Tuonelan joutsenen turmio
Niinpä Tuonen tuima lintu,
Valkosiipi hyisen virran,
muuttihe muotonsa sorean,
valahutti höyhenviitan,
kalman kauhuksi kohosi.
Silloin muuttui Tuonen joutsen,
muotons’ inhaksi isosi:
Veri valui kyljen alta,
leuat nokasta yleni,
kynnet kasvoi kuolon kurjen,
siivet vääräksi värähti.
Niinpä tuo metsälle mieli,
saalistella poian houkan,
hallin utran kurmotella.
Iski kerran, iski toisen,
iski kerran kolmannenkin.
Siitä koirapa parahti,
vieri poikakin vetehen.
Minn' on Ville vierinynnä,
Minn' on Hannu haihtununna,
Tuonen tummilla saloilla,
vesiss' kolkon synkän virran.
Liekö koskaan ilmaantuvat,
pääsee ilmoille ikänä?
Tuoneen syöksyi poika nuori,
sysiveden synkän alle.
Häntä seuras’ kalman lintu,
joutsen Tuonelan sukelsi,
lihaa koitti hampain riistää,
riipiä rautakidalla.
***
Iski Hannu vimman veitsen
kuolon kurjen kaulan kantaan
Mutt' ei kaula katkennunna,
joutsen julma kaikonnunna.
Iski kerran, iski toisen,
iski kerran kolmannenkin,
vaan ei kuoloksi ojennut,
lintu kalman kadonnunna.
Neljännen kun kerran iski,
poikki seljän, poikki luiden,
poikki kaulankin kamalan,
kiinni linnun luiden alle,
terä kärjestä karahti.
Väänsi voimin kaikin Hannu,
muttei luista luiden mahti,
vaan ei järky jänteen voima.
Vastoin poikki paukahteli,
veitsi vaskinen vavahti,
kärki puukolta putosi,
niskan taakse katkeavi.
Silloin Tuonen tuima lintu,
joutsen tummien vesien,
kiinnitti kitansa kamalan,
hampahista suurisuisen,
rintaan sankarin sorean,
tämän Tuoneen viedäksensä,
veteen tummaan tuodaksensa,
tuonne ikiunen maille,
kuoleman syntysijoille.
Mistä apu sankarille,
missä Ville, kelpo koira?
Voiko halli kuolon estää,
pelastella poian utran,
jonka joutsen virtaan syöksi,
joka Tuonen vettä juopi,
tuntee kuolon kourissansa
matkalla manan majoille.
***
Syöksyi Ville, kelpo koira,
sukelsihe aaltoin alle,
poikaparan pelastaakseen,
sankarmielen siepatakseen
poies kuoleman kidasta,
syvistä sysivesistä,
syöveristä Tuonen tumman.
Niin kävi halli pelotta
kimppuun hyisen Hallasiiven,
jol’ ol’ sankar’ saaliinansa
aimomieli hampaan haassa,
jota syöksi syvänteisiin,
liedon Tuonelan unehen.
Iski halli haavaan veitsen,
iski rankaan linnun ruojan,
niskaanpa veripetoa.
Tuopa Ville, kelpo koira,
joll’ on muoto joutseninen,
niskaa nokallaan nukitti,
puri linnun kaulan kantaan,
miss’ ol’ kärki puukon päästä,
haavat jo Hannun tekemät.
Kävi koira uskollinen,
kiinni Tuonen tuiman linnun,
kalmasta kauhean lihoihin.
Voimin väänsi, voimin käänsi,
mahdin kaikensa kokosi,
mursihe nokalla niskoja,
järkytteli jäntehiä.
Silloin murtui luiden mahti,
silloin järkkyi jänteen voima,
antoi ankara periksi.
Kaulan kannat katkeavi,
hurme kurkusta pirisi,
verivirrat vieriskeli,
pää tuo pedolta putosi,
irtosihe pitkäkaulan,
Tuonen tuiman kalmolinnun.
Niin sai voiton kelpo koira
Ville Tuonen joutsenesta.
Hannun aalloista pelasti,
kuolon kalpean kidasta,
synkistä sysivesistä,
hampahista Manan linnun,
liedon Tuonelan joesta.
***
Sortui siivet Tuonen linnun,
kaula kalpea kavahti,
jänteen jäykätkin järisi,
luut nuo mahtavat mureni,
katosihe muoto linnun,
ruumis hallava hajosi,
pakenihe henki synkkä,
kuni pilvi myrskytuulta,
pian pyrki aallon alta,
joen Tuonelan aavalle.
Siellä henki Tuonen linnun,
sielu ruumiiksi sikisi,
henki vahva ja väkevä,
jot' ei voinut Ville koira,
täysin Tuonesta tuhota,
syntyänsä kuolematon,
palvelija Manan herran.
Vaan ol' muisto kaulassansa,
haava karvas lihassansa,
tuossapa taistelon tuiman.
jälk’ ol’ jäävä ainiaaksi,
kaulaan kalpeaan iäksi.
Pintaan pääsi Varjosiipi,
aavan Tuonen rantamille,
vaan ol’ voimass’ voitettuna,
mittelössä lannistettu.
Eipä Hannun haastajaksi,
Villen ollut voittajaksi.
The Banes of Swan of Tuonela
So the grim-faced bird of Tuoni
Whitewing of the hoary waters,
swiftly changed her form so graceful,
let her cloak of feathers fall down,
rose as terror dead and deadly.
Then was transformed Swan of Tuoni,
she now grew to form most foulest:
Blood ran down beneath her sides and
beak such vicious jaws they sprouted,
claws grew on this crane so deadly,
wings so white were gloomy twisted.
And she yearned to hunt boy foolish
who thus had so raised her ire,
and to beat down dog most faithful.
So she struck once, twice and final
third time so to cruelly slay them.
Then did yelp the dog in terror,
fell the foolish boy to waters.
Where has the dog Ville tumbled,
Where has Hannu disappear'ed.
In the darkest realm of Tuoni,
In the waters grim and gloomy.
Will they ever safely emerge,
reach the surface well and alive?
To the Tuoni fell this young boy,
under waters blackest gloomy,
where him followed vulture deadly,
Swan of Tuoni dived in pursuit,
tried to pierce him with fangs cruellest,
rend his flesh with jaws of iron.
***
Hannu struck with blade in fury
at the neck of crane so deadly
but this neck it would not shatter
swan so cruel it did not depart.
Once he struck and twice he smote it,
even slashed it for the third time,
still would death refuse to take it
did not flee this bird of Tuoni.
As he for the fourth time struck it
across the back and bones he hacked it,
in the neck oh horror shrouded,
under bones of bird of Tuoni,
blade was caught and there it held fast.
All with might he weapon twisted,
but can’t shatter bones so mighty,
but can’t sever sinews doughty.
Lo instead the knife was splintered,
edge of brass now moaning shattered,
broke off sharp point from the weapon,
lodged behind the neck left standing.
Then the grim, black bird of Tuoni,
swan of dark and deepest waters,
caught in jaws with terror fille’d,
full of iron fangs and deadly,
noble hero’s mantle woven,
so in dark, grim Tuoni drown him,
to bring him to blackest waters,
to those lands of ever-sleep and
to that birthing place of true death.
Where now help for our hero,
where is Ville, dog most loyal?
Can the hound this death prevent and,
save the poor boy out of waters,
whom had swan in river drowned,
who now drinks the waters deathly,
who now feels the grip of death and
whose life might so soon be ending.
***
Then leapt Ville, dog most loyal,
dived he under waving waters,
so to save the hapless young man,
from the jaws of Death to carry,
from the deepest darkest waters,
far away from depths of Tuoni.
And did hound so ever-fearless
bound upon the hoary Gloomwing,
who had our fair hero captured,
who had plunged him to the depths
nearly to the sleep of Tuoni.
So did strike the dog the knife wound,
bit the bones of bird most vilest,
seared beast’s neck black blood encrusted.
Oh this Ville, dog most faithful,
swan-like form who had been granted,
smote with beak that neck most foulest,
bit the throat of bird of Tuoni,
wounds from knife so boldly wielded,
that was held by hands of Hannu.
Then did bite the dog most faithful
flesh with deathly pallor shrouded,
of that dark, grim bird of Tuoni.
So he twisted, so he turned it,
all his might he fully gathered,
sought to break the neck with his beak,
sinews slash with his sharpest bite.
Might of bone was all dispelled,
sinews all were cut and shattered.
Afore unbending fully yielded
neck, ‘twas broken from the stem and
throat its blood gave up, release’d,
flowed the reddest rivulets when,
fell the head so pallid severed,
which belonged to slender long neck,
of that deathly bird of Tuoni.
Thus did Ville, dog most loyal
best the pale grim swan of Tuoni.
Hannu did he save from waters,
from Death’s jaws forever hungry,
from the darkest deepest river,
from the maw of bird of Deathlands,
from Tuonela’s endless waters.
***
Thus fell wings from bird of Tuoni,
thus now shuddered neck so pallid,
sinews doughty all were shattered,
bones so mighty all now crumbled,
form of bird now all but banished,
body palest groaning vanished,
from which spirit fled dark swiftly,
like a cloud before a storm wind,
soon it sought the way from waters
fled above the waves of Tuoni.
There the wraith of bird of Tuoni,
soul sought yet again its old form,
for its spirit strong eternal,
Ville could not fully vanquish,
could not banish from the Tuoni
as it was of birth immortal,
servant of the lord of Deathlands.
But its neck had cruel reminder,
wound so bitter on its white flesh,
of the battle grim and deadly.
On its throat so white and slender,
there forever mark stayed after.
Reached above the waters Gloomwing,
to the shores of endless Tuoni,
but defeated was in contest,
in this battle bitter bested,
could not Hannu overcome nor
win against most mighty Ville.
Mikko Ojala
~~~~
Fans tremble with fear
When "Fire!" they hear
And Ville plies twig against leaf,
But Kokko sends fast
A lightning-fire blast,
And then comes a gasp of relief!
For the eyebrows were kept,
And the fan-folks all wept
With the joy that he's not even scratched;
Now fandom obsessions
With Ville's expressions
Continue unscorched and unmatched.
But all is not read--
The fire still spreads,
This dangerous flame has but started;
And in pages to follow
(To his fans' deepest sorrow)
The Spitz and his brows may be parted.
Riorlynë
~~~~
With teeth and with claw on the Puppy fox's paw
he will bite and he'll slash to open a gash
As the fox yipped a howl and Hannu screamed "FOUL!"
"My poor hand (left or right), now wounded in the fight"
"However will we, get him out from the tree?"
While the (true) human wept, doggy human Ville leapt
and yelled with glee and ire, "I know, we'll try him by FIRE!"
Lykkefanten
~~~~
A (Puppy)Foxhunt
A-hunting we will go,
for Puppyfox our foe,
hey-ho and dairy-o
with arrows and a bow!
A-hunting we will go,
to trap this fox, our foe,
hey ho and dairy-o
we'll end his life of woe.
A-hunt and track we will,
now Puppyfox to kill,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
we'll show our hunting skill.
Go forth to hunt the fox,
upon him plague and pox,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
we'll lock him in a box!
When fox our foe is caught,
his plots have been for naught,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
to justice he'll be brought!
Now let a-hunt begin,
let's one and all now sing,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
through woods our shouts shall ring!
Though fox is sly and quick,
I'll hit it with sharp stick,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
with arrows it I'll prick!
With arrows hunt we will,
if he's alive then still,
hey ho and dairy-o,
with axe we will him kill.
Should our sharp axe fail,
we'll try our trusty flail,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
to crush his frame so frail.
A-hunting we will go,
with pointy biting spear,
hey-ho and dairy-o
we'll teach that blighter fear!
Through forest and through fen,
we'll hunt him fiercely then,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
he won't escape again!
When hunting go we all,
I know the fox will fall,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
now hear our fearsome call!
A-hunting we will go,
with arrows and a bow,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
to catch our wicked foe!
With stratagems so vile,
with crafty plots and guile,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
we'll catch him in fox-style!
Was sprung this trap so fast,
flew arrows and at last,
hey-ho and dairy-o,
the fox's days are past!
And when a-hunt is done,
we'll sing now all and one,
hey-ho and dairy-o
could not us fox outrun!
Mikko Ojala
~~~~