The Prophecy and the Messenger's Ride
The Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev) is the Estonian national epic, compiled by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882) from folk songs, oral traditions, and his own literary composition. Published in its definitive form in 1857–1861, it tells in twenty cantos the life of the giant hero Kalevipoeg — son of the mythical king Kalev and his wife Linda — from his birth through his adventures to his tragic end chained at the gates of the underworld.
Canto IX is the pivot of the epic. Kalevipoeg wakes from an evil dream to find his horse slaughtered by wolves. In his rage he hunts the predators through the forest, then receives two visitors in the night: a war-messenger from the elders of Viru bringing news of enemy ships, and a mysterious old stranger who reveals himself as a celestial being from Taara’s hall — one who has watched over Kalevipoeg since before the stars were set in place. The stranger blesses the hero’s plowing but delivers a terrible prophecy: the shedding of innocent blood (the Finnish smith killed in an earlier canto) has set a doom upon Kalevipoeg that cannot be undone. The prophecy dissolves in dream. At dawn, Kalevipoeg sends the messenger home with battle orders — but the messenger, riding the rainbow-bridge, meets six omens of war (crow, eagle, carrion-crow, wolf and bear, famine, and plague), and in despair throws the king’s orders into the bottomless sea. The call to arms is silenced. The doom proceeds.
This is a Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated from the Estonian text of the 1857 first edition as preserved in Project Gutenberg. The trochaic tetrameter and parallelism of Estonian regivärss (folk verse) are preserved in the line structure. No existing English translation was consulted as a source.
The Death of the Horse
The sun stood past the noon,
Stretching toward the western edge,
Falling low upon the treetops.
Kalev’s dearest son
Woke from sleep in fright —
An evil dream-vision
Threatening with peril
Had conquered the man’s weariness.
With the leaf’s power whistling
The horse began to call,
The plowing-steed to summon.
The whistle sank to silence,
The summons faded far,
Scattered on the drifting winds —
The horse did not hear the calling,
The dear steed did not hear its master;
Only birdsong merrily
Answered back the cry.
Kalev’s mighty son
Hurried off to find the horse.
Following the horse’s trail,
Hobble-stepping as he went,
He crossed the heather,
Traveled far, much ground,
Strode across wide clearings,
Stepped through mossy marshlands,
Until at last he reached the place
Where the steed had fallen to the beasts,
The good horse to the wolves —
A carcass, spent and broken,
Sunk into the arms of death.
True signs of witness,
Many marks of every kind
He found scattered on the clearing:
He found the withered horsehide,
Shreds of the horse’s fat,
He found a wide pool of blood,
He found the liver on the turf,
He found the bones in the wet ground,
Ribs from the flanks,
He found near the alder-thicket
The dead horse’s entrails,
Spleen-pieces in the bushes.
From all this he understood clearly
How the steed had perished,
The horse had sunk to death.
The Curse and the Hunt
Kalev’s mighty son,
When he had mourned the loss,
Sighed long with grief
For a good while in the wind,
Took the dead horse’s hide
From the hillock as a keepsake.
In great rage his swelling heart
Caught fire within the man;
Then he set his full mouth
To casting words upon the wind:
“Be still, wind-gust,
Listen, hush, forest-murmur!
Stand, treetops, without swaying,
Grass-stalks without swaying,
Leaves without stirring,
While I hurl my curses,
Fling the fiercest,
Roll the most furious!
May it be, may it be — I curse you!
May your kind die,
Rot on the hilltops,
Starve upon the meadow,
Sicken beneath the bushes,
Decay in the bogs,
Wither on the clearings;
May your kind die in the marsh,
Perish on the hillocks!”
Then he took his war-sword,
Took his blade as executioner,
Plunged into the oak-forest,
Plunged through the wilderness
Into the dark thickets
To seek out the wolf-dens,
To torment the predators.
Kalev’s mighty son,
Driven by the predators’ outrage,
Cut a road, trampled a path,
Cut a road through the forest,
A path through the brush,
Where no rooster had walked before,
No hen had ever crowed.
He felled the oak-branches,
Trampled down the cherry-branches,
Broke down the pine-branches,
Tore down the spruce-branches,
Snapped the birch-branches,
Hurled down the tall oaks,
Felled the long lindens,
Smashed down the willows,
Split the lime-trees,
Branches before him, trunks behind,
Trampled the stumps to dust.
Where he had walked, a street behind him;
Where he had gone, a clearing.
Whatever in his forest rampage
Fell within his reach of predators
Found death in an instant.
The sword was cruel in its raging,
The war-blade dealing death,
The mighty man fierce in his killing.
Already in heaps like cattle
The carcasses of forest-beasts covered the turf,
Predators’ bodies covered the hillocks;
Blood stained the thickets,
Death-sweat stained the moss,
Colored the turf blood-red,
The plants a dark hue,
The lingonberry leaves crimson.
The escaped wolves howling,
The forest bears roaring,
Fled into the dense thickets,
Into the midst of the great bogs,
Into hiding in the marshes.
Night on the Heath
The sun had gone to rest,
The light rolled down below,
Darkness covered the land,
Confused Kalevipoeg’s eyes,
So that he could no longer
Chase the predators’ tracks —
Otherwise the bear-herd,
The howling wolves’ kind
Would have perished utterly.
Kalev’s mighty son,
Worn from the work,
Wearied by his rage,
Strode from forest to clearing
Seeking a place for the night.
When he had found at last
A fitting place on the heath,
He spread out the horse’s hide
As a blanket on the turf;
Stretched out upon his back,
His body on the horsehide,
To rest in the night’s cool,
To restore his worn-out strength,
Which through the day’s work,
Chasing the wolves,
Had been so greatly spent;
The plowing and the predator-hunt
Had sorely wearied the man.
The War-Messenger
Before the twilight
Had drawn sleep’s cover
Over Kalevipoeg’s eyes,
Let them fall beneath the lids,
There came at hasty speed,
Panting at a gallop,
A bearer of war-tidings,
A herald of grim news,
To Kalevipoeg’s presence.
From the elder of Viru’s coast
Came orders for Kalev,
Tidings for the king:
How war was rolling near,
Battle hastening to ride.
The bearer of war-tidings
Set his words upon the wind,
His grim tidings rising:
“King, Kalevipoeg,
Ruler of the mighty,
Strong-handed guardian!
From the elder of Viru’s coast
I must bring a bitter report,
Reveal the news of peril:
The steps of secret scouts
Have rolled onto Viru’s roads;
After the day, boats were seen,
Longboats on the wave’s crest
Sailing from the north;
Under night’s dark veil
The boats carried men
To spy upon our land,
To scout it in secret.
Therefore our men understood,
Our wise ones discerned,
Our sharp young men perceived:
War is hastening to ride,
The enemy’s wagon rolling,
Hastening to ravage Viru,
To ruin the peace of Järva,
To scatter the time of fortune,
To prepare only misery.
On the tracks of these secret envoys
Forces ride in hundreds,
Others storm in thousands
Upon the necks of poor Viru-folk.
The women hide their families,
Their little ones scattered
Into caves, into crevices,
Into the rock’s thick cracks;
The men must make resistance,
Prepare a stand against the foe.
The hardship grows more bitter,
The trouble ever worse;
The spy-boats tell
How ships at Kõrgesaar,
More ships at Tütarsaar,
Broad barges at Lavassaar
Are bearing fighting men,
Carrying the brave —
Those strangers from the sea
Who roll upon Viru’s shore,
Fierce throat-cutters,
Bold-handed plunderers —
As the stars have witnessed,
As heaven’s portents have revealed.
Women weep in the corners,
Young girls weep in the streets,
Old women on the meadow,
Children in the wide alder-groves,
Herders in the birch-stands,
Cattle-watchers in the oak-stands:
Misery across Virumaa!
With tear-clouded eyelids
Stands the widow bound in grief:
Sorrow crushes the mind,
Death-fear crushes the hearts.
Young men stand dejected,
Pale with terror.
The married man knows no joy,
The father knows no mirth,
Fear drains the men’s strength,
Fright seizes the mothers’ sons.
Who among them will ride to war,
Who will go to battle,
Roll against the enemy
In the warriors’ clash?
Who will step forth as defender,
Rise as a support before the others,
An iron wall for the weak?
Will a brother go, dear brother,
Or a sister, currant-eyed,
To shield the poor children,
To keep the peace for the feeble?
Who will guard the women,
Calm the enemy’s fury?
The sword breaks the noblest,
The blade slays the bravest,
The spear destroys great multitudes,
The arrow-shaft gives no mercy.
What does not fall in battle,
Roll upon the war-field,
Is killed afterward by fire,
Devoured by the famine-tooth,
Withered by the plague-claw,
The heavy rod of misery.
The thief’s hand leaves but a pole,
A heavy stone in the stream;
Fire spares no one,
Misery makes an end of all.”
Kalevipoeg’s Battle Orders
Dear Kalevipoeg
Understood at once, answered thus:
“Let bridles hold, let ropes bind,
Bridles hold the horse fast,
Fetters hold the plow-oxen,
Snares hold the wild beasts,
Ropes bind the burdens,
Heaven bind the wide snowfall,
Clouds bind the long rains,
The heavier hailstorms!
Whatever is the strongest binder,
The mightiest restraint,
Let it lock your mouth shut,
Clamp your jaws together
At this telling of evil tidings,
This shameless report!
Who has seen such a marvel in the world,
Heard such strangeness before?
Why do you shame our men,
Slander our sons?
Are these — women’s punishers,
Frighteners of young girls,
Fright and foreboding —
What has rolled upon Viru’s men?
Let the sword break as it will,
The sharp blade slay as it will,
The spear destroy in multitudes —
A brave man does not fear blood!
Let men stand in war’s tumult
With the strength of an iron wall,
Stand like oaks in the wind,
Like cliff-walls in the storm;
Stand in battle unshaken,
As a support before the others!
Build the children a shelter,
The feeble a peace-house,
The women a guarded corner,
The maidens a hiding chamber,
The widows a place of mourning!
If the hardship grows more bitter,
The enemy’s fury more bloody,
The killing more fierce —
Then I myself will come,
Step forth as a helper.
Take bread, weary stranger,
A drink to refresh your tongue!
On the hillock stands the satchel,
A flask hangs from the alder-branch;
Fill your belly, guest,
Lie down to sleep!
Tomorrow, early before dawn,
At the small dawn’s first blush,
Saddle your horse,
Harness your steed,
Saddle it in secret!
Begin riding in stealth,
Fleeing home in hiding,
So that Viru’s roosters hear not,
Viru’s roosters, Järva’s dogs,
Your horse’s footsteps,
The steed’s secret tread!
Ride softly over the bridge,
Softly through the street,
Pass softly through the village,
In hiding past the farmsteads,
Roll in secret across the meadow,
Under cover through the raspberry-thicket,
In stealth through the bogs,
In hiding through the bushes
To the elder’s gateway!
Send the men to war,
The brave to the battle-field,
The strongest to the clash!
You yourself wheel at the center,
The banner-bearer close by!
Do not stand at the war’s front,
Not at the war’s front, not at the rear,
Nor at the war’s flank!
Those at the front are struck down,
Those at the rear are killed,
Those at the side are slain —
Those in the middle come home.”
The Celestial Stranger
Kalevipoeg, the mighty man,
Ending his kind speech,
Turned to his other side,
Wanting to refresh his work-worn body
In the cool of the dew,
To let his eyes fall
Into the embrace of sleep.
Before sleep had prepared
Its shadow-veil for his eyes,
Already a second stranger stepped
With quick stride closer,
With secret steps to his bedside —
One who, as if flung by the wind,
Cast down from a cloud,
Had fallen here unaware.
Kalev’s mighty son
Began to ask in a bitter mood:
“Will the dance not end today,
These wanderings never cease?
Does everyone have errands,
Empty wind-stampings?
Do all the winds blow,
All the water-streams roll,
The wide waves surge,
The rain-clouds swell,
The snow-clouds scatter,
The hail-clouds crash
Down upon Kalev’s neck?
Had I known, could I have known,
Could I have seen it in my dreams,
Foreseen it in my sleep,
Reckoned it at the counting-board —
How it goes for a king —
Then a hundred times,
A thousand times on the wind’s wing
Like a bird I would have flown,
An eagle to other cliffs,
Gone to other shores,
Swum to other springs,
Taken a road to foreign lands,
A path to distant places.
I would have leapt into valleys,
Sprung to the sea’s edge,
Fallen into the sea-waves,
Drowned in secret depths,
Where no cuckoo would be heard,
Nor the sound of birdsong.
The bird has peace in the grove,
The swallow has rest in her nest,
The cuckoo sleeps in the spruce-top,
The lark on the summer-field,
The plover in the copse,
The songbird in the leafy trees,
The thrush in the thick brush —
When the rooster has crowed,
The song has ended.
I have strained my body enough,
Spent my strength enough:
I plowed the land for ten days,
Plowed from evening to morning,
Turned the stones,
Pulled the hillocks,
Drove the plow through soft marshes,
Cut across wide clearings,
Turned the long fields,
Until the horse by mischance
Was strangled in the predators’ claws.
Come tomorrow morning,
Early before the dawn,
To discuss secret matters,
To sow your tidings!”
The Stranger’s Answer
The kindly old stranger,
Gray of beard, gray of hair,
Understood at once, answered thus:
“The winds have not blown,
The water-streams not rolled,
The wide waves not surged,
The rain-clouds not swelled,
The snow-clouds not scattered,
The hail-clouds not crashed,
The thunder-peals not cracked
Down upon Kalev’s neck,
Upon the young man’s shoulders.
You could well have foreseen,
Could have seen in your dreams,
Foreseen in your sleep,
Reckoned at the counting-board,
Known with wise thought
How it goes for a king,
How it fares for a ruler of forces.
When you were still growing at home,
Oak, growing ever stronger,
There was time enough for fortune,
For pondering riddles,
For reckoning affairs,
For discerning the future.
In your father’s yard the birds sang,
Cuckoos called in the copse,
Golden-beaked in the spruce-top,
The nightingale sang below the yard,
The lark trilled in the grove,
The crow called from the meadow,
The blackbird from the pines,
The wise bird from the oaks:
‘The king has ten burdens,
A hundred troubles for the ruler,
Five hundred for the brave one,
A thousand tasks for the strong one,
Ten thousand for Kalevipoeg!’
That I have come to you today
On mercy’s stepping,
That I have traveled far to here
On friendship’s errand —
From this shall rise your profit,
From this shall grow much gain,
Mighty scion of Kalev.
Perhaps you do not remember me,
Have not recognized your acquaintance —
Yet I am your family’s friend.
Did I not visit you before,
When you played upon the turf,
Rolled stones on the meadow,
Grew an oak on the riverbank,
Swung on the swing at evening?
Did I not visit you before,
When you cried in the cradle,
Nursed at your mother’s breast?
Did I not visit you before,
When your father on his bridal journey
Held the long wedding feast?
Did I not, your acquaintance, come visiting
As a guest to your home,
When the house was being built,
The walls being raised,
The foundation-beams laid,
The cornerstones set?
Did I not ride in secret to your home
To look upon you before,
When your father was yet unborn,
Your mother still unhatched,
Not yet risen from the grouse-egg?
Did I not ride in secret to your home
When Harju was yet unmade,
Järva’s borders yet undrawn,
Viru’s borders yet unmarked?
Did I not ride in secret here
When these stars were still being made,
The sun placed in its station,
The moon’s house being gathered,
The clouds being arranged?
From below I opened the gray sky,
From above I opened the dry sky,
From behind the red of heaven,
From the center the golden spiral,
From between the five rainbows,
From the midst of six dawns,
From beneath nine twilights’ hems,
I rode from the Milky Way’s edge,
From between the Great Wagon’s stars,
From beneath the evening star’s yard,
From the gate of the Sun’s household,
Through a thousand familiar homesteads.
From below I wore out the gray irons,
Broke the dark hooves,
Lost the curved horseshoes
On the slippery bird-road,
On the burning sun-road.
I greeted you with the winds,
Blessed you with the air,
Refreshed you with the dew,
Nourished you in the moonlight,
Fed you in the sunshine:
Until you grew into a strong man,
Grew into Kalev’s son.
The Blessing of the Plowing
What you stirred with the plow,
Worked through with the blade —
From that shall gain spring forth,
Fortune richly bloom;
From that shall Viru get grain-land,
Järva rich bread-land;
From there shall come wealth for the people,
Riches for the great estates,
Gain for many a village;
From there shall come good hayfields,
Nourishing pastures,
Pleasant woodlands,
Berry-grounds for the children,
Grove-land for the village boys,
Turnip-fields for the village women,
Garden-plots for the young girls,
Plow-land for the village men;
On the clearings, meadows,
Heath-land, pastures,
Turf-land beneath the forest,
Moss-land upon the bogs.
Kalevipoeg’s plowing-work,
The mighty plow’s furrows —
Villages shall praise them,
Others far and wide shall thank them,
Children sing of them with joy.
The forest’s beauty, the turf’s glory,
The blossoming of fruit-trees
Shall to future generations
Proclaim the mighty plowing.
Dear Kalevipoeg!
The field-work was left half-done:
A stretch in Harju left unplowed,
In Lääne another left uncut,
A third piece left unturned,
Field-edges left unturned,
Many borders left unplowed,
Pastures still unharrowed —
There the chaff’s aid,
The husk’s light measure,
For future generations’ sons
Shall lend addition to the bread,
Give help in times of need.”
Kalevipoeg’s son heard,
Understood at once, answered thus:
“I have done my work, endured my toil,
Plowed for more than ten days,
Plowed from evening to morning,
Plowed in the tracks of the dew,
Through the long hours after twilight,
In the noonday heat
I wiped the sweat from my brow,
The heat from my burning face,
Wrung the water from my shirt,
Stretched my body’s strength to its limit —
That from the work profit shall rise,
That gain shall richly grow
For future generations’ people.”
The kindly old stranger
Understood at once, answered thus:
“Therefore I have come, friend,
To see the finished work,
To set things in order,
So that your labor-weariness,
Your heat-born sweat-pains
Shall not remain like a widow mourning,
Weeping in ruin.
Without divine aid,
Without heaven’s support,
Human kind cannot
Bring profit from their work.
In the wind comes sturdy help,
In the air Uku’s blessings,
In the rain the grain’s nourishment.”
The Question and the Prophecy
Kalev’s dear son
Understood at once, answered thus:
“Who are you who visited us before,
When I played upon the turf,
Rolled stones on the meadow,
Grew an oak on the riverbank,
Swung on the swing at evening?
Who are you who visited us before,
When I cried in the cradle,
Nursed at my mother’s breast?
Who are you, acquaintance, who came visiting
As a guest to our home,
When my father on his bridal journey
Held the long wedding feast?
Who are you who visited us before,
When our house was being built,
The walls being raised,
The foundation-beams laid,
The cornerstones set?
Who are you who rode in secret before,
When my father was yet unborn,
My mother still unhatched,
Not yet risen from the grouse-egg?
Who are you who rode in secret to us,
When Harju was yet unmade,
Järva’s borders yet undrawn,
Viru’s borders yet unmarked?
Who are you who rode in secret here,
When these stars were being made,
The sun placed in its station,
The moon’s house being gathered,
The clouds being arranged?
You opened from below the gray sky,
Came from above through the dry sky,
From behind the red of heaven,
From the center of the golden spiral,
From between the five rainbows,
From the midst of six dawns,
From beneath nine twilights’ hems,
Rode from the Milky Way’s edge,
From between the Great Wagon’s stars,
From beneath the evening star’s yard,
From the gate of the Sun’s household,
Through a thousand familiar homesteads.
Tell me, old one,
Reveal it, wise old father —
Where is your distant home,
Your dwelling-place of reckoning?”
The kindly old stranger
Understood at once, answered thus:
“Dear Kalevipoeg,
King bound by lot!
What has been blown by the winds
On an unexpected path of fortune —
Do not try to reckon it.
My home is in Taara’s hall,
In golden cliff-chambers.
Hear now the golden tidings,
The silver revelations
Of the coming future,
Of the days of later times!
As long as you rule,
Guard the realm with a strong hand,
So long shall Viru have a time of fortune,
Järva ever a time of peace,
Harju a fair time of grace,
In Lääne a wide feast of joy
Blooming among the people.
But the rich time of beauty,
The true age of fortune,
Shall not long endure.
The weak shall grow weaker still,
The feeble shall rule over others.
The Doom
Pity, Kalevipoeg!
The shedding of innocent blood
Passes judgment upon you;
Blood seeks blood’s payment,
Death is death’s mother.
The innocent blood’s stains,
The Finnish smith’s curses,
The tender mother’s tears,
The sisters’ eye-water —
These cannot be wiped from the sword’s edge,
The evil can never be quenched.
Be watchful, brave man,
Lest from the sword a murderer grow,
From the war-blade a death-dealer,
An avenger to repay you!
Blood craves blood’s price,
Injustice has no rest,
Evil deeds have no foundation.”
The Prophecy Dissolves
Sadly sounded the last words,
Sadly the foretellings,
Which like a light wind’s sigh,
A mournful murmur of the waves,
A rain-wind’s whine
Reached Kalev’s ears.
As thick fog-clouds
Vanish in the sun’s brightness,
Or as quiet evening shadows
Hide the rolling sun —
So into the evening’s embrace,
Lost in the dew-mist’s arms,
The stranger old one’s shade dissolved.
Weary Kalevipoeg
Sank to peaceful rest;
Sleep fell upon his brows,
Fell from his brows to his eyelids.
A dream wove visions,
True signs and meanings
Into the carpet’s pattern, falsely.
The stranger old one’s words,
The wisely given meanings,
Were scattered ever to the wind.
Morning and Marching Orders
At sunrise, raising his head,
Escaping from sleep’s bonds,
Kalevipoeg tried
To bring much to mind
Of what the dear stranger
Had told him the evening before;
But the night and the dream-mists,
The deceiving little pictures,
Had muddled into a fog
Yesterday’s heard revelations.
Kalev’s mighty son
Commanded the messenger to hasten:
“Ride swiftly home,
Hurry on horseback toward the shore,
To carry orders to the elder!
Set watchers to their posts,
Spy-scouts upon the cliffs,
Sharp-eyed men upon the meadows,
To watch the seashore:
Whether from afar the enemy ships,
The invaders’ boats,
Are stirring on the wave’s crest.
If the ships draw toward shore,
The barges ever closer —
Then brave men against them,
The strongest as support for the others,
War-giants to the fighting!
Spear-men at the front,
Swordsmen at the rear,
Club-men at the flanks,
Hook-men as help at the edges,
Pike-men in the fray,
Storm-giants to the charge,
Champions to the open field,
Their shadows into the thickets,
Forest-troops in ambush,
Guards as shelter for the elder,
Scythes for the whistle-blowers,
Bowmen on the hilltops;
Sling-men slipping
On both sides of the shore;
Horsemen like hail
To trample the enemy’s feast!
Let each stand as a wall for the others,
Pit strength against iron!
Let the swords rage,
The spears work skillfully,
The blades dance at the rear,
The scythes mow fiercely,
The arrows nimbly
Deal fitting death —
Then the war-clamor shall quiet,
The cruel enemy’s fury shall still!
Be brave, men of Viru,
Take brave men as allies,
Sturdy lads from Järva,
Supporters from Alutaguse,
Helpers from Harjumaa,
Some from Lääne to bolster!
Roll the enemy-dogs
Back from the shore at once!
Send me tidings,
Swift-footed orders!
If the battle grows wider,
The hardship more bitter —
Then I myself will come,
Step forth as a helper.
I go to clear my grief,
To soothe my troubled mind.”
The Messenger’s Ride
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
The king’s order in my pouch,
The elder’s command in my satchel,
The war-message on my lips.
What came swaying toward me,
What strange thing appeared?
There swayed toward me an old crow,
An old crow, a wretched fellow;
His beak was sniffing the meadows,
His nostrils probing the clouds —
His nose had been sniffing for war,
His nostrils sifting the mist
To catch the scent of secrets,
To read the urgent dispatch.
Already he had sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor.
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
Hastening at speed’s command;
The king’s order in my pouch,
The elder’s commands in my satchel,
The captain’s commands beneath my cap,
The secret message on my lips —
That already the banners are stirring,
The spear-points working,
The sword-blades serving.
What came swaying toward me,
What strange thing appeared?
There swayed toward me a fierce eagle,
A fierce eagle, a crooked-beak;
His beak was sniffing the meadows,
His nostrils probing the mist —
To catch the scent of the matter,
To read the urgent dispatch.
The fool had already sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor,
Hastened to tell the others.
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
Hastening at speed’s command;
The king’s order in my pouch,
The elder’s commands in my satchel,
The secret message on my lips,
The captain’s pleas on my tongue-string —
That already the banners are stirring,
The spear-points working,
The blade-edges keen.
What came swaying toward me,
What strange thing appeared?
There came toward me a carrion-crow’s young,
A carrion-crow’s young, a corpse-eater;
His beak was sniffing the meadows,
His nostrils probing the clouds —
To catch the scent of secrets,
To read the urgent dispatch.
The fool had already sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor,
Hastened to tell the others.
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
Hastening at speed’s command;
The king’s order in my pouch,
The elder’s commands in my satchel,
The secret message on my lips,
The captain’s commands beneath my cap.
What came swaying toward me,
What strange thing appeared?
There swayed toward me a wolf,
And at the wolf’s heels a bear.
Their snouts were sniffing the meadows,
Their nostrils probing the mist —
To catch the scent of the matter,
To read the secret dispatch.
The friends had already sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor,
Hastened to tell the others.
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
Hastening at speed’s command;
The king’s orders in my pouch,
The elder’s commands in my satchel,
The secret message on my lips —
That already the banners are stirring,
The spear-points working,
The hooks driving their business,
The blades hammering their trade.
What came swaying toward me,
What unexpected torment?
There swayed toward me a gaunt wretch,
A gaunt wretch, a hollow-belly;
His nose was sniffing the meadows,
His nostrils sifting the clouds —
To catch the scent of secrets,
To read the urgent dispatch.
The fool had already sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor,
Hastened to tell the others.
I rode the swift Finland-bridge,
The water-arc’s copper road,
The rainbow’s rain-road,
Hastening at speed’s command;
The king’s orders in my pouch,
The elder’s commands in my satchel,
The secret message on my lips —
That already the banners are stirring,
The spear-points working,
The sword-blades serving,
The blade’s mind set on raging.
What came swaying toward me,
What unexpected torment?
There swayed toward me the cunning Plague,
The cunning Plague, the people’s plunderer,
War’s seventh and worst companion;
His nose was sniffing the meadows,
His nostrils sifting the clouds —
To catch the scent of secrets,
To read the urgent dispatch.
The fool had already sniffed out war,
Caught the smell of blood-vapor,
Hastened to tell the others.
The Orders Drowned
I held my horse fast,
Put the steed in iron bridles,
Set Kalev’s fetters on its hooves,
So that it could not step
Nor reach a gallop;
I began to reckon the matter,
To coax my mind’s thoughts:
Does my errand bring any gain,
Does my riding breed anything greater?
Blood-stained are the war-wounds,
War carries serpent’s venom.
Why should I scatter war’s misery,
The murderous sword’s raging,
Upon a time of peace?
May it be, may it be — I curse you!
May the message sink into the deep,
Sleep in the sea’s storm,
Vanish into the fish-spawn!
Let it sleep in the sealed depths
Before it rings onward,
Before it clangs to the village!
I tore the orders from my pouch,
The elder’s commands from my satchel,
Hurled them into the bottomless sea,
Into the wideness of the wave’s fall.
The water rolled them in the foam,
The fish fled in fright.
Thus the war-shadow fell silent,
Thus the battle-clamor vanished.
Colophon
The Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev) is the Estonian national epic, compiled by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882) from Estonian folk songs, oral tradition, and his own literary composition. First published in a scholarly edition by the Learned Estonian Society in 1857–1861, and in a popular edition in 1862, the epic tells in twenty cantos and approximately 19,000 verses the life of the giant hero Kalevipoeg. Canto IX is the pivot of the epic — the moment where Kalevipoeg’s doom is pronounced and immediately forgotten, and where a messenger’s despair silences the call to arms.
Translated from the Estonian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Good Works Translation — translated directly from Kreutzwald’s 1857 Estonian text as preserved in Project Gutenberg (EBook #25062). No existing English translation was consulted as a source. The trochaic tetrameter and parallelism of Estonian regivärss are preserved in the line structure.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Kalevipoeg — Üheksas Lugu
Estonian source text from Project Gutenberg eBook of Kalevipoeg by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (EBook #25062). The text is in the public domain. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Päike seisis peale lõunat
Veeru poole venitelles
Langel puie latvadelle.
Kalevite kallim poega
Ärkas unest ehmatades;
Kuri unenäokuju
Hädaohtu ähvardelles
Võitis mehe väsimuse.
Lehe võimul vilistades
Hakkas hobu hüüdemaie,
Künniruuna kutsumaie.
Vile vajus vaikusesse,
Kutsumine kustus kaugel
Tuiskel laial tuuledesse:
Hobu ei kuulnud hüüdemist,
Kallis ruun ei mehe kutsu;
Linnukeeli lustilikult
Hõiskas vastu hüüdemista.
Kalevite kange poega
Tõttas hobu tabamaie.
Ratsu jälil rännatessa,
Kammits-astmeil kõndidessa
Käis ta üle kanarbiku
Tüki teeda, palju maada,
Ladus laiu lagedaida,
Sammus piki samblasooda,
Kuni vastu jõudis kohta,
Kuhu ruuna kiskjatelle,
Hüva hobu huntidelle
Roaks oli roidunenud,
Surma sülle suikunenud.
Tõelikke tunnistähti,
Mitut värki märkisida
Leidis laialt lagedalta:
Leidis närtsind hobunaha,
Ruunarasva riismeida,
Leidis laia vereloigu,
Leidis maksa muru pealta,
Leidis luida ligimailta,
Kohtelt küljekontisida,
Leidis ligi lepikuda
Surnud ratsu sisikonnad,
Põrnatükid põõsastikust.
Sestap sai ta selget märki,
Kuidas ruunakene koolnud,
Hobu surmassa suikunud.
Kalevite kange poega,
Kui sai kahju kahetsenud,
Õnnetusta ohke puhkel
Tüki aega tuulutanud,
Võttis kadund ratsu kuue
Mättalt kaasa mälestuseks. -
Suures vihas paisund süda
Süttis mehel põlemaie;
Siisap seadis täie suuga
Sõnasida sõudevalle:
"Seisa vaiki, tuulevuhin,
Kuule vaiki, metsakohin!
Seiske, ladvad, sõudemata,
Kõrrekesed kõikumata,
Lehekesed liikumata,
Seni kui sõnu sajatan,
Kurjemaida kukutelen,
Vihasemaid veeretelen!
Saagu, saagu, ma sajatan,
Saagu te sugu surema,
Mätta otsa mädanema,
Nurme peale nälgimaie,
Põõsa alla pendimaie,
Rabastikku raipenema,
Lagedalle läpastama;
Saagu te sohu surema,
Künka otsa kolletama!"
Siis aga võttis sõjasaha,
Võttis mõõga mõrtsukana,
Tungis taha tammemetsa,
Tungis läbi laanemetsa
Paksustikku pimedasse
Hundipesi otsimaie,
Kiskujaida kiusamaie.
Kalevite kange poega
Kiskujate kihutusel
Tegi teeda, tallas rada,
Tegi teeda metsast läbi,
Rada läbi rägastiku,
Kust ei enne kukke käinud,
Käinud kana kõõrutelles.
Tõukas maha tammeoksad,
Tallas maha toomeoksad,
Murdis maha männioksad,
Kitkus maha kuuseoksad,
Katkus maha kaseoksad,
Tuiskas maha kõrged tammed,
Puistas maha pikad pärnad,
Rabas maha remmelgaida,
Lõhkus maha lõhmuspuida,
Oksad ette, tüved taha,
Tallas kännud tolmupõrmuks.
Kus ta käinud, tänav taga,
Kus ta läinud, lage taga.
Mis tal metsas mässamisel
Kiskujatest kätte juhtus,
Leidis surma silmapilgul.
Mõõk oli kuri möllamassa,
Sõjasahka surmamassa,
Meesi tugev tappemassa.
Juba katsid karjakaupa
Metsaliste raisad muru,
Kiskjakehad künkaida;
Veri värvis võsukesi,
Surmahigi samblaida,
Värvis muru verekarva,
Taimekesed tõmmut karva,
Pohlakalehed punaseks.
Pääsend hundid ulgudessa,
Metsakarud möiratessa
Põgenesid paksustikku,
Suurte soode keske′ elle,
Redupaika rabadesse.
Päike oli looja läinud,
Valgus alla veerenud,
Pime kattis kohtasida,
Segas Kalevite silma,
Et ei võinud kiskja jälgi
Kauemini kihutada:
Muidu oleks karukarja,
Ulgujate hunte sugu
Sootumaks otsa saanud.
Kalevite kange poega,
Töösta väga tülpinud,
Vihastusest väsitatud,
Ladus laanest lagedalle
Ööaset otsimaie.
Kui oli paiga parajama
Lagedikult viimaks leidnud,
Lahuteli hobu naha
Vaibana maha murule;
Siruteli selitie
Keha ratsu naha peale
Ööde vilul puhkamaie,
Kurnat′ võimu karastama,
Mis tal tööda toimetelles,
Susilasi sugedessa
Täna väga tülpinenud;
Künd ja kiskja kiusamine
Meesta väga väsitanud.
Enne veel kui ehavalgel
Kalevite poja silmad
Une kattel uinusivad,
Lauge alla langesivad,
Kihuteli kiirusella,
Lennuskäigil lõõtsutelles
Sõjasõnumite kandja,
Kurja loo kuulutaja
Kalevipoja palvele.
Viru ranna vanemalta
Toodi käsku Kaleville,
Kuulutusi kuningalle,
Kuidas vaenu veeremaie,
Sõda kipub sõitemaie.
Sõjasõnumite sõitja
Seadis sõnad sõudevalle,
Kurjad kuulud kerkivalle:
"Kuningas, Kalevipoega,
Vägevvolil valitseja,
Kange käega kaitseja!
Viru ranna vanemalta
Pean kurba kuulutama,
Hädast lugu avaldama:
Salakuulikute sammud
Veerend Viru radadelle;
Pärast päeva nähti paate,
Lootsikuida lainte langul
Põhja poolta purjetamas;
Öö vaiba varju alla
Kandsid paadid mehepoegi
Meie maada nuuskimaie.
Salamahti silmamaie;
Sestap mõistsid meie mehed,
Tähendasid meie targad,
Arvasid poisid agarad:
Sõda kipub sõudemaie,
Vaenuvanker veeremaie,
Kipub Virut kurnamaie,
Rahu Järvas raiskamaie,
Õnnepõlve pillutama,
Viletsusta valmistama.
Salasaadikute sammul
Sõuab väge sadadena,
Tuiskab teisi tuhandeida
Vaeste virulaste kaela.
Eit aga peret peitemaie,
Pisukesi pillutama
Uranguie, varanguie,
Pae paksu murranguie;
Taati tuge tegemaie,
Vaenul′ vastust valmistama.
Kitsik kasvab kibedamaks,
Pidu ikka pahemaksi;
Kallaspapid kuulutavad,
Kuidas Kõrgesaarel laevad,
Tütarsaarel teised laevad,
Lavassaarel laiad lodjad
Sõjamehi sõudemassa,
Vahvamaida vedamassa,
Kes need võõraid mere kaudu
Viru randa veeretavad,
Kangeid kaelalõikajaida,
Rohke käega röövijaida,
Kuidas tähti tunnistanud,
Taevas vehkel teada andnud.
Naised nutvad nurkadessa,
Tütarlapsed tänavassa,
Vanaraugad vainiulla,
Lapsed laius lepikutes,
Karjahoidjad kaasikutes,
Tõurakaitsjad tammikutes:
Viletsus üle Virumaa!
Pisarpilul silmalauge
Seisab murepaelus leski:
Mure muljub meelekesta,
Surmakartus südameida.
Noored mehed seisvad norgus,
Kartusessa kahvatanud.
Naisemees ei tunne nalja,
Laste isa ei lustisid,
Kartus kurnab meeste kangust,
Ehmatus emade poegi.
Kes neist sõuab sõja ette,
Kes see läheb lahingusse,
Veereb vaenu vastaseksi
Tapperite tapluselle?
Kes see astub kaitsejaksi,
Tõuseb toeksi teiste ette,
Raudaseinaks raukadelle?
Kas läeb venda, vennikene,
Ehk kas sõsar sõstrasilma
Vaeseidlapsi varjamaie,
Raukadelle rahu hoidma?
Kes see naisi kaitsemaie,
Vaenuviha vaigistama?
Mõõka murrab mõnusamad,
Tapper tapab tulisemad,
Oda hukkab suured hulgad,
Ammunool ei anna armu.
Mis ei lange lahingussa,
Veere vaenuvälja peale,
Tapab taga tulukene,
Häviteleb näljahammas,
Kooleteleb katkuküüsi,
Viletsuse raske vitsa.
Varga käsi jätab varna,
Raske kivi vetevoolu;
Tuli ei jäta kedagi,
Viletsus teeb viimsel otsa."
Kallis Kalevite poega
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Ohjad hoidku, köied köitku,
Ohjad hoidku hobu kinni,
Kütked künnihärgasida,
Lingupaelad metsalisi,
Köied köitku koormaida,
Taevas laia lumesadu,
Pilved pikad vihmasida,
Raskemada rahesadu!
Mis on kõvem kinnitaja,
Vägevam vastupidaja,
Sulgegu su suuda lukku,
Lõksutagu lõugasida
Kurja kõne kuulutusel,
Häbemata avaldusel!
Kes see imet ilmas näinud,
Kentsakamat enne kuulnud?
Miks sa sõimad meie mehi,
Laimad meie mehepoegi?
Kas ehk naiste karistajad,
Tütarlaste hirmutajad -
Ehmatus ja ettekartus -
Veerend Viru meeste peale?
Las aga mõõka murdanekse,
Tapper terav tappanekse,
Oda hulgal hukkanekse,
Vahva mees ei karda verda!
Mehed seisku sõjamässul
Raudaseina tugevusel,
Seisku kui tammed tuulessa,
Kaljumüürid marudessa;
Seisku vaenus vankumata,
Sõjas toeksi teiste eessa!
Tehku lastel′ varjutuba,
Raukadelle rahusauna,
Naistesoole kaitsenurka,
Peidukamber piigadelle,
Leinapaika leskedelle!
Kasvab kitsik kibedamaks,
Vaenuviha verisemaks,
Tappemine tulisemaks,
Siisap tahan ise tulla,
Abimeheks astuneda. -
Võta leiba, väsind võõras,
Märga keelekarastuseks!
Mätta otsas seisab märssi,
Lähker ripub lepaoksal;
Täida kõhtu, külaline,
Heida maha magamaie!
Homme, vara enne valget,
Väikse koidu veretusel
Sea sa hobu sadulasse,
Pane ruuna rakke′esse,
Pane salaja sadula!
Hakka sala sõitemaie,
Peidus koju pagemaie,
Et ei kuule Viru kuked,
Viru kuked, Järva koerad
Sinu hobuse sammusid,
Ratsu kabja salakäiki!
Sõida tasa üle silla,
Tasaselt läbi tänava,
Käi sa tasa külast läbi,
Peidul taluperedesta,
Veere sala üle vainu,
Varjul läbi vaarikusta,
Salamahti läbi soode,
Peidul läbi põõsastiku
Vanema õuevärava!
Saatke mehed sõdimaie,
Vahvad vaenuvälja peale,
Tugevamad taplusesse!
Ise keerita keske′ ella,
Lipukandja ligidalla!
Ära hoia sõja ette,
Sõja ette, sõja taha,
Hoia ei sõja serva peale!
Esimesed heidetakse,
Tagumised tapetakse,
Servapealsed surmatakse,
Keskmised koju tulevad."
Kalevipoeg, kange meesi,
Lahket juttu lõpetelles
Keeras teise külje peale,
Tahtis tööst tülpind keha
Kaste vilul karastada,
Lasta silmad lauge alla
Unehõlma ummukselle.
Enne kui uni silmale
Varjuvaipa valmistanud,
Astus juba teine võõras
Kõik′val käigil ligemalle,
Salasammul sängi ette,
Kes kui tuulest tuisateldud,
Pilvest maha paisateldud
Kogemata siia kukkus.
Kalevite kange poega
Kurjal tujul küsimaie:
"Kas ei täna lõpe tantsi,
Käikidel ei kinnitusta?
Kas on kõigil käikisida,
Tühja tuule tallamisi?
Kas kõik tuuled tuisatille,
Vete sooned veeretille,
Laiad lained langutille,
Vihmapilved paisutille,
Lumepilved puistatille,
Rahepilved raksatille
Kalevi kaela kukuvad?
Kui oleks teadnud, võinud teada,
Võinud ma unessa näha,
Magadeski ette vaata,
Arukorral arvaneda,
Kuis on põlvi kuningalla,
Siis ma oleks sada korda,
Tuhat korda tuuletiivul
Lindu, läinud lendamaie,
Kotkas teiste kaljudelle,
Läinud muile liivikuile,
Ujund teiste allikaile,
Võtnud teeda võõramaale,
Käiki ette kauge′ elle.
Ma oleks hüpand orgudesse,
Karand merekallastesse,
Langend merelainetesse,
Uppund salaurgastesse,
Kuhu poleks kuulnud kägu
Ega linnulaulu häälta.
Linnul rahu lepikussa,
Pääsul pesas puhkepaika,
Kägu uinub kuuse otsas,
Lõokene kesaväljal,
Künnilindu koppelissa,
Laululindu lehtipuissa,
Rästas paksus rägastikus,
Kui on kukku kuulutanud,
Laululugu lõpetanud.
Küllalt keha vintsutasin,
Võimu küllalt väsitasin:
Kündsin maada kümme päeva,
Kündsin õhtust hommikuni,
Keeritasin kivisida,
Kiskusin mäekinkusida,
Sahkasin sulasoida,
Lõik′ sin laiu lagedaida,
Pöörasin pikki põldusid,
Kuni hobu kogemata
Kiskjaküüsil kägistati.
Tule homme hommikulla
Vara enne valge′eda
Salajuttu sahkamaie,
Kuulutusi külvamaie!"
Võõras lahke vanarauka,
Habe halli, hiuksed hallid,
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Ei ole tuuled tuisatille,
Vetesooned veeretille,
Laiad lained langutille,
Vihmapilved paisutille,
Lumepilved puistatille,
Rahepilved raksatille,
Kõuekäigid kõpsatille
Kukkund Kalevite kaela,
Pojukese pihtadelle;
Küllap võisid ette teada,
Võisid unenäossa näha,
Magadessa ette vaata,
Arukorral arvaneda,
Targal mõttel ette teada,
Kuis on põlvi kuningalla,
Lugu väe valitsejal.
Kui sa alles kodu kasvid,
Tammi, tõusid tugevamaks,
Oli küllalt õnneaega,
Mõistatusi mõtteleda,
Aruasju arvaneda,
Tulevada tunnistada.
Isa õues laulsid linnud,
Kukkusid käod koppelissa,
Kuldanokad kuuseladvas,
Hõiskas ööbik alla õue,
Lõõritas lõoke lepikus,
Vares hüüdis vainiulta,
Musta lindu männikusta,
Tarka lindu tammikusta:
"Kuningal on kümme koormat,
Sada vaeva valitsejal,
Viissada küll vahvamal,
Tuhat tegu tugevamal,
Kümme tuhat Kalevipojal!"
Et ma täna teile tulin
Armu sunnil sammudega,
Et ma kaugelt siia käisin
Sõbra soovi sõudemisel,
Sestap tõuseb sulle tulu,
Kasvab sulle mitu kasu,
Vägev Kalevite võsu.
Ehk sa mind ei mäletanud,
Tuttavaks ei tunnistanud,
Siiski sinu sugu sõber.
Eks ma enne käinud teilla,
Kui sa murul mängidessa
Vainul kurni kukutasid,
Kaldal tamme kasvatasid,
Õhtul kiigel õõtsutasid?
Eks ma enne käinud teilla,
Kui sa kätkis kiljatasid,
Eide rinnalta imesid?
Eks ma enne käinud teilla,
Kui sul isa kosjakäigil
Pidand pikka pulmailu?
Eks ma, tuttav, tulnud teile
Külalisena käima,
Kui teile tubada tehti,
Seinasida seadetie,
Aluspalke alustati,
Nurgakivi nööritie?
Eks ma sala sõitnud teile
Varemini vaatamaie,
Kui sul isa ilmumata,
Ema alles haudumata,
Tedremunast tõusemata?
Eks ma sala sõitnud teile,
Kui oli Harju algamata,
Järva piirid rajamata,
Viru piirid viirumata?
Eks ma sala sõitnud siia,
Kui neid tähti alles tehti,
Päikest paigale seati,
Kuule koda korjatie,
Pilvesida paigutati?
Alt mina a′ asin halli ilma,
Pealt mina a′ asin põuailma,
Tagant taeva punasema,
Keskelt kuldakeerulise,
Vahelt viie vikerkaare,
Kuue koidu keske′ elta,
Üheksa eha hõlma alta,
Sõitsin Sõela serva pealta,
Vana Vankri vahedelta,
Ehatähe õue alta,
Päevapere väravalta
Tuhat tuttava taluda.
Alt mina a′ asin halli rauad,
Musta kabjad murrutasin,
Kõrvi kannuksed kaotin
Libedalle linnuteele,
Palavalle päevateele.
Tuulilla sind teretasin,
Õhulla sind õnnistasin,
Kastella sind karastasin,
Kuude valgel kosutasin,
Päeva paistel paisutasin:
Kuni kasvid kangeks meheks,
Kasvid Kalevite pojaks.
Mis sa künnil kergitasid,
Sahalla läbi siblisid,
Sest saab kasu siginema,
Õnne rohkest′ õitsemaie,
Sest saab Virus viljamaada,
Järvas järsku leivamaada,
Sealt saab rikkust rahva′ alle,
Vara suurte valdadelle,
Kasu mitmele külale;
Sealt saab häida heinamaida,
Kosutavaid karjamaida,
Mõnusamaid metsamaida,
Külalastel marjamaada,
Külapoistel puiemaada,
Külanaistel naerismaada,
Tütarlastel tallermaada,
Külameestel künnimaada;
Lagedalle luhtasida,
Arumaada, aasasida,
Murumaada metsa alla,
Sammalmaada soode peale.
Kalevipoja künnitööda,
Võimsa adra vagusida
Saavad külad kiitemaie,
Teised laialt tänamaie,
Lapsed lustil laulemaie.
Metsa kena, muru ilu,
Õilmepuie puhkemine
Saavad pärastpõlvedelle
Kanget kündi kuulutama. -
Kallis Kalevite poega!
Pooleli jäänd põllutöö:
Koht jäänd Harjus kündemata,
Läänes teine lõikamata,
Kolmas tükk jäänd kordamata,
Põlluääred pööramata,
Servad mitmed sahkamata,
Aasad alles äestamata:
Sealap aganiku abi,
Kõlgastiku kerge kotti
Pärastpõlve poegadelle
Laenab leivale lisandust,
Annab abi hädaajal."
Kalevite poega kuulis,
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Tegin tööda, nägin vaeva,
Kündsin rohkem kümme päeva,
Kündsin õhtust hommikuni,
Kündsin kaste jälgedella,
Pärast eha pikka aega,
Lõuna päeva palavusel
Pühkisin higi otsaeest,
Palavama palge pealta,
Väänasin vetta särgi seest,
Venitin keha võimu väest:
Et tööst tulu tõuseneksi,
Kosu rohkelt kasvaneksi
Pärastpõlve rahva′ alle."
Võõras lahke vanarauka
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Sellepärast tulin, sõber,
Valmis tööda vaatamaie,
Korralisi kohendama,
Et sul vaevaväsimused,
Palavuse higipiinad
Jääks ei lesena leinama,
Nurjatuna nuttemaie.
Ilma jumaliku abi,
Taevaliku toetuseta
Saa ei inimeste sugu
Töösta tulu toimetada.
Tuulil tuleb tugev abi,
Õhul Uku õnnistused,
Vihmal vilja voodamine."
Kalevite kallis poega
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Kes sa enne meilla käinud,
Kui ma murul mängidessa
Vainul kurni kukutasin,
Kaldal tamme kasvatasin,
Õhtul kiigel õõtsutasin;
Kes sa enne käinud meilla,
Kui ma kätkis kiljatasin,
Eide rinnalta imesin;
Kes sa, tuttav, tulnud meile,
Külalisel käidanessa,
Kui mul isa kosjakäigil
Pidand pikka pulmailu;
Kes sa enne käinud meilla,
Kui meile tubada tehti,
Seinasida seadetie,
Aluspalke alustati,
Nurgakivi nööritie;
Kes sa sala enne sõitnud,
Kui mul isa ilmumata,
Ema alles haudumata,
Tedremunast tulemata;
Kes sa sala sõitnud meile,
Kui oli Harju algamata,
Järva piirid rajamata,
Viru piirid viirumata;
Kes sa sala sõitnud siia,
Kui neid tähti tehtanekse,
Päikest paika pandanekse,
Kuule koda korjatie,
Pilvesida paigutati;
A′asid alta halli ilma,
Käisid pealta põuailma,
Tagant taeva punasema,
Keskelt kuldakeerulise,
Vahelt viie vikerkaare,
Kuue koidu keske′elta,
Üheksa eha hõlmalta,
Sõitsid Sõela serva pealta,
Vana Vankri vahedelta,
Ehatähe õue alta,
Päevapere väravalta,
Tuhat tuttava taluda. -
Ütle mulle, vanarauka,
Tunnistele, tarka taati,
Kus sul kaugella koduda,
Arvuline asupaika?"
Võõras lahke vanarauka
Mõistis kohe, kostis vastu:
"Kallis Kalevite poega,
Liisul liimitud kuningas!
Mis on tuulilta tuisanud
Kogemata õnnekäigil,
Ära hakka arvamaie;
Kodusid on Taara kojas
Kuldseid kaljukamberida.
Kuule kuldakuulutusi,
Hõbedasi avaldusi
Tuleva aja tulekust,
Pärastpõlve päevadesta!
Seni kui sina valitsed,
Vahva käega varjad valda,
Seni on Virus õnneaega,
Järvas järjest rahuaega,
Harjus kaunis armuaega,
Läänes laia lustipidu
Rahva keskel õitsemassa,
Aga rikas iluaega,
Päris õnnepõlvekene
Saa ei kaua kestemaie.
Nõdrad saavad nõdremaida,
Väetid teisi valitsema.
Kahju, Kalevite poega!
Vaga vere valamine
Mõistab kohut sinu kohta;
Veri püüab vere palka,
Surm on surma sünnitaja;
Vaga vere vermeida,
Soome sepa sajatusi,
Hella eide pisaraida,
Sõsarate silmavetta
Või ei võtta mõõga küljest,
Kurja miski kustutada.
Ole valvas, vahva meesi,
Et sul mõõgast mõrtsukada,
Sõjasahast surmajada,
Kättetasujat ei kasva!
Veri ihkab vere hinda,
Ülekohtul pole uinu,
Kurjal tööl ei kinnitusta."
Kurvalt kostis viimne kõne,
Kurvalt ettekuulutused,
Mis kui tuulekese tuhin,
Leinakaeblik laintekohin,
Vihmatuule vingumine
Kaleville kõrvu kostis.
Kui need paksud udupilved
Kaovad päikese paistel,
Ehk kui vaiksed õhtuvarjud
Veerend päikesta peidavad:
Nõnda sulas õhtu rüppe,
Kadus kasteauru kaissu
Võõra vanarauga vari.
Väsind Kalevite poega
Uinus rahul puhkamaie;
Uni kukkus kulmudelle,
Langes kulmult laugudelle.
Unenägu kudus kuju,
Tõelikke tähendusi
Vaibakirjal valelikuks.
Võõra vanarauga jutud,
Targalt antud tähendused
Tuiskasivad aina tuulde.
Päevatõusul peada tõstes,
Unepaelust pääsedessa
Katsus Kalevite poega
Mõnda meelde tuletada,
Mis tal õhtul avalikult
Kallis võõras kuulutanud;
Aga öö ja uneukud,
Pettelikud pildikesed
Segasivad udusompu
Eilsed kuuldud ilmutused.
Kalevite kange poega
Käskujalga kiirustama:
"Käi sa kiiresti koduje,
Rutta ratsul ranna poole
Vanemalle käsku viima!
Seadke vahid sihtimaie,
Kallaspapid kalju peale,
Nugissilmad nurmedelle
Mereranda vahtimaie:
Kas ju kaugelt vaenulaevad,
Pealekippujate paadid
Lainte langul liikumassa?
Kallavad laevad kaldale,
Lodjad ikka ligemalle:
Siis aga vastu vahvad mehed,
Tugevamad teiste toeksi,
Sõjahiiud sõdimaie!
Odamehed otsa peale,
Tapperid tagarindaje,
Nuiamehed nurga peale,
Ahingid abiks äärele,
Tuuramehed tuhingisse,
Määrahiiud mässuselle,
Võidumehed lagedalle,
Nende varjud võsandikku,
Metsasalka salamahti,
Vardad varjuks vanemalle,
Vikatid vilepuhujalle,
Noolingid mäeküüru peale;
Lingumehed libamisi
Kahel poolel kalda peale;
Ratsumehed rahe kombel
Vaenuroogu roodamaie!
Teised seisku teistel seinaks,
Pangu rammu raua vastu!
Laske siis mõõgad möllamaie,
Odad osavalt orjama,
Tapperid taga tantsima,
Vikatid valjust niitema,
Ammunooled nobedasti
Sündsat surma sigitama:
Küll siis suigub sõjakära,
Vaikib kuri vaenuviha! -
Olge vahvad, virulased,
Võtke abiks vahvaid mehi,
Järva poisse jänderikke,
Alutaguselt toeksi,
Abilisi Harjumaalta,
Läänest mõnda lisanduseks!
Veeretage vaenukoeri
Kaldalt kohe kaugemalle!
Saatke mulle sõnumida,
Kiirel jalul käskusida!
Läheb lahing laiemaksi,
Kasvab kitsik kibedamaks,
Siisap tahan ise tulla,
Abimeheks astuneda.
Lähen tuska tuulutama,
Nukrat meelta meelitama."
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Vikerkaare vihmateeda,
Kuninga käsk kukkarus,
Vanema käsk vammukses,
Sõjasõnum suusopis.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse,
Jubedada juhtunekse?
Vankus vastu vana vares,
Vana vares, vaene meesi;
Nokka nuusutas nurmesid,
Sõõrmed puhusid pilvesid;
Nina oli sõda nuusutanud,
Sõõrmed udusta sõelunud,
Kas ei salahaisu tunneks,
Kiire käsu kirja oskaks.
Juba oli sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud.
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Vikerkaare vihmateeda,
Kihutes kiiruse käsku;
Kuninga käsk mul kukkarus,
Vanema käsud vammukses,
Pealiku käsud kübara all,
Salasõnum suusopis:
Et juba lipud liikumassa,
Odaokkad orjamassa,
Mõõgaterad teenimassa.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse,
Jubedada juhtunekse?
Vastu vankus kotkas kuri,
Kotkas kuri, kõvernokka;
Nokka nuusutas nurmesid,
Sõõrmed uurisid ududa,
Kas ehk asja haisu tunneks,
Kiire käsu kirja oskaks.
Sõge oli sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud,
Tõttas muile teadustama.
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Vikerkaare vihmateeda,
Kihutes kiiruse käsku;
Kuninga käsk mul kukkarus,
Vanema käsud vammukses,
Salasõnum suusopis,
Pealiku palved keelepaelul:
Et juba lipud liikumassa,
Odaokkad orjamassa,
Tapriterad tahtemassa.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse,
Jubedada juhtunekse?
Tuli vastu kaarnapoega,
Kaarnapoega, raisarooga;
Nokka nuusutas nurmesid,
Sõõrmed puhusid pilvesid:
Kas ei salahaisu sõeluks,
Kiire käsu kirja oskaks.
Sõge oli sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud:
Tõttas muile teadustama.
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Kihutes kiiruse käsku;
Kuninga käsud kukkarus,
Vanema käsud vammukses,
Salasõnum suusopis,
Pealiku palved keelepaelul.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse,
Jubedada juhtunekse?
Vastu vankus hundikene,
Hundi kannul karukene.
Ninad nuuskisid nurmesid,
Sõõrmed ududa uurisid,
Kas ei asja haisu arvaks,
Salakirja käsku tunneks.
Sõbrad olid sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud,
Tõtsid muile teadustama.
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Vikerkaare vihmateeda
Kihutes kiiruse käsku;
Kuninga käsk mul kukkarus,
Vanema käsud vammukses,
Sõjasõnum suusopis,
Pealiku käsud kübara all:
Et juba lipud liikumassa,
Odaokkad orjamassa,
Tapriterad teenimassa,
Mõõgal mõtted möllamassa.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse,
Jubedada juhtunekse?
Vastu vankus nälga nõrka,
Nälga nõrka, kõlkakokka,
Nina nuusutas nurmesid,
Sõõrmed sõelusid pilvesid,
Kas ei salahaisu tunneks,
Kiire käsu kirja oskaks.
Sõge oli sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud;
Tõttas muile teadustama.
Sõitsin suisa Soome silda,
Vesikaare vaskiteeda,
Vikerkaare vihmateeda,
Kihutes kiiruse käsku;
Kuninga käsud kukkarus,
Vanema käsud vammukses,
Salasõnum suusopis:
Et juba lipud liikumassa,
Odaokkad orjamassa,
Ahingid asju ajamas,
Taprid teisi taotamas.
Mis mull′ vastu vankunekse
Kogemata kiusatusta?
Vastu vankus katku kaval,
Katku kaval, rahva röövel,
Sõja seitsmes selli kurjem;
Nina nuusutas nurmesid,
Sõõrmed sõelusid pilvesid,
Kas ei salahaisu arvaks,
Kiire käsu kirja oskaks.
Sõge oli sõda nuusutanud,
Vereauru haisutanud;
Tõttas muile teadustama.
Kinni kimli ma pidasin,
Panin ruuna raudaikke,
Kõrvi Kalevi kammitsa,
Et ei saanud sammumaie
Ega jooksu jõudemaie;
Hakkasin asja arvama,
Meelemõtteid meelitama:
Kas mu käigist kasu kasvab,
Sõidust suuremat sigineb?
Verised on vaenuvermed,
Sõjalla siu tigedus.
Miks ma vaenuviletsusta,
Mõrtsuka mõõga möllamist
Rahupõlvele pillutan?
Saagu, saagu, ma sajatan,
Saagu sõnum sügavasse
Mere marusse magama,
Kalakudusse kaduma!
Uinugu ummisurgastessa,
Enne kui heliseb edasi,
Enne kui kõliseb külaje!
Kiskusin käsud kukkarust,
Vanema käsud vammuksest,
Paiskasin põhjatu meresse,
Laintelangu laiemasse.
Vesi veeretas vahussa,
Kalad kohkessa kadusid.
Nõnda vaikis vaenuvarin,
Nõnda kadus sõjakärin.
Source Colophon
Estonian source text from Project Gutenberg eBook of Kalevipoeg by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (EBook #25062). The text is in the public domain. Presented here alongside the English translation for verification and scholarship.
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