d now be waving,
And the spear-points should be sharpened,
What was it I there encountered,
And what met me there to vex me?
'Twas the raven's son that met me,
'Twas a carrion-bird that met me;
With his beak he sniffed around him,
And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,
That the meaning of my message
With his nose he thus might fathom.
He had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached him,
And he went to call his comrades.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue the secret,
And the leader's secret orders,
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
'Twas a little wolf that met me,
And a bear that followed closely;
With their snouts they sniffed around them,
Through the mist they pushed their nostrils,
Seeking thus to probe the secret,
And the letter to discover;
They had smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached them,
And they ran to spread the tidings.
To the Finnish Bridge when driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
And upon my tongue defiance,
With the leader's secret orders
That the flags unfurled should flutter,
And the spear-points do their duty,
And the axes should be lifted,
And the swords should flash in sunlight,
What was that which came to meet me,
And what horror to confound me?
It was Famine met me tottering,
Tottering Famine, chewing garbage;
With her nose she sniffed around her,
That the meaning of my message
With her nose she thus might fathom;
For she smelt the war already,
And the scent of blood had reached her,
And she went to call her comrades.
To the Finnish Bridge while driving
On the west wind's path of copper,
On the pathway of the rainbow,
While I hastened as an envoy,
With the king's note in my wallet,
And his mandate in my bosom,
On my tongue the secret orders
That the flags unfurled should flutter,
And the spear-points do their duty,
And the axes and the fish-spear