Wings of wind and cloudy pinions,
That his child might float upon them,
Far into the distance soaring.
Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,
Siuru, bird of azure plumage,
Sailed afar into the distance,
And she winged her way to southward,
Then she turned again to northward,
And above three worlds went sailing.
One of these the world of maidens,
One where dwell the curly-headed,
One the home of prattling children,
Where the little ones are tended.
Siuru bird outspread her pinions,
Wide her silken plumes expanding,
Soaring far aloft to heaven.
To the fortress of the sunlight,
To the lighter halls of moonlight,
To the little gate of copper.
Siuru bird outspread her pinions,
Wide her silken plumes expanding,
Soaring far into the distance,
Till she reached her home at evening;
And her father asked his daughter,
"Whither have thy pinions borne thee?
Whither didst thou take thy journey?
Tell me what thine eyes have witnessed."
Siuru heard and comprehended,
And without alarm she answered,
"Where my pinions have conveyed me,
There I scattered feathers from me;
Where I sailed above the country,
There I scattered silken feathers;
Where I shook and flapped my pinions,
From my tail I dropped the feathers:
What I saw with marten keenness,
Might be told in seven narrations,
Or in eight tales be recounted.
Long I flew on path of thunder,
On the roadway of the rainbow,
And the hailstone's toilsome pathway;
Onwards thus I sailed light-hearted,
Heedless, far into the distance,
And at length three worlds discovered,
One the country of the maidens,
One where dwell the curly-headed,
One the world of prattling children,
Where the little ones are tended;
There it is they rear the fair ones,
Slender-grown and silky-headed."
"What thou heardest? speak and tell me;
What thou sawest, let us hear it."
"What then heard I, sire beloved,
What beheld, O dearest father?
There I heard the sport of maidens,
There I heard their mirth and sadness,
Jesting from the curly-headed,
From the little infants wailing.
Wherefore, said the maidens, jesting,
Do the curly-headed children
Dwell in solitude and lonely,
Living thus apart from nurses?
And they asked in every quarter,
Are no yo