course she hastened, And she said on her arrival: "In the village is no bathroom, None beside the rush-fringed streamlet, And the wicked wife of Ruotus, Only spoke the words which follow: 'Vacant baths are none in village, None at mouth of reed-fringed streamlet. 280 There's a bath upon the clearing, And a stable in the pinewood, Where the wh.o.r.e may bear her children, And the vile one cast her offspring, While the horses there are breathing, Let her take a bath and welcome.'

This was all she said unto me, This is truly what she answered."

Marjatta the hapless maiden When she heard, burst forth in weeping, 290 And she spoke the words that follow: "Thither must I then betake me, Even like an outcast labourer, Even like a hired servant, I must go upon the clearing, And must wander to the pinewood."

In her hands her skirt she lifted, With her hands her skirt she twisted, And she took the bath-whisks with her, Of the softest leaves and branches, 300 And with hasty steps went onward, In the greatest pain of body, To the stable in the pinewood, And the stall on hill of Tapio.

And she spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed her: "Come thou to my aid, Creator, To my aid, O thou most gracious, In this anxious time of labour, In this time of hardest labour. 310 Free the damsel from her burden, From her pains release the woman, That she perish not in torment, May not perish in her anguish."

When at length her journey ended, Then she spoke the words which follow: "O thou good horse, breathe upon me, O thou draught-foal, snort upon me, Breathe a vapour-bath around me, Send thou warmth throughout the bathroom, 320 That relief may reach the sufferer, For the need is very pressing."

Then the good horse breathed upon her, And the draught-foal snorted on her, Over all her suffering body.

When the horse desisted breathing, Steam was spread throughout the stable, Like the steam of boiling water.

Marjatta the hapless maiden, She, the holy little maiden, 330 Bathed her in a bath sufficient, Till she had relieved her suffering, And a little boy was born her, And a sinless child was given, On the hay in horses' stable, On the hay in horses' manger.

Then she washed the little infant, And in swaddling-clothes she wrapped him, On her knees she took the infant, And she wrapped her garments round him. 340 There she reared the little infant, Thus she reared the beauteous infant, Reared her little golden apple, And her little staff of silver, And upon her lap she nursed it, With her hands did she caress it.

On her knees she laid the infant, On her lap she laid the infant, And began to brush his hair straight, And began to smooth his hair down, 350 When from off her knees he vanished, From her lap the infant vanished.

Marjatta the hapless maiden Fell into the greatest trouble, And she hurried off to seek him, Seek her little boy, the infant, And she sought her golden apple, Sought her little staff of silver, Sought him underneath the millstones, Underneath the sledge while running, 360 Underneath the sieve while sifting, Underneath the lidless basket; Trees she moved, and gra.s.s divided, Spreading out the tender herbage.