The Seven Ravens

There was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl. The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and had to be privately baptized on account of its weakness. The father sent one of the boys in haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill it, the jug fell into the well.

Dahulu kala ada seorang pria yang mempunyai tujuh anak laki-laki, dan ia masih belum mempunyai anak perempuan, betapapun ia menginginkannya. Akhirnya istrinya kembali memberinya harapan akan seorang anak, dan ketika anak itu lahir ke dunia, ternyata seorang anak perempuan. Kegembiraan mereka sangat besar, tetapi anak itu sakit-sakitan dan kecil, dan harus segera dibaptis secara pribadi karena kelemahannya. Sang ayah mengutus salah satu putranya bergegas ke mata air untuk mengambil air bagi pembaptisan. Keenam saudaranya yang lain ikut bersamanya, dan karena masing-masing ingin menjadi yang pertama mengisi kendi itu, kendi tersebut jatuh ke dalam sumur.

There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient, and said, “They have certainly forgotten it for some game, the wicked boys!” He became afraid that the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, “I wish the boys were all turned into ravens.” Hardly was the word spoken before he heard a whirring of wings over his head in the air, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away.

Mereka berdiri di sana dan tidak tahu harus berbuat apa, dan tak seorang pun dari mereka berani pulang. Karena mereka masih belum juga kembali, sang ayah menjadi tidak sabar, dan berkata, “Mereka pasti melupakannya karena bermain-main, anak-anak nakal itu!” Ia menjadi takut anak perempuannya akan meninggal tanpa dibaptis, dan dalam kemarahannya ia berseru, “Aku harap anak-anak lelaki itu semua berubah menjadi gagak.” Baru saja kata-kata itu terucap, ia mendengar suara kepakan sayap di udara di atas kepalanya, ia menengadah dan melihat tujuh ekor gagak sehitam arang terbang menjauh.

The parents could not recall the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they still to some extent comforted themselves with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and every day became more beautiful. For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them before her, but one day she accidentally heard some people saying of herself, “that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that in reality she was to blame for the misfortune which had befallen her seven brothers.”

Kedua orang tua itu tidak dapat menarik kembali kutukan itu, dan betapapun sedihnya mereka atas kehilangan ketujuh putra mereka, mereka masih agak terhibur dengan putri kecil mereka yang tersayang, yang segera tumbuh kuat dan setiap hari semakin cantik. Untuk waktu yang lama ia tidak tahu bahwa ia pernah mempunyai saudara-saudara lelaki, sebab orang tuanya berhati-hati untuk tidak menyebut mereka di hadapannya, tetapi suatu hari ia tanpa sengaja mendengar beberapa orang berkata tentang dirinya, “bahwa gadis itu memang cantik, tetapi sebenarnya dialah yang menyebabkan malapetaka yang menimpa ketujuh saudaranya.”

Then she was much troubled, and went to her father and mother and asked if it was true that she had had brothers, and what had become of them? The parents now dared keep the secret no longer, but said that what had befallen her brothers was the will of Heaven, and that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But the maiden took it to heart daily, and thought she must deliver her brothers.

Maka ia sangat gelisah, dan pergi menemui ayah dan ibunya serta bertanya apakah benar ia pernah mempunyai saudara-saudara lelaki, dan apa yang telah terjadi pada mereka? Orang tuanya kini tidak berani lagi menyimpan rahasia itu, tetapi mengatakan bahwa apa yang menimpa saudara-saudaranya adalah kehendak Surga, dan bahwa kelahirannya hanyalah sebab yang tak bersalah. Namun gadis itu memikirkannya setiap hari, dan berpikir bahwa ia harus membebaskan saudara-saudaranya.

She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went forth into the wide world to trace out her brothers and set them free, let it cost what it might. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair as a provision against weariness.

Ia tidak mendapat ketenangan atau kedamaian sampai ia berangkat diam-diam, dan pergi ke dunia luas untuk melacak saudara-saudaranya dan membebaskan mereka, apa pun harganya. Ia tidak membawa apa-apa selain sebuah cincin kecil milik orang tuanya sebagai kenang-kenangan, sepotong roti untuk menahan lapar, sebuah kendi kecil berisi air untuk menahan haus, dan sebuah kursi kecil sebagai bekal melawan kelelahan.

And now she went continually onwards, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and devoured little children. Hastily she ran away, and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and also awful and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said, “I smell, I smell the flesh of men.”

Dan kini ia terus berjalan, jauh, jauh sekali hingga ke ujung dunia. Kemudian ia sampai ke matahari, tetapi matahari terlalu panas dan mengerikan, dan melahap anak-anak kecil. Dengan tergesa ia lari menjauh, dan berlari menuju bulan, tetapi bulan terlalu dingin, dan juga mengerikan serta jahat, dan ketika bulan melihat anak itu, ia berkata, “Aku mencium, aku mencium bau daging manusia.”

On this she ran swiftly away, and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own particular little chair. But the morning star arose, and gave her the drumstick of a chicken, and said, “If thou hast not that drumstick thou canst not open the Glass mountain, and in the Glass mountain are thy brothers.”

Mendengar itu ia berlari kencang menjauh, dan sampai kepada bintang-bintang, yang ramah dan baik kepadanya, dan masing-masing duduk di kursi kecilnya sendiri. Namun bintang fajar bangkit, dan memberinya sebuah tulang paha ayam, serta berkata, “Jika engkau tidak memiliki tulang paha itu, engkau tidak dapat membuka Gunung Kaca, dan di dalam Gunung Kaca itulah saudara-saudaramu berada.”

The maiden took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onwards again until she came to the Glass mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the drumstick; but when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star’s present. What was she now to do? She wished to rescue her brothers, and had no key to the Glass mountain. The good sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it.

Gadis itu mengambil tulang paha ayam tersebut, membungkusnya hati-hati dengan sehelai kain, dan berjalan terus hingga sampai di Gunung Kaca. Pintunya tertutup, dan ia berpikir hendak mengeluarkan tulang paha itu; tetapi ketika ia membuka kainnya, ternyata kosong, dan ia telah kehilangan hadiah dari bintang yang baik itu. Apa yang harus dilakukannya sekarang? Ia ingin menyelamatkan saudara-saudaranya, tetapi tidak mempunyai kunci untuk Gunung Kaca. Sang adik yang baik hati mengambil sebilah pisau, memotong salah satu jari kelingkingnya, memasukkannya ke dalam pintu, dan berhasil membukanya.

When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her, who said, “My child, what are you looking for?” “I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens,” she replied. The dwarf said, “The lord ravens are not at home, but if you will wait here until they come, step in.” Thereupon the little dwarf carried the ravens’ dinner in, on seven little plates, and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate, and from each little glass she took a sip, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring which she had brought away with her.

Ketika ia telah masuk ke dalam, seorang kurcaci kecil datang menemuinya, yang berkata, “Anakku, apa yang kaucari?” “Aku mencari saudara-saudaraku, ketujuh gagak itu,” jawabnya. Kurcaci itu berkata, “Para tuan gagak sedang tidak di rumah, tetapi jika engkau mau menunggu di sini sampai mereka datang, masuklah.” Kemudian kurcaci kecil itu membawa masuk makan malam para gagak, di atas tujuh piring kecil, dan dalam tujuh gelas kecil, dan si adik kecil memakan sedikit dari setiap piring, dan dari setiap gelas kecil ia meneguk seteguk, tetapi ke dalam gelas kecil terakhir ia menjatuhkan cincin yang telah dibawanya.

Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, “Now the lord ravens are flying home.” Then they came, and wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then said one after the other, “Who has eaten something from my plate? Who has drunk out of my little glass? It was a human mouth.” And when the seventh came to the bottom of the glass, the ring rolled against his mouth.

Tiba-tiba ia mendengar suara kepakan sayap dan deru di udara, dan kemudian kurcaci kecil itu berkata, “Sekarang para tuan gagak sedang terbang pulang.” Lalu mereka datang, dan ingin makan dan minum, serta mencari piring-piring dan gelas-gelas kecil mereka. Kemudian mereka berkata satu demi satu, “Siapa yang telah memakan sesuatu dari piringku? Siapa yang telah minum dari gelas kecilku? Itu adalah mulut manusia.” Dan ketika yang ketujuh sampai ke dasar gelasnya, cincin itu bergulir mengenai mulutnya.

Then he looked at it, and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said, “God grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free.” When the maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came forth, and on this all the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced and kissed each other, and went joyfully home.

Kemudian ia memandangnya, dan melihat bahwa itu adalah cincin milik ayah dan ibu mereka, dan berkata, “Semoga Tuhan mengabulkan bahwa saudari kita ada di sini, maka kita akan bebas.” Ketika gadis itu, yang berdiri di balik pintu sambil mengamati, mendengar harapan itu, ia keluar, dan seketika itu juga semua gagak kembali berubah menjadi wujud manusia mereka. Dan mereka berpelukan serta saling mencium, lalu pulang dengan gembira.