Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/279

Runo L]

To the stable in the pinewood,

And the stall on hill of Tapio.

And she spoke the words which follow,

And in words like these expressed her:

“Come thou to my aid, Creator,

To my aid, O thou most gracious,

In this anxious time of labour,

In this time of hardest labour.

Free the damsel from her burden,

From her pains release the woman,

That she perish not in torment,

May not perish in her anguish.”

When at length her journey ended,

Then she spoke the words which follow:

“O thou good horse, breathe upon me,

O thou draught-foal, snort upon me,

Breathe a vapour-bath around me,

Send thou warmth throughout the bathroom,

That relief may reach the sufferer,

For the need is very pressing.”

Then the good horse breathed upon her,

And the draught-foal snorted on her,

Over all her suffering body.

When the horse desisted breathing,

Steam was spread throughout the stable,

Like the steam of boiling water.

Marjatta the hapless maiden,

She, the holy little maiden,

Bathed her in a bath sufficient,

Till she had relieved her suffering,

And a little boy was born her,

And a sinless child was given,

On the hay in horses’ stable,

On the hay in horses’ manger.

Then she washed the little infant,

And in swaddling-clothes she wrapped him,

On her knees she took the infant,

And she wrapped her garments round him.

There she reared the little infant,

Thus she reared the beauteous infant,