Kalevala (Kirby 1907)/Runo 23
Runo XXIII.—The Instructing of the Bride
Argument
The bride is instructed and directed how to conduct herself in her husband’s house (1-478). An old vagrant woman relates the experiences of her life as a daughter, as a wife, and after her separation from her husband (479-850).
Now the girl must be instructed,
And the bride be taught her duty,
Who shall now instruct the maiden,
And shall teach the girl her duty?
Osmotar, experienced woman,
Kaleva’s most beauteous maiden;
She shall give the maid instruction,
And shall teach the unprotected
How to bear herself with prudence,
And with wisdom to conduct her,10
In her husband’s house with prudence,
To his mother most obedient.
So she spoke the words which follow,
And in terms like these addressed her:
“O thou bride, my dearest sister,
Thou my darling, best-beloved,
Listen now to what I tell thee,
For a second time repeated.
Now thou goest, a flower transplanted,
Like a strawberry forward creeping,20
Whisked, like shred of cloth, to distance,
Satin-robed, to distance hurried,
From thy home, renowned so greatly,
From thy dwelling-place so beauteous.
To another home thou comest,
To a stranger household goest;
In another house ’tis different;
Otherwise in strangers’ houses.
Walk thou there with circumspection,
And prepare thy duties wisely30
Not as on thy father’s acres,
Or the lands of thine own mother.
Where they sing among the valleys,
And upon the pathways shouting.
“When from out this house thou goest,
All thy doings must be different;
Three things leave at home behind thee,
Sleep indulged in in the daytime,
Counsels of thy dearest mother,
And fresh butter from the barrels.40
“All thy thoughts must now be altered;
Leave thy sleepiness behind thee,
Leave it for the household maiden,
By the stove so idly sitting.
To the bench-end cast thy singing,
Joyous carols to the windows,
Girlish ways unto the bath-whisks,
And thy pranks to blanket-edges,
Naughtinesses to the stove-bench,
On the floor thy lazy habits,50
Or renounce them to thy bridesmaid,
And into her arms unload them,
That she take them to the bushes,
Out upon the heath convey them.
“Other habits wait thy learning,
And the old must be forgotten.
Father’s love you leave behind you;
Learn to love thy husband’s father;
Deeper now must thou incline thee,
Fitting language must thou utter.60
“Other habits wait thy learning,
And the old must be forgotten.
Mother’s love thou leav’st behind thee;
Learn to love thy husband’s mother.
Deeper now must thou incline thee;
Fitting language must thou utter.
“Other habits wait thy learning,
And the old must be forgotten.
Brother’s love thou leav’st behind thee;
Learn to love thy husband’s brother;70
Deeper now must thou incline thee;
Fitting language must thou utter.
“Other habits wait thy learning,
And the old must be forgotten.
Sister’s love thou leav’st behind thee,
Learn to love thy husband’s sister.
Deeper now must thou incline thee,
Fitting language must thou utter.
“Never may’st thou in thy lifetime,
While the golden moon is shining,80
Seek a house of doubtful morals,
With the worthless men consorting,
For a house must needs be moral,
And a house must needs be noble,
And for sense a husband wishes,
And desires the best behaviour.
Heedfulness will much be needed
In a house of doubtful morals;
Steadiness will much be wanting
In a man’s of doubtful morals.90
“Is the old man a wolf in corner,
By the hearth the crone a she-bear,
Brother-in-law on step a viper,
In the yard like nail the sister,
Equal honour must thou give them,
Deeper must thou then incline thee,
Than thou bowed before thy mother,
In the house of thine own father,
Than thou bowed before thy father,
Or before thy dearest mother.100
“Thou wilt always need in future
Ready wit and clear perception,
And thy thoughts must all be prudent,
Firmly fixed thy understanding,
Eyes of keenness in the evening,
That the fire is always brilliant,
Ears of sharpness in the morning,
Thus to listen for the cockcrow.
If the cockcrow once has sounded,
Though the second has not sounded,110
It becomes the young to rouse them,
Though the old folk still are resting.
“If the cock should not be crowing,
Nor the master’s bird be crowing,
Let the moon for cockcrow serve thee,
Take the Great Bear for thy guidance.
Often thou should’st seek the open,
Often go the moon to gaxe on,
From the Great Bear seek instruction,
And the distant stars to gaxe on.120
“If you see the Great Bear clearly,
With his front to south directed,
And his tail extending northward,
Then ’tis time for thee to rouse thee
From the side of thy young husband,
Leaving him asleep and ruddy,
Fire to seek among the ashes
Seeking for a spark in firebox,
Blowing then the fire discreetly,
That from carelessness it spread not.130
“If no fire is in the ashes,
And no spark is in the firebox,
Coax thou then thy dearest husband,
And cajole thy handsome husband:
‘Light me now the fire, my dearest,
Just a spark, my darling berry!’
“If you have a flint, a small one,
And a little piece of tinder,
Strike a light as quick as may be,
Light the pine-chip in the holder,140
Then go out to clear the cowshed,
And the cattle do thou fodder,
For the mother’s cow is lowing,
And the father’s horse is neighing,
And her chain the son’s cow rattles,
And the daughter’s calf is lowing,
That the soft hay should be thrown them,
And the clover laid before them.
“Go thou stooping on the pathway,
Bend thou down among the cattle,150
Gently give the cows their fodder,
Give the sheep their food in quiet,
Spread it straight before the cattle,
Drink unto the calves so helpless,
To the foals give straw well-chosen,
To the lambkins hay the softest,
See that on the swine thou tread’st not,
Nor the hogs with foot thou spurnest,
Take thou to the swine the food-trough,
Set before the hogs the food-tray.160
“Do not rest thee in the cowshed,
Do not loiter with the sheep-flock;
When thou’st visited the cowshed,
And hast looked to all the cattle,
Do thou quickly hasten homeward,
Home returning like a blizzard,
For the baby there is crying,
Crying underneath the blanket,
And the poor child still is speechless,
And its tongue no words can utter,170
Whether it is cold or hungry,
Or if something else annoys it,
Ere its well-known friend is coming,
And the mother’s voice it heareth.
“When into the room thou comest,
Come thou fourth into the chamber;
In thy hand a water-bucket,
Underneath thy arm a besom,
And between thy teeth a pine-chip;
Thou art then the fourth among them.180
“Sweep thou then the floor to cleanness,
Sweep thou carefully the planking,
And upon the floor pour water,
Not upon the heads of babies.
If you see a child there lying,
Though thy sister-in-law’s the infant,
Up upon the bench then lift it,
Wash its eyes, and smooth its hair down,
Put some bread into its handies,
And upon the bread spread butter,190
But if bread perchance be wanting,
Put a chip into its handies.
“Then the tables must be scoured,
At the week-end at the latest;
Wash them, and the sides remember,
Let the legs be not forgotten;
Then the benches wash with water,
Sweep thou too the walls to cleanness,
And the boards of all the benches,
And the walls with all their corners.200
“If there’s dust upon the tables,
Or there’s dust upon the windows,
Dust them carefully with feathers,
Wipe them with a wetted duster,
That the dust should not be scattered,
Nor should settle on the ceiling.
“From the stove scrape all the rust off,
From the ceiling wipe the soot off,
And the ceiling-props remember,
Nor should’st thou forget the rafters,210
That the house be all in order,
And a fitting place to live in.
“Hear, O maiden, what I tell thee,
What I say, and what I tell thee,
Do not go without thy clothing,
Nor without thy shift disport thee,
Move about without thy linen,
Or without thy shoes go shuffling:
Greatly shocked would be thy bridegroom,
And thy youthful husband grumble.220
“In the yard there grows a rowan,
Thou with reverent care should’st tend it,
Holy is the tree there growing,
Holy likewise are its branches,
On its boughs the leaves are holy,
And its berries yet more holy,
For a damsel may discover,
And an orphan thence learn teaching,
How to please her youthful husband,
To her bridegroom’s heart draw nearer.230
“Let thy ears be keen as mouse-ears,
Let thy feet as hare’s be rapid,
And thy young neck proudly arching,
And thy fair neck proudly bending,
Like the juniper uprising,
Or the cherry’s verdant summit.
“Likewise hold thyself discreetly,
Always ponder and consider;
Never venture thou to rest thee
On the bench at length extended,240
Nor upon thy bed to rest thee,
There to yield thee to thy slumbers.
“Comes the brother from his ploughing,
Or the father from the storehouse,
Or thy husband from his labour,
He, thy fair one, from the clearing,
Haste to fetch the water-basin,
Hasten them to bring a towel,
Bowing with respect before them,
Speaking words of fond affection.250
“Comes the mother from the storehouse,
In her arms the flour-filled basket,
Run across the yard to meet her,
Bowing with respect before her,
Take thou from her hands the basket,
Quickly to the house to bear it.
“If you do not know your duty,
Do not comprehend it fully,
What the work that waits the doing,
Where you should begin your labours,260
Ask the old crone then in thiswise:
‘O my mother-in-law beloved,
How is this work to be managed,
And arranged these household matters?’
“And the old crone thus will answer,
And your mother-in-law will tell you:
‘Thus this work is to be managed,
And arranged these household matters,
Pounding thus, and grinding thiswise,
And the handmill quickly turning.270
Likewise do thou fetch the water,
That the dough be fitly kneaded,
Carry logs into the bakehouse,
And the oven heat thou fully,
Set thou then the loaves for baking,
And the large cakes bake thou likewise,
Wash thou then the plates and dishes,
Likewise washing clean the meal-tubs.’
“When thy work she thus has told thee,
And thy mother-in-law has taught thee,280
From the stones the parched corn taking,
Hasten to the room for grinding;
But when you at length have reached it,
And the room for grinding entered,
Do not carol as thou goest,
Do not shout thy very loudest,
Leave it to the stones to carol,
Talking through the handmill’s opening,
Neither do thou groan too loudly,
Let the handmill groan unto thee;290
Lest thy father-in-law should fancy
Or thy mother-in-law imagine
That with discontent thou groanest,
And art sighing from vexation.
Lift the meal, and sift it quickly,
To the room in dish convey it,
Bake thou there the loaves with pleasure,
After thou with care hast kneaded,
That the flour becomes not lumpy,
But throughout is mixed most smoothly.300
“If you see the bucket leaning,
Take the bucket on your shoulder,
On your arm the water-bucket.
Go thou then to fetch the water.
Carry thou the bucket nicely,
On the yoke-end do thou fix it,
Like the wind returning quickly,
Like the wind of springtime rushing,
By the water do not linger,
By the well forbear to rest thee,310
Lest thy father-in-law should fancy,
Or thy mother-in-law imagine
That you wished to see your likeness,
And your beauty to admire,
Rosy cheeks in water painted,
In the well your charms reflected.
“When you wander to the wood-pile,
Wander there to fetch the faggots,
Do not split them up at random,
Take some faggots of the aspen,320
Lift thou up the faggots gently,
Make as little noise as may be,
Lest thy father-in-law should fancy,
Or thy mother-in-law imagine,
That you pitch them down in crossness,
And in temper make them clatter.
“When you wander to the storehouse,
Thither go to fetch the flour,
Do not linger in the storehouse,
Do not long remain within it,330
Lest thy father-in-law should fancy,
Or thy mother-in-law imagine,
You were doling out the flour,
Sharing with the village women.
“When you go to wash the dishes,
And the pots and pans to scour,
Wash the jugs and wash the handles,
And the rims of mugs for drinking,
Sides of cups with circumspection,
Handles of the spoons remembering.340
Mind thou, too, the spoons and count them,
Look thou to the dishes also,
Lest the dogs should steal them from you,
Or the cats should take them from you,
Or the birds away should take them,
Or the children should upset them:
For the village swarms with children,
Many little heads thou findest,
Who might carry off the dishes,
And the spoons about might scatter.350
“When the evening bath is wanted,
Fetch the water and the bath-whisks,
Have the bath-whisks warm and ready,
Fill thou full with steam the bathroom.
Do not take too long about it,
Do not loiter in the bathroom,
Lest thy father-in-law should fancy,
Or thy mother-in-law imagine,
You were lying on the bath-boards,
On the bench your head reclining.360
“When the room again you enter,
Then announce the bath is ready:
‘O my father-in-law beloved,
Now the bath is fully ready:
Water brought, and likewise bath-whisks,
All the boards are cleanly scoured.
Go and bathe thee at thy pleasure,
Wash thou there as it shall please thee,
I myself will mind the steaming,
Standing underneath the boarding.’370
“When the time has come for spinning,
And the time has come for weaving,
In the village seek not counsel,
Do not cross the ditch for teaching,
Seek it not in other households,
Nor the weaver’s comb from strangers.
“Spin thyself the yarn thou needest,
With thy fingers do thou spin it,
Let the yarn be loosely twisted,
But the flaxen thread more closely.380
Closely in a ball then wind it,
On the winch securely twist it,
Fix it then upon the warp-beam,
And upon the loom secure it,
Then the shuttle fling thou sharply,
But the yarn do thou draw gently.
Weave the thickest woollen garments,
Woollen gowns construct thou likewise,
From a single fleece prepare them,
From a winter fleece construct them,390
From the wool of lamb of springtime,
And the fleece of ewe of summer.
“Listen now to what I tell thee,
And to what again I tell thee.
Thou must brew the ale of barley,
From the malt the sweet drink fashion,
From a single grain of barley,
And by burning half a tree-trunk.
When the malt begins to sweeten,
Take thou up the malt and taste it.400
With the rake disturb it never,
Do not use a stick to turn it,
Always use your hands to stir it,
And your open hands to turn it.
Go thou often to the malthouse,
Do not let the sprout be injured,
Let the cat not sit upon it,
Or the tomcat sleep upon it.
Of the wolves have thou no terror,
Fear thou not the forest monsters,410
When thou goest to the bath-house,
Or at midnight forth must wander.
“When a stranger pays a visit,
Be not angry with the stranger,
For a well-appointed household,
Always has for guests provision:
Scraps of meat that are not needed,
Cakes of bread the very nicest.
“Ask the guest to sit and rest him,
With the guest converse in friendship,420
With thy talk amuse the stranger,
Till the dinner shall be ready.
“When the house the stranger’s leaving,
And he’s taking his departure,
Do not thou go with the stranger
Any further than the housedoor,
Lest the husband should be angry,
And thy darling should be gloomy.
“If you e’er feel inclination
To the village forth to wander,430
Ask permission ere thou goest,
There to gossip with the strangers.
In the time that you are absent,
Speak thy words with heedful caution,
Do not grumble at your household,
Nor thy mother-in-law abuse thou.
“If the village girls should ask you,
Any of the village women,
‘Does your mother-in-law give butter,
As at home your mother gave you?’440
Never do thou make the answer,
‘No, she does not give me butter;’
Tell thou always that she gives it,
Gives it to you by the spoonful,
Though ’twas only once in summer,
And another time in winter.
“List again to what I tell thee,
And again impress upon thee.
When at length this house thou leavest,
And thou comest to the other,450
Do thou not forget thy mother,
Or despise thy dearest mother,
For it was thy mother reared thee,
And her beauteous breasts that nursed thee,
From her own delightful body,
From her form of perfect whiteness.
Many nights has she lain sleepless,
Many meals has she forgotten,
While she rocked thee in thy cradle,
Watching fondly o’er her infant.460
“She who should forget her mother,
Or despise her dearest mother,
Ne’er to Manala should travel,
Nor to Tuonela go cheerful.
There in Manala is anguish,
Hard in Tuonela the reckoning,
If she has forgot her mother,
Or despised her dearest mother.
Tuoni’s daughters come reproaching,
Mana’s maidens all come mocking:470
‘Why hast thou forgot thy mother,
Or despised thy dearest mother?
Great the sufferings of thy mother,
Great her sufferings when she bore thee,
Lying groaning in the bathroom,
On a couch of straw extended,
When she gave thee thy existence,
Giving birth to thee, the vile one!”
On the ground there sat an old crone,
Sat an old dame ’neath her mantle,480
Wanderer o’er the village threshold,
Wanderer through the country’s footpaths,
And she spoke the words which follow,
And in words like these expressed her:
“To his mate the cock was singing,
Sang the hen’s child to his fair one,
And in March the crow was croaking,
And in days of spring was chattering;
Rather let my singing fail me,
Let me rather check my singing,490
Chattering in a house all golden,
Always near to one who loves me;
But no love nor house is left me,
And all love departed from me.
“Hear, O sister, what I tell thee,
When thy husband’s house thou seekest,
Follow not thy husband’s notions,
As was done by me unhappy.
Larks have tongues, and husbands notions;
But a lover’s heart is greater.500
“I was as a flower that flourished,
As a wild rose in the thicket,
And I grew as grows a sapling,
Grew into a slender maiden.
I was beauteous as a berry,
Rustling in its golden beauty;
In my father’s yard a duckling,
On my mother’s floor a gosling,
Water-bird unto my brother,
And a goldfinch to my sister.510
Flowerlike walked I on the pathway,
As upon the plain the raspberry,
Skipping on the sandy lakeshore,
Dancing on the flower-clad hillocks,
Singing loud in every valley,
Carolling on every hill-top,
Sporting in the leafy forests,
In the charming woods rejoicing.
“As the trap the fox-mouth seizes,
And the tongue entraps the ermine,520
Towards a man inclines a maiden,
And the ways of other households.
So created is the maiden,
That the daughter’s inclination
Leads her married, as step-daughter,
As the slave of husband’s mother.
As a berry grows in marshland,
And in other waters, cherry.
Like a cranberry sought I sorrow,
Like a strawberry exhortation.530
Every tree appeared to bite me,
Every alder seemed to tear me,
Every birch appeared to scold me,
Every aspen to devour me.
“As my husband’s bride they brought me,
To my mother-in-law they led me.
Here there were, as they had told me,
Waiting for the wedded maiden,
Six large rooms of pine constructed,
And of bedrooms twice as many.540
Barns along the forest-borders,
By the roadside flowery gardens,
By the ditches fields of barley,
And along the heaths were oatfields,
Chests of corn threshed out already,
Other chests awaiting threshing,
Hundred coins received already.
And a hundred more expected.
“Foolishly had I gone thither,
Recklessly my hand had given,550
For six props the house supported,
Seven small poles the house supported,
And the woods were filled with harshness,
And with lovelessness the forests,
By the roadsides dreary deserts,
In the woodlands thoughts of evil,
Chests containing spoilt provisions,
Other chests beside them spoiling:
And a hundred words reproachful,
And a hundred more to look for.560
“But I let it not distress me,
Hoping there to live in quiet,
Wishing there to dwell in honour,
And a peaceful life to live there;
But when first the room I entered,
Over chips of wood I stumbled,
On the door I knocked my forehead,
And my head against the doorposts.
At the door were eyes of strangers:
Darksome eyes were at the entrance,570
Squinting eyes in midst of chamber,
In the background eyes most evil.
From the mouths the fire was flashing,
From beneath the tongues shot firebrands,
From the old man’s mouth malicious,
From beneath his tongue unfriendly.
“But I let it not distress me,
In the house I dwelt unheeding,
Hoping still to live in favour,
And I bore myself with meekness,580
And with legs of hare went skipping,
With the step of ermine hurried,
Very late to rest retired,
Very early rose to suffering.
But, unhappy, won no honour,
Mildness brought me only sorrow,
Had I tossed away the torrents,
Or the rocks in twain had cloven.
“Vainly did I grind coarse flour,
And with pain I crushed its hardness,590
That my mother-in-law should eat it,
And her ravenous throat devour it,
At the table-end while sitting,
From a dish with golden borders.
But I ate, unhappy daughter,
Flour scraped up, to handmill cleaving,
With my ladle from the hearthstone
With my spoon from off the pestle.
“Oft I brought, O me unhappy,
I, the son’s wife, to his dwelling,600
Mosses from the swampy places,
And as bread for me I baked it.
Water from the well I carried,
And I drank it up in mouthfuls.
Fish I ate, O me unhappy,
Smelts I ate, O me unhappy,
As above the net I leaned me,
In the boat as I was swaying,
For no fish received I ever
From my mother-in-law neglectful,610
Neither in a day of plenty,
Nor a day of double plenty.
“Fodder gathered I in summer,
Winter worked I with the pitchfork,
Even as a labourer toiling,
Even as a hired servant,
And my mother-in-law for ever,
Evermore for me selected,
Worst of all the flails for threshing,
Heaviest mallet from the bathroom,620
From the beach the heaviest mallet,
In the stall the largest pitchfork.
Never did they think me weary,
Nor my weakness e’er considered,
Though my work had wearied heroes,
Or the strength of foals exhausted.
“Thus did I, a girl unhappy,
Work at proper time for working,
And my shoulders stooped with weakness;
And at other times they ordered630
That the fire should now be kindled,
With my hands that I should stir it.
“To their hearts’ desire they scolded,
With their tongues they heaped reproaches
On my spotless reputation,
On my character, though stainless.
Evil words they heaped upon me,
And abuse they showered upon me,
Like the sparks from furious fire,
Or a very hail of iron.640
“Until then despaired I never,
And had spent my life as erstwhile
There to aid the harsh old woman,
To her fiery tongue submitting:
But ’twas this that brought me evil,
This that caused me greatest anguish,
When to wolf was changed my husband,
To a growling bear converted,
Turned his side to me when eating,
Turned his back asleep or working.650
“I myself broke out in weeping,
And I pondered in the storehouse,
And my former life remembering,
And my life in former seasons,
In the homestead of my father,
In my sweetest mother’s dwelling.
“Then in words I spoke my feelings,
And I spoke the words which follow:
‘Well indeed my dearest mother
Understood to rear her apple,660
And the tender shoot to cherish,
But she knew not where to plant it,
For the tender shoot is planted
In a very evil station,
In a very bad position,
’Mid the hard roots of a birch-tree,
There to weep while life remaineth,
And to spend the months lamenting.
“‘Surely, surely, I am worthy
Of a home than this much better,670
Worthy of a larger homestead,
And a floor more wide-extended,
Worthy of a better partner,
And a husband far more handsome.
With a birchbark shoe I’m fitted,
With a slipshod shoe of birchbark,
Like a very crow’s his body,
With a beak like any raven,
And his mouth like wolf’s is greedy,
And his form a bear resembles.680
“‘Such a one I might have found me,
If I’d wandered to the mountains,
Picked from off the road a pine-stump,
From the wood a stump of alder,
For his face the turf resembles,
And his beard the moss from tree-trunks,
Head of clay, and mouth all stony,
And his eyes like coals of fire,
Knobs of birch his ears resemble,
And his legs are forking willows.’690
“While my song I thus was singing,
Sighing in my grievous trouble,
He, my husband, chanced to hear it,
At the wall as he was standing.
When I heard him then approaching,
At the storehouse gate when standing,
I was conscious of his coming,
For I recognized his footstep.
And his hair in wind was tossing,
And his hair was all disordered,700
And his gums with rage were grinning,
And his eyes with fury staring,
In his hand a stick of cherry,
’Neath his arm a club he carried,
And he hurried to attack me,
And upon the head he struck me.
“When the evening came thereafter,
And there came the time for sleeping,
At his side a rod he carried,
Took from nail a whip of leather,710
Not designed to flay another,
But alas, for me, unhappy.
“Then when I myself retired,
To my resting-place at evening,
By my husband’s side I stretched me,
By my side my husband rested,
When he seized me by the elbows,
With his wicked hands he grasped me.
And with willow rods he beat me
And the haft of bone of walrus.720
“From his cold side then I raised me,
And I left the bed of coldness,
But behind me ran my husband,
From the door came wildly rushing.
In my hair his hands he twisted,
Grasping it in all his fury,
In the wind my hair he scattered,
To the winds of spring abandoned.
“What advice should now be followed,
Where had I to look for counsel?730
Shoes of steel I put upon me,
Bands of copper put upon me,
As I stood beyond the house-wall.
In the street for long I listened,
Till the wretch should calm his fury,
And his passion had subsided,
But his anger never slumbered,
Neither for a time abated.
“At the last the cold o’ercame me,
In my hiding-place so dismal,740
Where I stood beyond the house-wall,
And without the door I waited,
And I pondered and reflected:
‘This I cannot bear for ever,
Nor can bear their hatred longer,
Longer can I not endure it,
In this dreadful house of Lempo,
In this lair of evil demons.’
“From the handsome house I turned me,
And my pleasant home abandoned,750
And commenced my weary wanderings,
Through the swamps and through the lowlands,
Past the open sheets of water,
Past the cornfields of my brother.
There the dry pines all were rustling,
And the crowns of fir-trees singing,
All the crows were croaking loudly,
And the magpies all were chattering,
“‘Here for thee no home remaineth,
In the house thy birth which witnessed.’760
“But I let it not distress me,
As I neared my brother’s homestead,
But the gates themselves addressed me,
And the cornfields all lamented:
“‘Wherefore hast thou thus come homeward,
What sad news to hear, O wretched?
Long ago has died thy father,
Perished has thy sweetest mother,
All estranged is now thy brother,
And his wife is like a Russian.’770
“But I let it not distress me,
And at once the house I entered,
At the door I grasped the handle,
Cold within my hand I felt it.
“After, when the room I entered,
In the doorway I was standing,
And the mistress stood there proudly,
But she did not come to meet me,
Nor to me her hand she offered.
I myself was proud as she was,780
And I would not go to meet her,
And my hand I would not offer.
On the stove my hand I rested.
Cold I felt the very hearthstones,
To the burning coals I reached it;
In the stove the coals were frozen.
“On the bench there lay my brother,
Lazy on the bench extended,
On his shoulders soot by fathoms,
And by spans upon his body,790
On his head glowed coals a yard high,
And of hard-caked soot a quartful.
“Asked my brother of the stranger,
Of the guest he thus inquired:
‘Stranger, why hast crossed the water?’
“And on this I gave him answer:
‘Dost thou then not know thy sister,
Once the daughter of thy mother?
We are children of one mother,
Of one bird are we the nestlings:800
By one goose have we been nurtured,
In one grouse’s nest been fostered.’
“Then my brother broke out weeping,
From his eyes the tears were falling.
“To his wife then said my brother,
And he whispered to his darling,
‘Bring some food to give my sister!’
But with mocking eyes she brought me
Cabbage-stalks from out the kitchen,
Whence the whelp the fat had eaten,810
And the dog had licked the salt from,
And the black dog had his meal of.
“To his wife then said my brother,
And he whispered to his darling,
‘Fetch some ale to give the stranger!’
But with mocking eyes she carried
Water only for the stranger,
But, instead of drinking water,
Water she had washed her face in,
And her sister washed her hands in.820
“From my brother’s house I wandered,
Left the house that I was born in,
Hurried forth, O me unhappy,
Wandered on, O me unhappy,
Wretched on the shores to wander,
Toiling on, for ever wretched,
Always to the doors of strangers,
Always to the gates of strangers,
On the beach, with poorest children,
Sufferers of the village poorhouse.830
“There were many of the people,
Many were there who abused me,
And with evil words attacked me,
And with sharpest words repulsed me.
Few there are among the people
Who have spoken to me kindly,
And with kindly words received me,
And before the stove who led me,
When I came from out the rainstorm,
Or from out the cold came shrinking,840
With my dress with rime all covered,
While the snow my fur cloak covered.
“In my youthful days I never,
I could never have believed it,
Though a hundred told me of it,
And a thousand tongues repeated
Such distress should fall upon me,
Such distress should overwhelm me,
As upon my head has fallen,
Laid upon my hands such burdens."850