Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland — Complete. Anonymous

the hour of noontide,

       Many days and nights he angles,

       Till at last, one sunny morning,

       Strikes a fish of magic powers,

       Plays like salmon on his fish-line,

       Lashing waves across the waters,

       Till at length the fish exhausted

       Falls a victim to the angler,

       Safely landed in the bottom

       Of the hero's boat of copper.

       Wainamoinen, proudly viewing,

       Speaks these words in wonder guessing:

       "This the fairest of all sea-fish,

       Never have I seen its equal,

       Smoother surely than the salmon,

       Brighter-spotted than the trout is,

       Grayer than the pike of Suomi,

       Has less fins than any female,

       Not the fins of any male fish,

       Not the stripes of sea-born maidens,

       Not the belt of any mermaid,

       Not the ears of any song-bird,

       Somewhat like our Northland salmon

       From the blue-sea's deepest caverns."

       In his belt the ancient hero

       Wore a knife insheathed with silver;

       From its case he drew the fish-knife,

       Thus to carve the fish in pieces,

       Dress the nameless fish for roasting,

       Make of it a dainty breakfast,

       Make of it a meal at noon-day,

       Make for him a toothsome supper,

       Make the later meal at evening.

       Straightway as the fish he touches,

       Touches with his knife of silver,

       Quick it leaps upon the waters,

       Dives beneath the sea's smooth surface,

       From the boat with copper bottom,

       From the skiff of Wainamoinen.

       In the waves at goodly distance,

       Quickly from the sea it rises

       On the sixth and seventh billows,

       Lifts its head above the waters,

       Out of reach of fishing-tackle,

       Then addresses Wainamoinen,

       Chiding thus the ancient hero:

       "Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,

       Do not think that I came hither

       To be fished for as a salmon,

       Only to be chopped in pieces,

       Dressed and eaten like a whiting

       Make for thee a dainty breakfast,

       Make for thee a meal at midday,

       Make for thee a toothsome supper,

       Make the fourth meal of the Northland."

       Spake the ancient Wainamoinen:

       "Wherefore didst thou then come hither,

       If it be not for my dinner?"

       Thus the nameless fish made answer:

       "Hither have I come, O minstrel,

       In thine arms to rest and linger,

       And thyself to love and cherish,

       At thy side a life-companion,

       And thy wife to be forever;

       Deck thy couch with snowy linen,

       Smooth thy head upon the pillow,

       Sweep thy rooms and make them cheery,

       Keep thy dwelling-place in order,

       Build a fire for thee when needed,

       Bake for thee the honey-biscuit,

       Fill thy cup with barley-water,

       Do for thee whatever pleases.

       "I am not a scaly sea-fish,

       Not a trout of Northland rivers,

       Not a whiting from the waters,

       Not a salmon of the North-seas,

       I, a young and merry maiden,

       Friend and sister of the fishes,

       Youkahainen's youngest sister,

       I, the one that thou dost fish for,

       I am Aino whom thou lovest.

       "Once thou wert the wise-tongued hero,

       Now the foolish Wainamoinen,

       Scant of insight, scant of judgment,

       Didst not know enough to keep me,

       Cruel-hearted, bloody-handed,

       Tried to kill me with thy fish-knife,

       So to roast me for thy dinner;

       I, a mermaid of Wellamo,

       Once the fair and lovely Aino,

       Sister dear of Youkahainen."

       Spake the ancient Wainamoinen,

       Filled with sorrow, much regretting:

       "Since thou'rt Youkahainen's sister,

       Beauteous Aino of Pohyola,

       Come to me again I pray thee!"

       Thus the mermaid wisely answered;

       Nevermore will Aino's spirit

       Fly to thee and be ill-treated."

       Quickly dived the water-maiden

       From the surface of the billow

       To the many-colored pebbles,

       To the rainbow-tinted grottoes

       Where the mermaids live and linger.

       Wainamoinen, not discouraged,

       Thought afresh and well reflected,

       How to live, and work, and win her;

       Drew with care his silken fish-net,

       To and fro through foam and billow,

       Through the bays and winding channels,

       Drew it through the placid waters,

       Drew it through the salmon-dwellings,

       Through the homes of water-maidens,

       Through the waters of Wainola,

       Through the blue-back of the ocean,

       Through the lakes of distant Lapland,

       Through the rivers of Youkola,

       Through the seas of Kalevala,

       Hoping thus to find his Aino.

       Many were the fish be landed,

       Every form of fish-like creatures,

       But be did not catch the sea-maid,

       Not Wellamo's water-maiden,

       Fairest daughter of the Northland.

       Finally the ancient minstrel,

       Mind depressed, and heart discouraged,

       Spake these words, immersed in sorrow:

       "Fool am I, and great my folly,

       Having neither wit nor judgment;

       Surely once I had some knowledge,

       Had some insight into wisdom,

       Had at least a bit of instinct;