Runo XL.—The Pike and the Kantele
Argument
The Sampo-raiders come to a waterfall, beneath which the boat is caught fast on the back of a great pike (1-94). The pike is killed, and the front part is taken into the boat, cooked, and eaten (94-204). Vainamoinen makes the jaws of the pike into a kantele, on which several of the party attempt to play, but without success (205-342).
Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,
Steered the vessel swiftly forward,
On beyond the jutting headland,
On beyond the wretched village,
Singing songs upon the water,
Joyous songs upon the billows.
On the cape were maidens standing,
And they looked around and listened.
“From the lake there comes rejoicing,
And what song from lake re-echoes,10
Far more joyous than aforetime,
And a finer song than any?”
Onward steered old Väinämöinen,
For a day o’er lake was steering,
For the next through marshy waters,
For the third day past a cataract.
Then the lively Lemminkainen
Thought of spells he heard aforetime,
For the ears of furious cataract,
And the sacred river’s whirlpool.20
And he spoke the words which follow,
And expressed himself in singing:
“Cease, O Cataract, thy foaming,
Mighty water, cease thy rushing,
Thou, foam-maiden, Cataract’s daughter,
On the foam-flecked stones, O seat thee,
On the wet stones do thou seat thee,
In thy lap the waters gather,
