Then did Pohjola's old Mistress
Answer in the words which follow:
"Yes, the maiden now is ready.
She for whom you longed and laboured.
I will give my tender duckling,
And prepare the duck I cherished,350
For the smith, for Ilmarinen,
At his side to sit for ever,
On his knee as wife to seat her,
Dove-like in his arms to nestle."
On the floor a child was sitting,
On the floor a child was singing:
"To our room there came already,
Came a bird into our castle;
From the north-east flew an eagle,
Through the sky a hawk came flying,360
In the air one wing was flapping,
On the sea the other rested,
With his tail he swept the ocean,
And to heaven his head he lifted;
And he gazed around, and turned him,
Back and forth the eagle hovered,
Perched upon the heroes' castle,
And his beak he whetted on it,
But the roof was formed of iron,
And he could not pierce within it.370
"So he gazed around and turned him,
Back and forth the eagle hovered,
Perched upon the women's castle,
And his beak he whetted on it,
But the roof was formed of copper,
And he could not pierce within it.
"So he gazed around and turned him,
Back and forth the eagle hovered,
Perched upon the maidens' castle,
And his beak he whetted on it,380
And the roof was formed of linen,
And he forced his way within it.
"Then he perched upon the chimney,
Then upon the floor descended,
Pushed aside the castle's shutter,
Sat him at the castle window,
Near the wall, all green his feathers,
In the room, his plumes a hundred.
"Then he scanned the braidless maidens,
Gazing on the long-haired maiden,390
On the best of all the maidens,
Fairest maid with hair unbraided,
And her head with beads was shining,
And her head with beauteous blossoms.
"In his claws the eagle seized her,
And the hawk with talons grasped her,
Seized the best of all the party,
Of the flock of ducks the fairest,
She the sweetest-voiced and tenderest,
She the rosiest and the whitest,400
She the bird of air selected,
In his talons far he bore her,
She who held her head the highest,
And her form of all the shapeliest,
And her feathers of the finest,
And her plumage of the softest."
Then did Pohjola's old Mistress
Answer in the words that follow:
"Wherefore dost thou know, my darling,
Or hast heard, my golden apple,410
How the maiden grew amongst us,
And her flaxen hair waved round her?
Perhaps the maiden shone with silver,
Or the maiden's gold was famous.
Has our sun been shining on you,
Or the moon afar been shining?"
From the floor the child made answer,
And the growing child responded:
"Therefore did your darling know it,
And your fostling learned to know it.420
In the far-famed maidens' dwelling,
In the home where dwells the fair one;
Good report rejoiced the father,
When he launched his largest vessel;
But rejoices more the mother,
When the largest loaf is baking,
And the wheaten bread is baking,
That the guests may feast profusely.
"Thus it was your darling knew it,
Far around the strangers knew it,430
How the young maid grew in stature,
And how tall grew up the maiden.
Once I went into the courtyard,
And I wandered to the storehouse,
Very early in the morning,
In the earliest morning hours,
And the soot in streaks ascended,
And the smoke in clouds rose upward,
From the far-famed maiden's dwelling,
From the blooming maiden's homestead,440
And the maid herself was grinding,
Busy working at the handmill;
Rung the mill like call of cuckoo,
And the pestle quacked like wild geese,
And the sieve like bird was singing,
And the stones like beads were rattling.