Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/257

Runo XX]

For carousing at the mansion,

Specially for Lemminkainen,

At my wedding, now preparing,

With thy young and lovely daughter.”

Now the ale was quite fermented,

And the drink of men was ripened,

And the red ale stored they safely,

And the good beer stored securely.

Underneath the ground they stored it,

Stored it in the rocky cellars,

In the casks of oak constructed,

And behind the taps of copper.

Then did Pohjola’s old Mistress

All the food provide for feasting,

And the kettles all were singing,

And the stewpans all were hissing,

And large loaves of bread were baking,

And she stirred great pots of porridge,

Thus to feed the crowds of people,

At the banquet at the mansion,

At the mighty feast of Pohja,

The carouse at Sariola dim.

Now the bread they baked was ready,

And were stirred the pots of porridge,

And a little time passed over,

Very little time passed over,

When the ale worked in the barrels,

And the beer foamed in the cellars,

“Now must some one come to drink me,

Now must some one come to taste me,

That my fame may be reported,

And that they may sing my praises.”

Then they went to seek a minstrel,

Went to seek a famous singer,

One whose voice was of the strongest,

One who knew the finest legends.

First to sing they tried a salmon,

If the voice of trout was strongest;

Singing is not work for salmon,

And the pike recites no legends.