In the rear it croaks like ravens,
Loud the oars and rigging rattle. 
Straightway ancient Wainamoinen
Sitting by the bending rudder,
Turns his magic vessel landward,
To a jutting promontory,
Where appears a Northland-village. 
On the point stands Lemminkainen,
Kaukomieli, black magician,
Ahti, wizard of Wainola,
Wishing for the fish of Pohya,
Weeping for his fated dwelling,
For his perilous adventures,
Hard at work upon a vessel,
On the sail-yards of a fish-boat,
Near the hunger-point and island,
Near the village-home deserted. 
Good the ears of the magician,
Good the wizard’s eyes for seeing;
Casts his vision to the South-east,
Turns his eyes upon the sunset,
Sees afar a wondrous rainbow,
Farther on, a cloudlet hanging;
But the bow was a deception,
And the cloudlet a delusion;
’Tis a vessel swiftly sailing,
’Tis a war-ship flying northward,
O’er the blue-back of the broad-sea,
On the far-extending waters,
At the helm the master standing,
At the oars a mighty hero. 
Spake the reckless Lemminkainen: 
“Do not know this wondrous vessel,
Not this well-constructed war-ship,
Coming from the distant Suomi,
Rowing for the hostile Pohya.” 
Thereupon wild Lemminkainen
Called aloud in tones of thunder
O’er the waters to the vessel;
Made the distant hills re-echo
With the music of his calling: 
“Whence this vessel on the waters,
Whose the war-ship sailing hither?”
Spake the master of the vessel
To the reckless Lemminkainen: 
“Who art thou from fen or forest,
Senseless wizard from the woodlands,
That thou dost not know this vessel,
Magic war-ship of Wainola? 
Dost not know him at the rudder,
Nor the hero at the row-locks?”
Spake the wizard, Lemminkainen: 
“Well I know the helm-director,
And I recognize the rower;
Wainamoinen, old and trusty,
At the helm directs the vessel;
Ilmarinen does the rowing. 
Whither is the vessel sailing,
Whither wandering, my heroes? 
Spake the ancient Wainamoinen: 
“We are sailing to the Northland,
There to gain the magic Sampo,
There to get the lid in colors,
From the stone-berg of Pohyola,
From the copper-bearing mountain.” 
Spake the evil Lemminkainen: 
“O, thou good, old Wainamoinen,
Take me with thee to Pohyola,
Make me third of magic heroes,
Since thou goest for the Sampo,
Goest for the lid in colors;
I shall prove a valiant soldier,
When thy wisdom calls for fighting;
I am skilled in arts of warfare!”
Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,
Gave assent to Ahti’s wishes;
Thereupon wild Lemminkainen
Hastened to Wainola’s war-ship,
Bringing floats of aspen-timber,
To the ships of Wainamoinen. 
Thus the hero of the Northland
Speaks to reckless Lemminkainen: 
“There is aspen on my vessel,
Aspen-floats in great abundance,