Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/76

56

Then he wrought a mighty crossbow,

And a splendid bow he fashioned,

And he formed the bow of iron,

Overlaid the back with copper,

And with gold inlaid it also,

And with silver he adorned it.

Where did he obtain the bowstring?

Whence a cord to match the weapon?

Sinews from the elk of Hiisi,

And the hempen cord of Lempo.

Thus at length the bow was finished,

And the stock was quite completed,

And the bow was fair to gaze on,

And its value matched its beauty.

At its back a horse was standing,

On the stock a foal was running,

On the curve a sleeping woman,

At the catch a hare was couching.

Shafts of wood he likewise fashioned,

Every arrow triply feathered,

And the shafts were formed of oakwood,

And he made the heads of pinewood;

Thus the arrows were completed,

And he fixed the feathers on them,

From the swallows’ plumage taken,

Likewise from the tails of sparrows.

After this, the points he sharpened,

And the arrow-points he poisoned,

In the black blood of the serpent,

In the blood of hissing adders.

Thus he made his arrows ready,

And his bow was fit for bending,

And he watched for Väinämöinen,

Waited for Suvantolainen,

Watched at morning, watched at evening,

Waited also through the noontide.

Long he watched for Väinämöinen,

Waited long, and wearied never,

Sitting gazing from the window,

Or upon the stairs he waited,