Rune XXIIc

He that hath a mouth for sweetness, He that hath an eye for beauty, Offers little that will comfort; Lempo sits upon his forehead, In his mouth dwells dire Tuoni.' "Thus, fair bride, did I advise thee, Thus advised my sister's daughter: Should there come the best of suitors, Noblest wooers, proudest lovers, Give to all these wisdom-sayings, Let thine answer be as follows: 'Never will I think it wisdom, Never will it be my pleasure, To become a second daughter, Linger with my husband's mother; Never shall I leave my father, Never wander forth to bondage, At the bidding of a bridegroom: Never shall I be a servant, Wife and slave to any hero, Never will I be submissive To the orders of a husband.' "Fairest bride, thou didst not heed me, Gav'st no thought to my advices, Didst not listen to my counsel; Wittingly thy feet have wandered Into boiling tar and water, Hastened to thy suitor's snow-sledge, To the bear-dens of thy husband, On his sledge to be ill-treated, Carried to his native country, To the bondage of his people, There, a subject to his mother. Thou hast left thy mother's dwelling, To the schooling of the master; Hard indeed the master's teachings, Little else than constant torture; Ready for thee are his bridles, Ready for thy bands the shackles, Were not forged for any other; Soon, indeed, thou'lt feel the hardness, Feel the weight of thy misfortune, Feel thy second father's censure, And his wife's inhuman treatment, Hear the cold words or thy brother, Quail before thy haughty sister. "Listen, bride, to what I tell thee: In thy home thou wert a jewel, Wert thy father's pride and pleasure, 'Moonlight,' did thy father call thee, And thy mother called thee 'Sunshine,' 'Sea-foam' did thy brother call thee, And thy sister called thee 'Flower.' When thou leavest home and kindred Goest to a second mother, Often she will give thee censure, Never treat thee as her daughter, Rarely will she give thee counsel, Never will she sound thy praises. 'Brush-wood,' will the father call thee, 'Sledge of Rags,' thy husband's mother, 'Flight of Stairs,' thy stranger brother, 'Scare-crow,' will the sister call thee, Sister of thy blacksmith-husband; Then wilt think of my good counsels, Then wilt wish in tears and murmurs, That as steam thou hadst ascended, That as smoke thy soul had risen, That as sparks thy life had vanished. As a bird thou canst not wander From thy nest to circle homeward, Canst not fall and die like leaflets, As the sparks thou canst not perish, Like the smoke thou canst not vanish. "Youthful bride, and darling sister, Thou hast bartered all thy friendships, Hast exchanged thy loving father, Thou hast left thy faithful mother For the mother of thy husband; Hast exchanged thy loving brother, Hast renounced thy gentle sister, For the kindred of thy suitor; Hast exchanged thy snow-white covers For the rocky couch of sorrow; Hast exchanged these crystal waters For the waters of Wainola; Hast renounced these sandy sea-shores For the muddy banks of Kalew; Northland glens thou hast forsaken For thy husband's barren meadows; Thou hast left thy berry-mountains For the stubble-fields and deserts. "Thou, O maiden, hast been thinking Thou wouldst happy be in wedlock; Neither work, nor care, nor sorrow, From this night would be thy portion, With thy husband for protection.