Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland — Complete. Anonymous

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       When the sea gave up her waters,

       In the famine of the seasons,

       In the years of fire and torture.

       If thou heedest not this order,

       I shall offer other measures,

       Know I well of other forces;

       I shall call the Hisi irons,

       In them I shall boil and roast thee,

       Thus to check thy crimson flowing,

       Thus to save the wounded hero.

       "If these means be inefficient,

       Should these measures prove unworthy,

       I shall call omniscient Ukko,

       Mightiest of the creators,

       Stronger than all ancient heroes,

       Wiser than the world-magicians;

       He will check the crimson out-flow,

       He will heal this wound of hatchet.

       "Ukko, God of love and mercy,

       God and Master Of the heavens,

       Come thou hither, thou art needed,

       Come thou quickly I beseech thee,

       Lend thy hand to aid thy children,

       Touch this wound with healing fingers,

       Stop this hero's streaming life-blood,

       Bind this wound with tender leaflets,

       Mingle with them healing flowers,

       Thus to check this crimson current,

       Thus to save this great magician,

       Save the life of Wainamoinen."

       Thus at last the blood-stream ended,

       As the magic words were spoken.

       Then the gray-beard, much rejoicing,

       Sent his young son to the smithy,

       There to make a healing balsam,

       From the herbs of tender fibre,

       From the healing plants and flowers,

       From the stalks secreting honey,

       From the roots, and leaves, and blossoms.

       On the way he meets an oak-tree,

       And the oak the son addresses:

       "Hast thou honey in thy branches,

       Does thy sap run full of sweetness?"

       Thus the oak-tree wisely answers:

       "Yea, but last night dripped the honey

       Down upon my spreading branches,

       And the clouds their fragrance sifted,

       Sifted honey on my leaflets,

       From their home within the heavens."

       Then the son takes oak-wood splinters,

       Takes the youngest oak-tree branches,

       Gathers many healing grasses,

       Gathers many herbs and flowers,

       Rarest herbs that grow in Northland,

       Places them within the furnace

       In a kettle made of copper;

       Lets them steep and boil together,

       Bits of bark chipped from the oak-tree,

       Many herbs of healing virtues;

       Steeps them one day, then a second,

       Three long days of summer weather,

       Days and nights in quick succession;

       Then he tries his magic balsam,

       Looks to see if it is ready,

       If his remedy is finished;

       But the balsam is unworthy.

       Then he added other grasses,

       Herbs of every healing virtue,

       That were brought from distant nations,

       Many hundred leagues from Northland,

       Gathered by the wisest minstrels,

       Thither brought by nine enchanters.

       Three days more be steeped the balsam,

       Three nights more the fire be tended,

       Nine the days and nights be watched it,

       Then again be tried the ointment,

       Viewed it carefully and tested,

       Found at last that it was ready,

       Found the magic balm was finished.

       Near by stood a branching birch-tree.

       On the border of the meadow,

       Wickedly it had been broken,

       Broken down by evil Hisi;

       Quick he takes his balm of healing,

       And anoints the broken branches,

       Rubs the balsam in the fractures,

       Thus addresses then the birch-tree:

       "With this balsam I anoint thee,

       With this salve thy wounds I cover,

       Cover well thine injured places;

       Now the birch-tree shall recover,

       Grow more beautiful than ever."

       True, the birch-tree soon recovered,

       Grew more beautiful than ever,

       Grew more uniform its branches,

       And its bole more strong and stately.

       Thus it was be tried the balsam,

       Thus the magic salve he tested,

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