The gay LemminkäinenTurned himself to see,Looked under the boat,115Spoke a word, thus spoke:‘The boat is not on a stone,Not on a stone, not on timber,The boat is on the neck of a pike,On the hip bones of a water dog.’120The prudent old Väinämöinen,Spoke a word, thus said:‘There are all sorts of things in a river,Timber, pikes:If it be on the neck of a pike,125On the hips of a water-dog,Smite with the sword into the water,Cut the fish in two.’The gay Lemminkäinen,The bright lively youth,130Draws the sword from his girdle,The bone biter from his side;Struck the sea with the sword,Stirs under the side (of the ship).Himself rolled into the water,135Fell splash into the billow hands foremost.Then the smith Ilmarinen,Clung on to the hair of the hero,Raised the man from the sea.Himself spoke this in words:140‘Every-one is formed to be a man,Made to be a bearer of a beard,To be a supplement to the number of a hundred,To complete a thousand[23].’He draws the sword from his girdle,145The cruel iron from his sheath,With which he smote the fish,Struck below the side (of the ship).The sword broke into pieces,The pike did not even perceive.150Prudent old VäinämöinenOn this spoke this in words:‘There is not in you half a man,Not the third part of a hero,When need comes,155The mind of a man is wanted,Then (your) mind fails,All (your) sense is away.’He himself drew his sword,Seized the sharp iron160Struck his sword into the sea,Smote below the side (of the ship)On-to the neck of the pike fish,On to the hip bones of the water dog.The sword was driven home into the firm (flesh),165Fixed in the gills;Then old VäinämöinenBrought up that fish,Drew the pike from the water;The pike fell in two;170The tail dropped to the bottom of the sea,The head rolled into the boat.Now the boat began to run,The vessel got free from the impediment.Prudent old Väinämöinen175Brought the vessel near to shore,Drove her on to the strand,Looked at and turnedThat head-piece of the pike.Himself spoke this in words:180‘Who is the oldest of the youths,(Let him come) to cut up the pike,Divide the fish into pieces,Split the head into bits.’The men speak from the ship,185The women cry from the shore:‘The hands of the catcher are the purest,The fingers of the seeker are the holiest.’The prudent old VäinämöinenDrew a knife from his sheath,190The cold iron from his side,With which he cuts up the pike,Splits the fish into pieces.Himself spoke this in words:—‘Who is the youngest of the women,195(Let her come) to cook the pike,Into morsels for dinner,Into a fish midday meal.’The women went to cook,Ten went in rivalry;200Then the pike is cooked,Pieces for dinner;The bones remained on the shore,The fish bones on the edge of the sea.The prudent old Väinämöinen205Looked at them there,Looked, turned,Spoke a word, thus uttered:‘What might come from this,From these teeth of the pike,210From the broad jaw bone,If it were in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man?’Said the smith Ilmarinen:—215‘There comes not anything from nothingness,No instrument from the mouth of a fish,Not even in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man.’220Prudent old VäinämöinenHimself spoke this in words:‘Yet from these might comeA fish-bone harp,Were there but an artist,225A maker of bone playing-instruments.’When there came no other,(When there) was not any artist,(No) maker of bone playing-instruments,Prudent old Väinämöinen230Himself became a maker,Appeared as a fabricator:Made an instrument of pike-bone,Made ready an eternal joy.Of what is the body of the harp?235Of the jaw-bone of the great pike.Of what are the pegs of the harp?They are the teeth of the pike.Of what are the strings of the harp?Of the hairs of the courser of Hiisi.240Now the instrument was prepared,The harp made ready,A great instrument of pike-bone,A harp of fish-fins.
The gay LemminkäinenTurned himself to see,Looked under the boat,115Spoke a word, thus spoke:‘The boat is not on a stone,Not on a stone, not on timber,The boat is on the neck of a pike,On the hip bones of a water dog.’120The prudent old Väinämöinen,Spoke a word, thus said:‘There are all sorts of things in a river,Timber, pikes:If it be on the neck of a pike,125On the hips of a water-dog,Smite with the sword into the water,Cut the fish in two.’The gay Lemminkäinen,The bright lively youth,130Draws the sword from his girdle,The bone biter from his side;Struck the sea with the sword,Stirs under the side (of the ship).Himself rolled into the water,135Fell splash into the billow hands foremost.Then the smith Ilmarinen,Clung on to the hair of the hero,Raised the man from the sea.Himself spoke this in words:140‘Every-one is formed to be a man,Made to be a bearer of a beard,To be a supplement to the number of a hundred,To complete a thousand[23].’He draws the sword from his girdle,145The cruel iron from his sheath,With which he smote the fish,Struck below the side (of the ship).The sword broke into pieces,The pike did not even perceive.150Prudent old VäinämöinenOn this spoke this in words:‘There is not in you half a man,Not the third part of a hero,When need comes,155The mind of a man is wanted,Then (your) mind fails,All (your) sense is away.’He himself drew his sword,Seized the sharp iron160Struck his sword into the sea,Smote below the side (of the ship)On-to the neck of the pike fish,On to the hip bones of the water dog.The sword was driven home into the firm (flesh),165Fixed in the gills;Then old VäinämöinenBrought up that fish,Drew the pike from the water;The pike fell in two;170The tail dropped to the bottom of the sea,The head rolled into the boat.Now the boat began to run,The vessel got free from the impediment.Prudent old Väinämöinen175Brought the vessel near to shore,Drove her on to the strand,Looked at and turnedThat head-piece of the pike.Himself spoke this in words:180‘Who is the oldest of the youths,(Let him come) to cut up the pike,Divide the fish into pieces,Split the head into bits.’The men speak from the ship,185The women cry from the shore:‘The hands of the catcher are the purest,The fingers of the seeker are the holiest.’The prudent old VäinämöinenDrew a knife from his sheath,190The cold iron from his side,With which he cuts up the pike,Splits the fish into pieces.Himself spoke this in words:—‘Who is the youngest of the women,195(Let her come) to cook the pike,Into morsels for dinner,Into a fish midday meal.’The women went to cook,Ten went in rivalry;200Then the pike is cooked,Pieces for dinner;The bones remained on the shore,The fish bones on the edge of the sea.The prudent old Väinämöinen205Looked at them there,Looked, turned,Spoke a word, thus uttered:‘What might come from this,From these teeth of the pike,210From the broad jaw bone,If it were in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man?’Said the smith Ilmarinen:—215‘There comes not anything from nothingness,No instrument from the mouth of a fish,Not even in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man.’220Prudent old VäinämöinenHimself spoke this in words:‘Yet from these might comeA fish-bone harp,Were there but an artist,225A maker of bone playing-instruments.’When there came no other,(When there) was not any artist,(No) maker of bone playing-instruments,Prudent old Väinämöinen230Himself became a maker,Appeared as a fabricator:Made an instrument of pike-bone,Made ready an eternal joy.Of what is the body of the harp?235Of the jaw-bone of the great pike.Of what are the pegs of the harp?They are the teeth of the pike.Of what are the strings of the harp?Of the hairs of the courser of Hiisi.240Now the instrument was prepared,The harp made ready,A great instrument of pike-bone,A harp of fish-fins.
The gay LemminkäinenTurned himself to see,Looked under the boat,115Spoke a word, thus spoke:‘The boat is not on a stone,Not on a stone, not on timber,The boat is on the neck of a pike,On the hip bones of a water dog.’120The prudent old Väinämöinen,Spoke a word, thus said:‘There are all sorts of things in a river,Timber, pikes:If it be on the neck of a pike,125On the hips of a water-dog,Smite with the sword into the water,Cut the fish in two.’The gay Lemminkäinen,The bright lively youth,130Draws the sword from his girdle,The bone biter from his side;Struck the sea with the sword,Stirs under the side (of the ship).Himself rolled into the water,135Fell splash into the billow hands foremost.Then the smith Ilmarinen,Clung on to the hair of the hero,Raised the man from the sea.Himself spoke this in words:140‘Every-one is formed to be a man,Made to be a bearer of a beard,To be a supplement to the number of a hundred,To complete a thousand[23].’He draws the sword from his girdle,145The cruel iron from his sheath,With which he smote the fish,Struck below the side (of the ship).The sword broke into pieces,The pike did not even perceive.150Prudent old VäinämöinenOn this spoke this in words:‘There is not in you half a man,Not the third part of a hero,When need comes,155The mind of a man is wanted,Then (your) mind fails,All (your) sense is away.’He himself drew his sword,Seized the sharp iron160Struck his sword into the sea,Smote below the side (of the ship)On-to the neck of the pike fish,On to the hip bones of the water dog.The sword was driven home into the firm (flesh),165Fixed in the gills;Then old VäinämöinenBrought up that fish,Drew the pike from the water;The pike fell in two;170The tail dropped to the bottom of the sea,The head rolled into the boat.Now the boat began to run,The vessel got free from the impediment.Prudent old Väinämöinen175Brought the vessel near to shore,Drove her on to the strand,Looked at and turnedThat head-piece of the pike.Himself spoke this in words:180‘Who is the oldest of the youths,(Let him come) to cut up the pike,Divide the fish into pieces,Split the head into bits.’The men speak from the ship,185The women cry from the shore:‘The hands of the catcher are the purest,The fingers of the seeker are the holiest.’The prudent old VäinämöinenDrew a knife from his sheath,190The cold iron from his side,With which he cuts up the pike,Splits the fish into pieces.Himself spoke this in words:—‘Who is the youngest of the women,195(Let her come) to cook the pike,Into morsels for dinner,Into a fish midday meal.’The women went to cook,Ten went in rivalry;200Then the pike is cooked,Pieces for dinner;The bones remained on the shore,The fish bones on the edge of the sea.The prudent old Väinämöinen205Looked at them there,Looked, turned,Spoke a word, thus uttered:‘What might come from this,From these teeth of the pike,210From the broad jaw bone,If it were in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man?’Said the smith Ilmarinen:—215‘There comes not anything from nothingness,No instrument from the mouth of a fish,Not even in the smithy of a smith,With a clever forger,In the hands of a cunning man.’220Prudent old VäinämöinenHimself spoke this in words:‘Yet from these might comeA fish-bone harp,Were there but an artist,225A maker of bone playing-instruments.’When there came no other,(When there) was not any artist,(No) maker of bone playing-instruments,Prudent old Väinämöinen230Himself became a maker,Appeared as a fabricator:Made an instrument of pike-bone,Made ready an eternal joy.Of what is the body of the harp?235Of the jaw-bone of the great pike.Of what are the pegs of the harp?They are the teeth of the pike.Of what are the strings of the harp?Of the hairs of the courser of Hiisi.240Now the instrument was prepared,The harp made ready,A great instrument of pike-bone,A harp of fish-fins.
The gay Lemminkäinen
Turned himself to see,
Looked under the boat,115
Spoke a word, thus spoke:
‘The boat is not on a stone,
Not on a stone, not on timber,
The boat is on the neck of a pike,
On the hip bones of a water dog.’120
The prudent old Väinämöinen,
Spoke a word, thus said:
‘There are all sorts of things in a river,
Timber, pikes:
If it be on the neck of a pike,125
On the hips of a water-dog,
Smite with the sword into the water,
Cut the fish in two.’
The gay Lemminkäinen,
The bright lively youth,130
Draws the sword from his girdle,
The bone biter from his side;
Struck the sea with the sword,
Stirs under the side (of the ship).
Himself rolled into the water,135
Fell splash into the billow hands foremost.
Then the smith Ilmarinen,
Clung on to the hair of the hero,
Raised the man from the sea.
Himself spoke this in words:140
‘Every-one is formed to be a man,
Made to be a bearer of a beard,
To be a supplement to the number of a hundred,
To complete a thousand[23].’
He draws the sword from his girdle,145
The cruel iron from his sheath,
With which he smote the fish,
Struck below the side (of the ship).
The sword broke into pieces,
The pike did not even perceive.150
Prudent old Väinämöinen
On this spoke this in words:
‘There is not in you half a man,
Not the third part of a hero,
When need comes,155
The mind of a man is wanted,
Then (your) mind fails,
All (your) sense is away.’
He himself drew his sword,
Seized the sharp iron160
Struck his sword into the sea,
Smote below the side (of the ship)
On-to the neck of the pike fish,
On to the hip bones of the water dog.
The sword was driven home into the firm (flesh),165
Fixed in the gills;
Then old Väinämöinen
Brought up that fish,
Drew the pike from the water;
The pike fell in two;170
The tail dropped to the bottom of the sea,
The head rolled into the boat.
Now the boat began to run,
The vessel got free from the impediment.
Prudent old Väinämöinen175
Brought the vessel near to shore,
Drove her on to the strand,
Looked at and turned
That head-piece of the pike.
Himself spoke this in words:180
‘Who is the oldest of the youths,
(Let him come) to cut up the pike,
Divide the fish into pieces,
Split the head into bits.’
The men speak from the ship,185
The women cry from the shore:
‘The hands of the catcher are the purest,
The fingers of the seeker are the holiest.’
The prudent old Väinämöinen
Drew a knife from his sheath,190
The cold iron from his side,
With which he cuts up the pike,
Splits the fish into pieces.
Himself spoke this in words:—
‘Who is the youngest of the women,195
(Let her come) to cook the pike,
Into morsels for dinner,
Into a fish midday meal.’
The women went to cook,
Ten went in rivalry;200
Then the pike is cooked,
Pieces for dinner;
The bones remained on the shore,
The fish bones on the edge of the sea.
The prudent old Väinämöinen205
Looked at them there,
Looked, turned,
Spoke a word, thus uttered:
‘What might come from this,
From these teeth of the pike,210
From the broad jaw bone,
If it were in the smithy of a smith,
With a clever forger,
In the hands of a cunning man?’
Said the smith Ilmarinen:—215
‘There comes not anything from nothingness,
No instrument from the mouth of a fish,
Not even in the smithy of a smith,
With a clever forger,
In the hands of a cunning man.’220
Prudent old Väinämöinen
Himself spoke this in words:
‘Yet from these might come
A fish-bone harp,
Were there but an artist,225
A maker of bone playing-instruments.’
When there came no other,
(When there) was not any artist,
(No) maker of bone playing-instruments,
Prudent old Väinämöinen230
Himself became a maker,
Appeared as a fabricator:
Made an instrument of pike-bone,
Made ready an eternal joy.
Of what is the body of the harp?235
Of the jaw-bone of the great pike.
Of what are the pegs of the harp?
They are the teeth of the pike.
Of what are the strings of the harp?
Of the hairs of the courser of Hiisi.240
Now the instrument was prepared,
The harp made ready,
A great instrument of pike-bone,
A harp of fish-fins.