Part 7
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring Heard, and thus he made her answer: 230 "Ill I did, a wicked herd-boy, Not so great as wicked mistress. In my cake a stone she baked me, Baked a lump of rock within it, On the stone my knife struck sharply, 'Gainst the rock my knife was shattered; 'Twas the knife of mine own father, Of our race a cherished heirloom."
Then said Ilmarinen's housewife, "O thou herd-boy, dearest herd-boy, 240 Wilt thou alter thy intention, And recall thy words of magic, And release me from the wolf's jaws, From the bear's claws now release me? Better shirts will I then give you, And will give you handsome aprons, Give you wheaten-bread, and butter, And the sweetest milk for drinking, For a year no work will give you, Give you light work in the second. 250
"If you haste not to release me, Come not quickly to my rescue, Death will quickly fall upon me, And to earth shall I be altered."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "If you die, so may you perish, If you perish, may you perish! Room there is in earth to hold you, Room in Kalma's home for lost ones, 260 For the mightiest there to slumber, For the proudest to repose them."
Then said Ilmarinen's housewife, "Ukko, thou, of Gods the highest, Haste to bend thy mighty crossbow, Of thy bows the best select thou, Take thou then a bolt of copper, And adjust it to the crossbow, Shoot thou then a flaming arrow, Shoot thou forth the bolt of copper, 270 Shoot it quickly through the arm-pits, Shoot it that it split the shoulders. Thus let Kalervo's son perish, Shoot thou dead this wicked creature, Shoot him with the steel-tipped arrow, Shoot him with thy bolt of copper."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Uttered then the words which follow: "Ukko, thou, of Gods the highest, Shoot me not as she has prayed thee, 280 Shoot the wife of Ilmarinen, Do thou kill this wicked woman, Ere from off this spot she riseth, Or can move herself from off it."
Then did Ilmarinen's housewife, Wife of that most skilful craftsman, On the spot at once fall dying, Fell, as falls the soot from kettle, In the yard before her homestead, In the narrow yard she perished. 290
Thus it was the young wife perished, Thus the fairest housewife perished, Whom the smith so long had yearned for, And for six long years was sought for, As the joy of Ilmarinen, Pride of him, the smith so famous.
RUNO XXXIV.--KULLERVO AND HIS PARENTS
_Argument_
Kullervo escapes from the homestead of Ilmarinen, and wanders sorrowfully through the forest, where he meets with the Old Woman of the Forest, who informs him that his father, mother, brothers and sisters are still living (1-128). Following her directions he finds them on the borders of Lapland (129-188). His mother tells him that she had long supposed him to be dead, and also that her elder daughter had been lost when gathering berries (189-246).
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, He, the youth with blue-dyed stockings, And with yellow hair the finest, And with shoes of finest leather, Hurried quickly on his journey From the home of Ilmarinen, Ere report could reach the master Of the death his wife had suffered, And might harm him in his anger, And he might at once destroy him. 10
From the smith he hurried piping, Joyful left the lands of Ilma, On the heath his horn blew loudly, Shouted loudly in the clearing, And he dashed through plains and marshes, While the heath re-echoed loudly, And his horn kept loudly blowing, And made horrible rejoicing.
In the smithy did they hear it, At the forge the smith was standing, 20 To the lane he went to listen, To the yard to look around him, Who was playing in the forest, And upon the heath was piping.
Then he saw what just had happened, Saw the truth without deception, There he saw his wife was resting, Saw the fair one who had perished, Where she in the yard had fallen, On the grass where she had fallen. 30
Even while the smith was standing, All his heart was dark with sorrow; Many nights he spent in weeping, Many weeks his tears were flowing, And his soul like tar was darkened, And his heart than soot no lighter.
Kullervo still wandered onwards, Aimlessly he hurried forward, For a day through thickest forest, Through the timber-grounds of Hiisi, 40 And at evening, when it darkened, Down upon the ground he threw him.
There the orphan boy was sitting, And the friendless one reflected: "Wherefore have I been created, Who has made me, and has doomed me, Thus 'neath moon and sun to wander 'Neath the open sky for ever?
"Others to their homes may journey, And may travel to their dwellings, 50 But my home is in the forest, And upon the heath my homestead. In the wind I find my fire-place, In the rain I find my bathroom.
"Never, Jumala most gracious, Never in the course of ages, Form a child thus mis-created, Doomed to be for ever friendless, Fatherless beneath the heavens, From the first without a mother, 60 As thou, Jumala, hast made me, And hast formed me to be wretched, Formed me like a wandering seagull, Like a seagull on the lake-cliffs. Shines the sun upon the swallow, Brightly shines upon the sparrow, In the air the birds are joyous, I myself am never happy, On my life the sun shines never, And my life is always joyless. 70
"Now I know not who has nursed me, And I know not who has borne me, For, as water-hens are used to, Or as ducks among the marshes, Like the teal on shore she left me, Or in hollow stone, merganser.
"I was small, and lost my father, I was weak, and lost my mother, Dead is father, dead is mother, All my mighty race has perished, 80 Shoes of ice to wear they left me, Filled with snow they left my stockings, On the ice they left me lying, Rolling on the platform left me, Thus I fell into the marshes, And amid the mud was swallowed.
"But in all my life I never, Never in my life I hastened, Through the swamp to make a platform, Or a bridge in marshy places; 90 But I sank not in the marshes, For I had two hands to help me, And I had five nimble fingers, And ten nails to lift me from it."
Then into his mind it entered In his brain he fixed the notion Unto Untamo to journey, There his father's wrongs avenging, Father's wrongs, and tears of mother, And the wrongs himself had suffered. 100
Then he spoke the words which follow: "Wait thou, wait thou, Untamoinen, Watch thou, of my race destroyer! If I seek thee out in battle, I will quickly burn thy dwelling, And thy farms to flame deliver."
Then an old dame came to meet him, Blue-robed Lady of the Forest, And she spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed her: 110 "Whither goeth Kullervoinen, Where will Kalervo's son hasten?"
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "In my mind the thought has entered, In my brain has fixed the notion Hence to other lands to wander, Unto Untamo's own village, There my father's death avenging, Father's wrongs, and tears of mother, 120 There with fire to burn the houses, And to burn them up completely."
But the old wife made him answer, And she spoke the words which follow: "No, your race has not yet perished, Nor has Kalervo been murdered; For your father still is living, And on earth in health your mother."
"O my dearest of old women, Tell me, O my dear old woman, 130 Where I yet may find my father, Where the fair one who has borne me?"
"Thither is thy father living, There the fair one who has borne thee, Far away on Lapland's borders, On the borders of a fishpond."
"O my dearest of old women, Tell me, O my dear old woman, How I best can journey to them, And the road I may discover?" 140
"Easy 'tis for thee to journey, Though to thee unknown the pathway. Through the forest must thou journey, By the river thou must travel, Thou must march one day, a second, And must march upon the third day, Then must turn thee to the north-west, Till you reach a wooded mountain, Then march on beneath the mountain, Go the left side of the mountain, 150 Till thou comest to a river, (On the right side thou wilt find it,) By the riverside go further, Till three waterfalls rush foaming, When thou comest to a headland, With a narrow tongue projecting, And a house at point of headland, And beyond a hut for fishing. There thy father still is living, There the fair one who has borne thee, 160 There thou'lt also find thy sisters, Two among the fairest maidens."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Started then upon his journey, And he marched one day, a second, Likewise marched upon the third day, Then he turned him to the north-west, Till he reached a wooded mountain, Then he marched halfway below it, Turning westward from the mountain, 170 Till at length he found the river, And he marched along the river, On the west bank of the river, Past three water-falls he journeyed, Till at length he reached a headland With a narrow tongue projecting, And a house at point of headland, And beyond, a hut for fishing.
Thereupon the house he entered, In the room they did not know him. 180 "From what lake has come the stranger, From what country is the wanderer?"
"Is your son then all forgotten, Know you not your child, your offspring, Who by Untamo's marauders, With them to their home was carried, Greater not than span of father, Longer not than mother's spindle?"
Then his mother interrupted, And exclaimed the aged woman, 190 "O my son, my son unhappy, O my golden brooch so wretched, Hast thou then, with eyes yet living, Wandered through these countries hither, When as dead I long had mourned thee, Long had wept for thy destruction?
"I had two sons in the past days, And two daughters of the fairest, And among them two have vanished, Two are lost among the elder, 200 First my son in furious battle, Then my daughter, how I know not. Though my son has reached the homestead, Never has returned my daughter."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, In his turn began to question. "How then has your daughter vanished, What has happened to my sister?"
Then his mother made him answer, And she spoke the words which follow: 210 "Thus has disappeared my daughter, Thus it happened to your sister. To the wood she went for berries, Sought for raspberries 'neath the mountain, There it is the dove has vanished, There it is the bird has perished, Thus she died without our knowledge, How she died we cannot tell you.
"Who is longing for the maiden? Save her mother, no one missed her. 220 First her mother went to seek her, And her mother sought, who missed her, Forth I went, unhappy mother, Forth I went to seek my daughter, Through the wood like bear I hurried, Speeding through the wastes like otter, Thus I sought one day, a second, Sought her also on the third day. When the third day had passed over, For a long time yet I wandered, 230 Till I reached a mighty mountain, And a peak of all the highest, Calling ever on my daughter, Ever grieving for the lost one.
"'Where is now my dearest daughter? O my daughter, come thou homeward!'
"Thus I shouted to my daughter, Grieving ever for the lost one, And the mountains made me answer, And the heaths again re-echoed, 240 'Call no more upon thy daughter, Call no more, and shout no longer, Never will she come back living, Nor return unto her household, Never to her mother's dwelling, To her aged father's boathouse.'"
RUNO XXXV.--KULLERVO AND HIS SISTER
_Argument_
Kullervo attempts to do different kinds of work for his parents, but only succeeds in spoiling everything, so his father sends him to pay the land-dues (1-68). On his way home he meets his sister who was lost gathering berries, whom he drags into his sledge (69-188). Afterwards, when his sister learns who he is, she throws herself into a torrent, but Kullervo hurries home, relates his sister's terrible fate to his mother, and proposes to put an end to his own life (189-344). His mother dissuades him from suicide, and advises him to retire to some retreat where he may be able to recover from his remorse. But Kullervo resolves before all things to avenge himself on Untamo (345-372).
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, After this continued living, In the shelter of his parents, But he comprehended nothing, Nor attained to manly wisdom, For his rearing had been crooked, And the child was rocked all wrongly, By perversest foster-father, And a foolish foster-mother. 10
Then to work the boy attempted, Many things he tried his hand at, And he went the fish to capture, And to lay the largest drag-net, And he spoke the words which follow, Pondered as he grasped the oar: "Shall I pull with all my efforts, Row, exerting all my vigour; Shall I row with common efforts, Row no stronger than is needful?" 20
And the steersman made him answer, And he spoke the words which follow: "Pull away with all your efforts, Row, exerting all your vigour, Row the boat in twain you cannot, Neither break it into fragments."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Pulled thereat with all his efforts, Rowed, exerting all his vigour, Rowed in twain the wooden rowlocks, 30 Ribs of juniper he shattered, And he smashed the boat of aspen.
Kalervo came forth to see it, And he spoke the words which follow: "No, you understand not rowing, You have split the wooden rowlocks, Ribs of juniper have shattered, Shattered quite the boat of aspen. Thresh the fish into the drag-net, Perhaps you'll thresh the water better." 40
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Then went forth to thresh the water, And as he the pole was lifting, Uttered he the words which follow: "Shall I thresh with all my efforts, Putting forth my manly efforts; Shall I thresh with common efforts, As the threshing-pole is able?"
Answered thereupon the net-man, "Would you call it proper threshing, 50 If with all your strength you threshed not, Putting forth your manly efforts?"
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Threshed away with all his efforts, Putting forth his manly efforts. Into soup he churned the water, Into tow he threshed the drag-net, Into slime he crushed the fishes.
Kalervo came forth to see it, And he spoke the words which follow: 60 "No, you understand not threshing, Into tow is threshed the drag-net, And the floats to chaff are beaten, And the meshes torn to fragments, Therefore go and pay the taxes, Therefore go and pay the land-dues. Best it is for you to travel, Learning wisdom on the journey."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, 70 And with yellow hair the finest, And with shoes of finest leather, Went his way to pay the taxes, And he went to pay the land-dues.
When he now had paid the taxes, And had also paid the land-dues, In his sledge he quickly bounded, And upon the sledge he mounted, And began to journey homeward, And to travel to his country. 80
And he drove, and rattled onward, And he travelled on his journey, Traversing the heath of Väinö, And his clearing made aforetime.
And by chance a maiden met him, With her yellow hair all flowing, There upon the heath of Väinö, On his clearing made aforetime.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Checked the sledge upon the instant, 90 And began a conversation, And began to talk and wheedle: "Come into my sledge, O maiden, Rest upon the furs within it."
From her snowshoes said the maiden, And she answered, as she skated, "In thy sledge may Death now enter, On thy furs be Sickness seated."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, 100 With his whip then struck his courser, With his beaded whip he lashed him. Sprang the horse upon the journey, Rocked the sledge, the road was traversed, And he drove and rattled onward, And he travelled on his journey, On the lake's extended surface, And across the open water, And by chance a maiden met him, Walking on, with shoes of leather, 110 O'er the lake's extended surface, And across the open water.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Checked his horse upon the instant, And his mouth at once he opened, And began to speak as follows: "Come into my sledge, O fair one, Pride of earth, and journey with me."
But the maiden gave him answer, And the well-shod maiden answered: 120 "In thy sledge may Tuoni seek thee, Manalainen journey with thee."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, With the whip then struck his courser, With his beaded whip he lashed him. Sprang the horse upon his journey, Rocked the sledge, the way was shortened, And he rattled on his journey, And he sped upon his pathway, 130 Straight across the heaths of Pohja, And the borders wide of Lapland.
And by chance a maiden met him, Wearing a tin brooch, and singing, Out upon the heaths of Pohja, And the borders wide of Lapland.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Checked his horse upon the instant, And his mouth at once he opened, And began to speak as follows: 140 "Come into my sledge, O maiden, Underneath my rug, my dearest, And you there shall eat my apples, And shall crack my nuts in comfort."
But the maiden made him answer, And the tin-adorned one shouted: "At your sledge I spit, O villain, Even at your sledge, O scoundrel! Underneath your rug is coldness, And within your sledge is darkness." 150
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, Dragged into his sledge the maiden, And into the sledge he pulled her, And upon the furs he laid her, Underneath the rug he pushed her.
And the maiden spoke unto him, Thus outspoke the tin-adorned one: "From the sledge at once release me, Leave the child in perfect freedom, 160 That I hear of nothing evil, Neither foul nor filthy language, Or upon the ground I'll throw me, And will break the sledge to splinters, And will smash your sledge to atoms, Break the wretched sledge to pieces."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, Opened then his hide-bound coffer, Clanging raised the pictured cover, 170 And he showed her all his silver, Out he spread the choicest fabrics, Stockings too, all gold-embroidered, Girdles all adorned with silver.
Soon the fabrics turned her dizzy, To a bride the money changed her, And the silver it destroyed her, And the shining gold deluded.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, With the very bluest stockings, 180 Thereupon the maiden flattered, And he wheedled and caressed her, With one hand the horse controlling, On the maiden's breast the other.
Then he sported with the maiden, Wearied out the tin-adorned one, 'Neath the rug all copper-tinselled, And upon the furs all spotted.
Then when Jumala brought morning, On the second day thereafter, 190 Then the damsel spoke unto him, And she asked, and spoke as follows: "Tell me now of your relations, What the brave race that you spring from, From a mighty race it seems me, Offspring of a mighty father."
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Answered in the words which follow: "No, my race is not a great one, Not a great one, not a small one, 200 I am just of middle station, Kalervo's unhappy offspring, Stupid boy, and very foolish, Worthless child, and good for nothing. Tell me now about your people, And the brave race that you spring from, Perhaps from mighty race descended, Offspring of a mighty father."
And the girl made answer quickly, And she spoke the words which follow: 210 "No, my race is not a great one, Not a great one, not a small one, I am just of middle station, Kalervo's unhappy daughter, Stupid girl, and very foolish, Worthless child, and good for nothing.
"When I was a little infant, Living with my tender mother, To the wood I went for berries, 'Neath the mountain sought for raspberries. 220 On the plains I gathered strawberries, Underneath the mountain, raspberries, Plucked by day, at night I rested, Plucked for one day and a second, And upon the third day likewise, But the pathway home I found not, In the woods the pathways led me, And the footpath to the forest.
"There I stood, and burst out weeping, Wept for one day and a second, 230 And at length upon the third day, Then I climbed a mighty mountain, To the peak of all the highest. On the peak I called and shouted, And the woods made answer to me, While the heaths re-echoed likewise: 'Do not call, O girl so senseless, Shout not, void of understanding! There is no one who can hear you, None at home to hear your shouting.' 240
"Then upon the third and fourth days, Lastly on the fifth and sixth days, I to take my life attempted, Tried to hurl me to destruction, But by no means did I perish, Nor could I, the wretched perish.
"Would that I, poor wretch, had perished, Hapless one, had met destruction, That the second year thereafter, Or the third among the summers, 250 I had shone forth as a grass-blade, As a lovely flower existed, On the ground a beauteous berry, Even as a scarlet cranberry, Then I had not heard these horrors, Would not now have known these terrors."
Soon as she had finished speaking, And her speech had scarce completed, Quickly from the sledge she darted, And she rushed into the river, 260 In the furious foaming cataract, And amid the raging whirlpool, There she found the death she sought for, There at length did death o'ertake her, Found in Tuonela a refuge, In the waves she found compassion.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, From his sledge at once descended, And began to weep full loudly, With a piteous lamentation. 270 "Woe my day, O me unhappy, Woe to me, and all my household, For indeed my very sister, I my mother's child have outraged! Woe my father, woe my mother, Woe to you, my aged parents, To what purpose have you reared me, Reared me up to be so wretched! Far more happy were my fortune, Had I ne'er been born or nurtured, 280 Never in the air been strengthened, Never in this world had entered. Wrongly I by death was treated, Nor disease has acted wisely, That they did not fall upon me, And when two nights old destroy me."
With his knife he loosed the collar, From the sledge the chains he severed, On the horse's back he vaulted, On the whitefront steed he galloped, 290 But a little way he galloped, But a little course had traversed, When he reached his father's dwelling, Reached the grass-plot of his father.