Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/238

Slipped from off the eagle’s talons,
From the great bird’s claws terrific,
But his sides were scored most deeply,
And his shoulders cleft asunder.
Once again, with iron talons,
Swooped again the furious eagle,270
With his wings all fiery glowing,
And his eyes like flame that sparkled,
Seized the pike with mighty talons,
Grasped the water-dog securely,
Dragged the huge and scaly monster,
Raised him from the tossing water,
From the depths beneath the billows,
To the water’s sparkling surface.
Then the bird with claws of iron
Made a third and final effort,280
Brought the mighty pike of Tuoni,
He the fish so plump and floundering,
From the river dark of Tuoni,
And from Manala’s abysses.
Scarce like water flowed the water
From the great pike’s scales stupendous;
Nor like air the air extended
When the great bird flapped his pinions.
Thus the iron-taloned eagle
Bore the pike so huge and scaly,290
To the branches of an oak-tree,
To a pine-tree’s crown, wide spreading.
There he feasted on the booty,
Open ripped the fish’s belly,
Tore away the fish’s breastbone,
And the head and neck he sundered.
Said the smith, said Ilmarinen,
“O thou wicked, wicked eagle,
What a faithless bird I find you,
You have seized upon the quarry,300
And have feasted on the booty,
Open ripped the fish’s belly,
Torn away the fish’s breastbone,
And the head and neck have sundered.”