Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/139

Runo XXXVII]

Of the gold he took a portion,

And he chose him out some silver,

Even like a ewe of autumn,

Even like a hare of winter,

And the gold to redness heated,

Cast the silver in the furnace,

Set his slaves to work the bellows,

And his labourers pressed the bellows.

Toiled the slaves, and worked the bellows,

And the labourers pressed the bellows,

With their ungloved hands they pressed them,

Worked them with their naked shoulders,

While himself, smith Ilmarinen,

Carefully the fire was tending,

As he strove a bride to fashion

Out of gold and out of silver.

Badly worked the slaves the bellows,

And the labourers did not press them,

And on this smith Ilmarinen

Went himself to work the bellows.

Once and twice he worked the bellows,

For a third time worked the bellows,

Then looked down into the furnace,

Looking closely to the bellows,

What rose up from out the furnace,

What from out the flames ascended.

Then a ewe rose from the furnace,

And it rose from out the bellows.

One hair gold, another copper,

And the third was all of silver;

Others might therein feel pleasure,

Ilmarinen felt no pleasure.

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen,

“Such as you a wolf may wish for,

But I want a golden consort,

One of silver half constructed.”

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen

Thrust the ewe into the furnace,

Gold unto the mass he added,

And he added silver to it,