Kalevala, Volume II by Anonymous

Author:Anonymous
Language: eng
Format: epub

* * *

RUNO XL.--THE PIKE AND THE KANTELE

Argument

The Sampo-raiders come to a waterfall, beneath which the boat is caught fast on the back of a great pike (1-94). The pike is killed, and the front part is taken into the boat, cooked, and eaten (94-204). Väinämöinen makes the jaws of the pike into a kantele, on which several of the party attempt to play, but without success (205-342).

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast, Steered the vessel swiftly forward, On beyond the jutting headland, On beyond the wretched village, Singing songs upon the water, Joyous songs upon the billows.

On the cape were maidens standing, And they looked around and listened. "From the lake there comes rejoicing, And what song from lake re-echoes, 10 Far more joyous than aforetime, And a finer song than any?"

Onward steered old Väinämöinen, For a day o'er lake was steering, For the next through marshy waters, For the third day past a cataract.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Thought of spells he heard aforetime, For the ears of furious cataract, And the sacred river's whirlpool. 20 And he spoke the words which follow, And expressed himself in singing:

"Cease, O Cataract, thy foaming, Mighty water, cease thy rushing, Thou, foam-maiden, Cataract's daughter, On the foam-flecked stones, O seat thee, On the wet stones do thou seat thee, In thy lap the waters gather, And in both thy hands collect them, With thy hands repress their fury, 30 That upon our breasts they splash not, Nor upon our heads are falling.

"Thou, old dame, beneath the billows, Lady, pillowed on the waters, Raise thy head above the waters, Rise from bosom of the waters, That the foam be heaped together, And that thou mayst watch the foam-wreaths, Lest they should o'erwhelm the guiltless, And should overthrow the faultless. 40

"Stones that stand amid the river, Slabs of stone with foam o'ercovered, Be ye sunk into the water, And your heads be pressed beneath it, From the red boat's pathway banished, From the course the tarred boat follows.

"If this is not yet sufficient, Kimmo-stone, O son of Kammo, Make an opening with thy auger, Pierce an opening with thy auger, 50 Through the stones in river standing, And the dangerous slabs that border, That the boat may pass uninjured, And the vessel pass undamaged.

"If this is not yet sufficient, Water-Father, 'neath the river, Into moss the rocks transform thou, Make the boat like pike's light bladder, As amid the foam it rushes, As beneath the banks it passes. 60

"Maiden in the cataract dwelling, Girl who dwell'st beside the river, Do thou spin a thread of softness, In a soft ball do thou wind it, Drop thy thread into the water, Through the blue waves do thou guide it, That the boat its track may follow, While its tarry breast speeds onward, So that men the least instructed, E'en the inexperienced find it. 70

"Melatar, thou gracious matron! Of thy favour, take the rudder, That with which thou guid'st the vessel, Safely through the streams enchanted, To the house that lies beyond them, And beneath the sorcerer's windows.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.