Came the youthful Joukahainen Driving on the road against him, And the shafts were wedged together, And the reins were all entangled, And the collar jammed with collar, And the runners dashed together.
Thus their progress was arrested, Thus they halted and reflected; Sweat dropped down upon the runners; From the shafts the steam was rising. 100
Asked the aged Vainamoinen, "Who are you, and what your lineage, You who drive so reckless onward, Utterly without reflection?
Broken are the horses" collars, And the wooden runners likewise; You have smashed my sledge to pieces.
Broke the sledge in which I travelled."
Then the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow: 110 "I am youthful Joukahainen; But yourself should also tell me, What your race, and what your nation, And from what vile stock you issue."
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Told his name without concealment, And began to speak as follows: "Youth, if you are Joukahainen, You should move aside a little.
For remember, you are younger." 120
But the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow: "Here of youthfulness we reck not; Nought doth youth or age concern us, He who highest stands in knowledge, He whose wisdom is the greatest, Let him keep the path before him, And the other yield the pa.s.sage.
If you are old Vainamoinen, And the oldest of the minstrels, 130 Let us give ourselves to singing, Let us now repeat our sayings, That the one may teach the other.
And the one surpa.s.s the other,"
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "What can I myself accomplish As a wise man or a singer?
I have pa.s.sed my life in quiet, Here among these very moorlands, 140 On the borders of my home-field I have heard the cuckoo calling.
But apart from this at present, I will ask you to inform me What may be your greatest wisdom; And the utmost of your knowledge?"
Said the youthful Joukahainen, "Many things I know in fulness, And I know with perfect clearness, And my insight shows me plainly, 150 In the roof we find the smoke-hole, And the fire is near the hearthstone.
"Joyful life the seal is leading, In the waves there sports the sea-dog, And he feeds upon the salmon, And the powans round about him.
"Smooth the water loved by powans, Smooth the surface, too, for salmon; And in frost the pike is sp.a.w.ning, Slimy fish in wintry weather. 160 Sluggish is the perch, the humpback, In the depths it swims in autumn, But it sp.a.w.ns in drought of summer, Swimming slowly to the margin.
"If this does not yet suffice you, I am wise in other matters, And of weighty things can tell you.
In the north they plough with reindeer, In the south the mare is useful, And the elk In furthest Lapland. 170
"Trees I know on Pisa mountain, Firs upon the rocks of Horna, Tall the trees on Pisa mountain, And the firs on rocks of Horna.
"Three great waterfalls I know of, And as many lakes extensive, And as many lofty mountains, Underneath the vault of heaven.
Hallapyora is in Hame, Karjala has Kaatrakoski, 180 But they do not match the Vuoksi, There where Imatra is rushing."
Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Childish tales, and woman"s wisdom, But for bearded men unsuited, And for married men unfitted.
Tell me words of deepest wisdom.
Tell me now of things eternal."
Then the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow: 190 "Well I know whence comes the t.i.tmouse, That the t.i.tmouse is a birdie, And a snake the hissing viper, And the ruffe a fish in water.
And I know that hard is iron, And that mud when black is bitter.
Painful, too, is boiling water, And the heat of fire is hurtful, Water is the oldest medicine, Cataract"s foam a magic potion; 200 The Creator"s self a sorcerer, Jumala the Great Magician.
"From the rock springs forth the water, And the fire from heaven descendeth, And from ore we get the iron, And in hills we find the copper.
"Marshy country is the oldest, And the first of trees the willow.
Pine-roots were the oldest houses, And the earliest pots were stone ones." 210
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Is there more that you can tell me, Or is this the end of nonsense?"
Said the youthful Joukahainen, "Many little things I wot of, And the time I well remember When "twas I who ploughed the ocean, Hollowed out the depths of ocean, And I dug the caves for fishes, 220 And I sunk the deep abysses, When the lakes I first created, And I heaped the hills together.
And the rocky mountains fashioned.
"Then I stood with six great heroes!
I myself the seventh among them.
When the earth was first created, And the air above expanded; For the sky I fixed the pillars.
And I reared the arch of heaven, 230 To the moon a.s.signed his journey, Helped the sun upon his pathway, To the Bear his place appointed, And the stars in heaven I scattered,"
Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Ay, indeed, a shameless liar!
You at least were never present When the ocean first was furrowed, And the ocean depths were hollowed.
And the caves were dug for fishes, 240 And the deep abysses sunken, And the lakes were first created, When the hills were heaped together, And the rocky mountains fashioned.
"No one ever yet had seen you, None had seen you, none had heard you.
When the earth was first created, And the air above expanded, When the posts of heaven were planted, And the arch of heaven exalted, 250 When the moon was shown his pathway, And the sun was taught to journey, When the Bear was fixed in heaven, And the stars in heaven were scattered."
But the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow: "If I fail in understanding, I will seek it at the sword-point.
O thou aged Vainamoinen, O thou very broad-mouthed minstrel, 260 Let us measure swords together, Let the blade decide between us."
Said the aged Vainamoinen, "I have little cause to fret me Either for your sword or wisdom, For your sword-point or your judgment.
But, apart from this at present, I will draw no sword upon you, So contemptible a fellow, And so pitiful a weakling." 270
Then the youthful Joukahainen Shook his head, his mouth drawn crooked, And he tossed his locks of blackness.
And he spake the words which follow:
"He who shuns the sword"s decision, Nor betakes him to his sword-blade, To a swine I soon will sing him, To a snouted swine transform him.
Heroes I have thus o"erpowered, Hither will I drive and thither. 280 And will pitch them on the dunghill, Grunting in the cowshed corner."
Angry then was Vainamoinen, Filled with wrath and indignation, And himself commenced his singing, And to speak his words of wisdom.
But he sang no childish ditties, Children"s songs and women"s jesting, But a song for bearded heroes, Such as all the children sing not, 290 Nor a half the boys can master, Nor a third can lovers compa.s.s, In the days of dark misfortune, When our life is near its ending.
Sang the aged Vainamoinen; Lakes swelled up, and earth was shaken, And the coppery mountains trembled.
And the mighty rocks resounded.
And the mountains clove asunder; On the sh.o.r.e the stones were shivered. 300 Then he sang of Joukahainen, Changed his runners into saplings, And to willows changed the collar, And the reins he turned to alder, And he sang the sledge all gilded, To the lake among the rushes, And the whip, with beads embellished, To a reed upon the water, And the horse, with front white-spotted To a stone beside the torrent. 310
Then he sang his sword, gold-hilted, To a lightning-flash in heaven, And his ornamented crossbow, To a rainbow o"er the water, And he sang his feathered arrows, Into hawks that soar above him; And his dog, with upturned muzzle, Stands a stone in earth embedded.
From his head, his cap, by singing, Next became a cloud above him, 320 From his hands, his gloves, by singing, Next were changed to water-lilies, And the blue coat he was wearing, Floats a fleecy cloud in heaven, And the handsome belt that girt him, In the sky as stars he scattered.
As he sang, sank Joukahainen Waist-deep in the swamp beneath him, Hip-deep in the marshy meadow, To his arm-pits in a quicksand. 330 Then indeed young Joukahainen Knew at last, and comprehended; And he knew his course was finished, And his journey now was ended.
For in singing he was beaten, By the aged Vainamoinen.
He would raise his foot to struggle But he could no longer lift it; Then he tried to lift the other, But as shod with stone he felt it. 340
Then the youthful Joukahainen Felt the greatest pain and anguish, And he fell in grievous trouble, And he spoke the words which follow: "O thou wisest Vainamoinen, O thou oldest of magicians, Speak thy words of magic backwards, And reverse thy songs of magic.
Loose me from this place of terror, And release me from my torment. 350 I will pay the highest ransom, And the fixed reward will give thee."
Said the aged Vainamoinen, "What do you propose to give me, If I turn my words of magic, And reverse my songs of magic, Loose you from this place of terror, And release you from your torment?"
Said the youthful Joukahainen, "I"ve two crossbows I could give you, 360 Ay, a pair of splendid crossbows, One shoots forth with pa.s.sing quickness, Surely hits the mark the other.
If it please you, choose between them."