Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/56

44

Words within my mouth are melting,

And between my gums are sprouting.”

Said the girls upon the island,

And the island-maidens answered:

“There is room upon this island,

On the surface of the island,

Space where you may sing your ballads,

And intone your splendid verses,

While you sport amid the greenwood,

While you dance among the meadows.”

Then the lively Lemminkainen

Hastened to commence his singing.

In the court sang mountain-ashtrees,

In the farmyard oaks grew upward.

On the oaks were equal branches,

And on every branch an acorn,

Golden globes within the acorns,

And upon the globes were cuckoos.

When the cuckoos all were calling,

From their mouths was gold distilling,

From their beaks was copper flowing,

Likewise silver pouring onward

To the hills all golden-shining,

And among the silver mountains.

Once again sang Lemminkainen,

Once again he sang and chanted,

Gravel sang to pearls of beauty,

All the stones to gleaming lustre,

All the stones to glowing redness,

And the flowers to golden glory.

Then again sang Lemminkainen;

In the yard a well created,

O’er the well a golden cover,

And on this a golden bucket,

That the lads might drink the water,

And their sisters wash their faces.

Ponds he sang upon the meadows,

In the ponds blue ducks were floating,

Temples golden, heads of silver,

And their claws were all of copper.