PART III
Esthonian Ballads, &c.
For reasons stated in the Preface, only a few specimens are here given.
THE HERALD OF WAR[79]
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue defiance,
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
Nothing but an ancient corbie,
Aged crow, a wretched creature;
With his beak he sniffed around him,
And his nostrils snuffed the vapour;
He had smelt the war already,
When his nostrils snuffed the vapour,
That he might discern the message
Which I carried in my pocket;
He had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood allured him.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
Swift I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
In my charge the leader's orders,
And upon my tongue the secret
That the flags in breeze should flutter,
And the lance-points smite in battle,
And the swords should do their duty.
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
'Twas an eagle came to meet me,
Eagle fierce with beak hooked sharply;
With his beak he sniffed around him,
Through the mist he pushed his nostrils,
By the scent he sought to fathom
What was in the envoy's message.
He had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached him,
And he went to call his comrades.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
Swift I hastened on as envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue the secret
And the leader's secret orders
That the flags should now be waving,
And the spear-points should be sharpened,
What was it I there encountered,
And what met me there to vex me?
'Twas the raven's son that met me,
'Twas a carrion-bird that met me;
With his beak he sniffed around him,
And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,
That the meaning of my message
With his nose he thus might fathom.
He had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached him,
And he went to call his comrades.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue the secret,
And the leader's secret orders,
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
'Twas a little wolf that met me,
And a bear that followed closely;
With their snouts they sniffed around them,
Through the mist they pushed their nostrils,
Seeking thus to probe the secret,
And the letter to discover;
They had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached them,
And they ran to spread the tidings.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue defiance,
With the leader's secret orders
That the flags unfurled should flutter,
And the spear-points do their duty,
And the axes should be lifted,
And the swords should flash in sunlight,
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
It was Famine met me tottering,
Tottering Famine, chewing garbage;
With her nose she sniffed around her,
That the meaning of my message
With her nose she thus might fathom;
For she smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached her,
And she went to call her comrades.
To the Finnish Bridge while driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
On my tongue the secret orders
That the flags unfurled should flutter,
And the spear-points do their duty,
And the axes and the fish-spears
All should do the work before them,
What was that which came to meet me,
What unlooked-for horror met me?
'Twas the Plague I there encountered,
Crafty Plague, the people's murderer,
Of the sevenfold war-plagues direst;
With his nose he sniffed around him,
And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,
Seeking thus to probe the matter,
And the letter to discover;
He had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had lured him
And he went to call his comrades.
After this my horse I halted,
Yoked him with a yoke of iron,
Fettered him with Kalev's fetters,
That he stood as rooted firmly,
From the spot to move unable,
While I pondered and considered,
Deeply in my heart reflecting
If the profit of my journey
Were not lost in greater evil
For the war brings wounds and bloodshed,
And the war has throat of serpent.
Wherefore then should I the battle,
Whence springs only pain and murder,
Forth to peaceful homesteads carry?
Let a message so accursed
In the ocean-depths be sunken,
There to sleep in endless slumber,
Lost among the spawn of fishes,
There to rest in deepest caverns,
Rather than that I should take it,
Till it spreads among the hamlets.
Thereupon I took the mandate
Which I carried in my wallet,
And amid the depths I sunk it,
Underneath the waves of ocean,
Till the waves to foam had torn it,
And to mud had quite reduced it,
While the fishes fled before it.
Thus was hushed the sound of warfare,
Thus was lost the news of battle.
THE BLUE BIRD[80] (I.).
Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,
Siuru, bird of azure plumage,
With the shining silken feathers,
Was not reared by care of father,
Nor the nursing of her mother,
Nor affection of her sisters,
Nor protection of her brothers;
For the bird was wholly nestless,
Like a swallow needing shelter,
Where her down could grow to feathers
And her wing-plumes could develop;
Yet did Ukko wisely order,
And the aged Father's wisdom
Gave his daughter wind-like pinions,
Wings of wind and cloudy pinions,
That his child might float upon them,
Far into the distance soaring.
Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,
Siuru, bird of azure plumage,
Sailed afar into the distance,
And she winged her way to southward,
Then she turned again to northward,
And above three worlds went sailing.
One of these the world of maidens,
One where dwell the curly-headed,
One the home of prattling children,
Where the little ones are tended.
Siuru bird outspread her pinions,
Wide her silken plumes expanding,
Soaring far aloft to heaven.
To the fortress of the sunlight,
To the lighter halls of moonlight,
To the little gate of copper.
Siuru bird outspread her pinions,
Wide her silken plumes expanding,
Soaring far into the distance,
Till she reached her home at evening;
And her father asked his daughter,
"Whither have thy pinions borne thee?
Whither didst thou take thy journey?
Tell me what thine eyes have witnessed."
Siuru heard and comprehended,
And without alarm she answered,
"Where my pinions have conveyed me,
There I scattered feathers from me;
Where I sailed above the country,
There I scattered silken feathers;
Where I shook and flapped my pinions,
From my tail I dropped the feathers:
What I saw with marten keenness,
Might be told in seven narrations,
Or in eight tales be recounted.
Long I flew on path of thunder,
On the roadway of the rainbow,
And the hailstone's toilsome pathway;
Onwards thus I sailed light-hearted,
Heedless, far into the distance,
And at length three worlds discovered,
One the country of the maidens,
One where dwell the curly-headed,
One the world of prattling children,
Where the little ones are tended;
There it is they rear the fair ones,
Slender-grown and silky-headed."
"What thou heardest? speak and tell me;
What thou sawest, let us hear it."
"What then heard I, sire beloved,
What beheld, O dearest father?
There I heard the sport of maidens,
There I heard their mirth and sadness,
Jesting from the curly-headed,
From the little infants wailing.
Wherefore, said the maidens, jesting,
Do the curly-headed children
Dwell in solitude and lonely,
Living thus apart from nurses?
And they asked in every quarter,
Are no youths in starry regions,
Youths of starry birth or other,
Who might dwell among the maidens,
And amuse the curly-headed?"
Ukko heard her words, and answered,
"Soar away, my dearest daughter,
Steer thy flight again to southward,
Sailing far away till evening,
Turning then unto the northward,
Come before the doors of Ukko,
To the western mother's threshold,
To the northern mother's region;
Seek thou there the youths to woo them,
Youths that may release the maidens."