Lemminkainen's tender mother
In her home was always thinking,
"Where has Lemminkainen wandered,
Whereabouts is Kauko roaming,
For I do not hear him coming
From his world-extended journey?"
Ah, the hapless mother knew not,
Nor the hapless one imagined,
Where her own flesh now was floating,
Where her own blood now was flowing;10
If he tracked the fir-clad mountains,
Or among the heaths was roaming,
Or upon a lake was floating,
Out upon the foaming billows,
Or in some terrific combat,
In the most tremendous tumult,
With his legs with blood bespattered,
To the knees with blood all crimsoned.
Kyllikki, the lovely housewife,
Wandered round and gazed about her,20
Through the home of Lemminkainen,
And through Kaukomieli's homestead;
On the comb she looked at evening,
On the brush she looked at morning,
And at length one day it happened,
In the early morning hours,
Blood from out the comb was oozing,
From the brush was gore distilling.
Kyllikki, the lovely housewife,
Uttered then the words which follow:30
"Lo, my husband has departed,
And my handsome Kauko wandered
In a country void of houses,
And throughout some trackless desert.
Blood from out the comb is oozing,
Gore is from the brush distilling."
Then did Lemminkainen's mother
See herself the comb was bleeding,
And began to weep with sorrow.
"O alas, my day is wretched,40
And my life is most unhappy,
For my son has met misfortune,
And my child all unprotected,
On an evil day was nurtured.
On the poor lad came destruction,
Lost is darling Lemminkainen,
From the comb the blood is trickling,
And the brush with blood is dripping."
In her hands her skirt she gathered,
With her arms her dress she lifted,50
And at once commenced her journey,
Hurried on upon her journey.
Mountains thundered 'neath her footsteps,
Valleys rose and hills were levelled,
And the high ground sank before her,
And the low ground rose before her.
Thus to Pohjola she journeyed,
Asking where her son had wandered,
And she asked in words which follow:
"Tell me, Pohjola's old Mistress,60
Whither sent you Lemminkainen,
Whither has my son departed?"
Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress,
Then replied in words which follow:
"Of your son I know no tidings,
Where he went, or where he vanished.
In his sledge I yoked a stallion,
Chose him out a fiery courser.
Perhaps he sank in ice when rotten,
O'er the frozen lake when driving,70
Or among the wolves has fallen,
Or some dreadful bear devoured him."
Then said Lemminkainen's mother,
"This indeed is shameless lying,
For no wolf would touch my offspring.
Not a bear touch Lemminkainen!
Wolves he'd crush between his fingers,
Bears with naked hands would master.
If you will not truly tell me,
How you treated Lemminkainen,80
I the malthouse doors will shatter,
Break the hinges of the Sampo."
Then said Pohjola's old Mistress,
"I have fed the man profusely,
And I gave him drink in plenty,
Till he was most fully sated.
In a boat's prow then I placed him,
That he thus should shoot the rapids,
But I really cannot tell you
What befel the wretched creature;90
In the wildly foaming torrent,
In the tumult of the whirlpool."