Kouta
A translation of Kouta
Kouta of Lapland, a grim man,
was the greatest among sages
behind the fell of Turja.
Vipers shone green in his eyes,
night-bats flew from his mouth,
wolverines rose from under his foot,
stoats ran on his arm,
a raven balanced itself on his head,
vultures sat on his shoulders.
All that mortals knew, he knew,
all that gods could do, he could;
he could not bind blue fire,
open the treasure tombs.
He set out to learn
the deepest power of Mantu.
He travelled pathless ways,
unmeasured distances,
crossing lakes as ice, waves as frost,
fells as a roar of thunder;
children wailed in Lapland,
dogs whined,
a cold wind came in through doors,
embers darkened in goahtis.
A Maahinen slept in his hut;
hearing Kouta approach,
he yawned, gaped,
spread his jaws:
great pines fell whole
into the bottomless pit;
not Kouta, the grim man.
The Earthsleeper rose from the ground:
“Who is this traveller,
what mighty thing roams here,
that will not fall into my mouth?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I, Kouta, travel here,
I, Lapland, cross the lands,
I did not come here to be eaten,
I came for knowledge.”
The Shut-Eye grunted:
“Have you given your own blood?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it in my boyhood
and acquired a powerful word:
blood strengthens blood.”
The Moldbeard barked:
“Have you murdered all of your other pleasures?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it as a younger man
and acquired a powerful word:
iron draws courage from iron.”
The Wan-as-Clay spoke:
“Have you cursed your bearer?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it on the brink of death
and acquired a powerful word:
cold quenches a cold blade.”
The Maahinen spoke:
“You are Kouta of the triple lock.”
Kouta smiled grimly:
“All that mortals know, I know,
all that gods can do, I can,
yet I cannot bind blue fire,
summon what is gone.”
The eldest of Mantu spoke from the ground:
“Go to the gorge of Rutimo,
where the stern Lady of Time
weaves a blue flame
over a sacred treasure tomb.
You will receive eternal power,
become Kouta the all-knowing.”
Even hard Kouta flinched.
“And if I do not return from that road?”
The Ur-Master mocked him:
“You wish to become all-knowing,
but will not give up your life!”
Kouta set into motion,
the Castle of Lapland began moving,
the Rapids of Rutja began foaming,
the Night of Turja began rushing;
stars fell from the sky,
the dead shook beneath the ground,
there was agony in the underworld,
fear in the houses of gods.
The stern Lady of Time spoke:
“Well met, Kouta!
Long have I waited for you.”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“A mortal has many labours,
a man’s mind travels many ways.
You say you’ve waited,
I say I’ve been busy.”
The stern Lady of Time spoke,
her voice coming from the night of death,
from under trees, beneath firs,
among the rocks in a deep forest:
“Life’s concern is with tomorrow,
Death summons what is gone.”
Kouta the grim man
felt he now knew all,
entered the gorge of Rutimo,
walked the steps of death
like a long lump of cloud,
like an eddy in frozen rapids;
he did not look back,
but fixed his eyes on the door of Death,
he did not rush on,
but took one step after another,
for the road to Tuoni was painful,
and life harder than death.
Kouta of Lapland, a grim man,
was the greatest among sages
behind the fell of Turja.
Vipers shone green in his eyes,
night-bats flew from his mouth,
wolverines rose from under his foot,
stoats ran on his arm,
a raven balanced itself on his head,
vultures sat on his shoulders.
All that mortals knew, he knew,
all that gods could do, he could;
he could not bind blue fire,
open the treasure tombs.
He set out to learn
the deepest power of Mantu.
He travelled pathless ways,
unmeasured distances,
crossing lakes as ice, waves as frost,
fells as a roar of thunder;
children wailed in Lapland,
dogs whined,
a cold wind came in through doors,
embers darkened in goahtis.
A Maahinen slept in his hut;
hearing Kouta approach,
he yawned, gaped,
spread his jaws:
great pines fell whole
into the bottomless pit;
not Kouta, the grim man.
The Earthsleeper rose from the ground:
“Who is this traveller,
what mighty thing roams here,
that will not fall into my mouth?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I, Kouta, travel here,
I, Lapland, cross the lands,
I did not come here to be eaten,
I came for knowledge.”
The Shut-Eye grunted:
“Have you given your own blood?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it in my boyhood
and acquired a powerful word:
blood strengthens blood.”
The Moldbeard barked:
“Have you murdered all of your other pleasures?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it as a younger man
and acquired a powerful word:
iron draws courage from iron.”
The Wan-as-Clay spoke:
“Have you cursed your bearer?”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“I did it on the brink of death
and acquired a powerful word:
cold quenches a cold blade.”
The Maahinen spoke:
“You are Kouta of the triple lock.”
Kouta smiled grimly:
“All that mortals know, I know,
all that gods can do, I can,
yet I cannot bind blue fire,
summon what is gone.”
The eldest of Mantu spoke from the ground:
“Go to the gorge of Rutimo,
where the stern Lady of Time
weaves a blue flame
over a sacred treasure tomb.
You will receive eternal power,
become Kouta the all-knowing.”
Even hard Kouta flinched.
“And if I do not return from that road?”
The Ur-Master mocked him:
“You wish to become all-knowing,
but will not give up your life!”
Kouta set into motion,
the Castle of Lapland began moving,
the Rapids of Rutja began foaming,
the Night of Turja began rushing;
stars fell from the sky,
the dead shook beneath the ground,
there was agony in the underworld,
fear in the houses of gods.
The stern Lady of Time spoke:
“Well met, Kouta!
Long have I waited for you.”
Said Kouta, the grim man:
“A mortal has many labours,
a man’s mind travels many ways.
You say you’ve waited,
I say I’ve been busy.”
The stern Lady of Time spoke,
her voice coming from the night of death,
from under trees, beneath firs,
among the rocks in a deep forest:
“Life’s concern is with tomorrow,
Death summons what is gone.”
Kouta the grim man
felt he now knew all,
entered the gorge of Rutimo,
walked the steps of death
like a long lump of cloud,
like an eddy in frozen rapids;
he did not look back,
but fixed his eyes on the door of Death,
he did not rush on,
but took one step after another,
for the road to Tuoni was painful,
and life harder than death.