Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/198

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To the smithy then he hastened,

And he spoke the words which follow:

“O thou smith, O Ilmarinen,

Forge me straightway shoes of iron,

Forge me likewise iron gauntlets,

Make me, too, a shirt of iron,

And a mighty stake of iron,

All of steel, which I will pay for,

Lined within with steel the strongest,

And o’erlaid with softer iron,

For I go some words to seek for,

And to snatch the words of power,

From the giant’s mighty body,

Mouth of Antero Vipunen wisest.”

Then the smith, e’en Ilmarinen,

Answered in the words which follow:

“Vipunen has long since perished,

Long has Antero departed

From the nets he has constructed,

And the snares that he has fashioned.

Words from him you cannot hope for;

Half a word you could not look for.”

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,

Started on his way, unheeding,

And the first day speeded lightly

O’er the points of women’s needles,

And the second day sprang nimbly

O’er the points of heroes’ sword-blades,

And upon the third day speeded

O’er the blades of heroes’ axes.

Vipunen in songs was famous,

Full of craft the aged hero;

With his songs he lay extended,

Outstretched with his spells of magic.

On his shoulders grew a poplar,

From his temples sprang a birch-tree,

On his chin-tip grew an alder,

On his beard a willow-thicket,

On his brow were firs with squirrels,

From his teeth sprang branching pine-trees.