Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/136

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Kullervo, Kalervo’s offspring,

At his side the black dog taking,

Tracked his path through trees of forest,

Where the forest rose the thickest.

But a short way had he wandered,

But a little way walked onward,

When he reached the stretch of forest,

Recognized the spot before him,

Where he had seduced the maiden,

And his mother’s child dishonoured.

There the tender grass was weeping,

And the lovely spot lamenting,

And the young grass was deploring,

And the flowers of heath were grieving,

For the ruin of the maiden,

For the mother’s child’s destruction.

Neither was the young grass sprouting,

Nor the flowers of heath expanding,

Nor the spot had covered over,

Where the evil thing had happened,

Where he had seduced the maiden,

And his mother’s child dishonoured.

Kullervo, Kalervo’s offspring,

Grasped the sharpened sword he carried,

Looked upon the sword and turned it,

And he questioned it and asked it,

And he asked the sword’s opinion,

If it was disposed to slay him,

To devour his guilty body,

And his evil blood to swallow.

Understood the sword his meaning,

Understood the hero’s question,

And it answered him as follows:

“Wherefore at thy heart’s desire

Should I not thy flesh devour,

And drink up thy blood so evil?

I who guiltless flesh have eaten,

Drank the blood of those who sinned not?”

Kullervo, Kalervo’s offspring,

With the very bluest stockings,