Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/213

Runo XLIV]

As they heard the music playing,

And they wondered at their pleasure.

Likewise many men were present,

In their hands their caps all holding,

All the old dames in the party

To their sides their hands were holding,

And the maidens’ eyes shed tear-drops,

On the ground the boys were kneeling,

To the kantele all listening,

And they wondered at their pleasure.

With one voice they all were singing,

With one tongue they all repeated:

“Never have we heard aforetime,

Heard before such charming music,

In the course of all our lifetime,

When the brilliant moon was shining.”

Far was heard the charming music,

In six villages they heard it,

There was not a single creature

But it hurried forth to listen,

And to hear the charming music

From the kantele resounding.

All the wild beasts of the forest

Upright on their claws were resting

To the kantele to listen,

And they wondered at their pleasure.

All the birds in air then flying,

Perched upon the neighbouring branches,

All the fish that swam the waters,

To the margin hastened quickly,

And the worms in earth then creeping,

Up above the ground then hastened,

And they turned themselves and listened,

Listened to the charming music,

In the kantele rejoicing,

And in Väinämöinen’s singing.

Then the aged Väinämöinen

Played in his most charming manner,

Most melodiously resounding;

And he played one day, a second,