Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/233

Runo XIX]

And with these his feet he covered,

Those upon his shins he fastened;

And he donned an iron mail-coat,

With a belt of steel he girt him,

Took a pair of iron gauntlets,

Gauntlets like to stone for hardness;

Then he chose a horse of mettle,

And he yoked the steed so noble,

And he went to plough the acre,

And the open field to furrow.

There he saw the heads all rearing,

Saw the heads that hissed unceasing,

And he spoke the words which follow:

“O thou snake, whom God created,

You who lift your head so proudly,

Who is friendly and will hearken,

Rearing up your head so proudly,

And your neck so proudly lifting;

From my path at once remove you,

Creep, thou wretch, among the stubble,

Creeping down among the bushes,

Or where greenest grass is growing!

If you lift your head from out it,

Ukko then your head shall shatter,

With his sharp and steel-tipped arrows,

With a mighty hail of iron.”

Then he ploughed the field of vipers,

Furrowed all the land of serpents,

From the furrows raised the vipers,

Drove the serpents all before him,

And he said, returning homeward:

“I have ploughed the field of vipers,

Furrowed all the land of serpents,

Driven before me all the serpents:

Will you give me now your daughter,

And unite me with my darling?”

Then did Pohjola’s old Mistress,

Answer in the words which follow:

“I will only give the maiden,

And unite you with my daughter,