Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/46

26

“Then I stood with six great heroes,

I myself the seventh among them.

When the earth was first created,

And the air above expanded;

For the sky I fixed the pillars,

And I reared the arch of heaven,

To the moon assigned his journey,

Helped the sun upon his pathway,

To the Bear his place appointed,

And the stars in heaven I scattered.”

Said the aged Väinämöinen,

“Ay, indeed, a shameless liar!

You at least were never present

When the ocean first was furrowed,

And the ocean depths were hollowed,

And the caves were dug for fishes,

And the deep abysses sunken,

And the lakes were first created,

When the hills were heaped together,

And the rocky mountains fashioned.

“No one ever yet had seen you,

None had seen you, none had heard you,

When the earth was first created,

And the air above expanded,

When the posts of heaven were planted,

And the arch of heaven exalted,

When the moon was shown his pathway,

And the sun was taught to journey,

When the Bear was fixed in heaven,

And the stars in heaven were scattered.”

But the youthful Joukahainen

Answered in the words which follow:

“If I fail in understanding,

I will seek it at the sword-point.

O thou aged Väinämöinen,

O thou very broad-mouthed minstrel,

Let us measure swords together,

Let the blade decide between us.”

Said the aged Väinämöinen,

“I have little cause to fret me