Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/78

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“‘Thus my hapless son has perished,

And the wretched one has fallen;

He has sown the seed of Tuoni,

Harrows now in Kalma’s country.

Perhaps the son I love so dearly,

Perhaps my son, O me unhappy,

Leaves his bows untouched for ever,

Leaves his handsome bows to stiffen.

Now the birds may live securely,

In the leaves the grouse may flutter,

Bears may live their lives of rapine,

In the fields the reindeer roll them.’”

Answered lively Lemminkainen,

Said the handsome Kaukomieli:

“Thus it is, unhappy mother,

Thou unhappy, who hast borne me!

Thou a flight of doves hast nurtured,

Quite a flock of swans hast nurtured,

Rose the wind, and all were scattered,

Lempo came, and he dispersed them,

One in one place, one in other,

And a third in yet another.

“I remember times aforetime,

And the better days remember,

How like flowers we gathered round thee,

In one homeland, just like berries.

Many gazed upon our figures,

And admired our forms so handsome,

Otherwise than in the present,

In this time so full of evil.

Once the wind was our acquaintance,

And the sun was gazing on us:

Now the clouds are gathering round us,

And the rain has overwhelmed us.

But we let not trouble vex us,

Even in our greatest sorrow,

Though the girls were living happy,

And the braidless maids were jesting,

And the women all were laughing,

And the brides were sweet as honey,