| |
| NOW from all King Olaf’s farms | |
| His men-at-arms | |
| Gathered on the Eve of Easter; | |
| To his house at Angvalds-ness | |
| Fast they press, | 5 |
| Drinking with the royal feaster. | |
| |
| Loudly through the wide-flung door | |
| Came the roar | |
| Of the sea upon the Skerry; | |
| And its thunder loud and near | 10 |
| Reached the ear, | |
| Mingling with their voices merry. | |
| |
| “Hark!” said Olaf to his Scald, | |
| Halfred the Bald, | |
| “Listen to that song and learn it! | 15 |
| Half my kingdom would I give, | |
| As I live, | |
| If by such songs you would earn it! | |
| |
| “For of all the runes and rhymes | |
| Of all times, | 20 |
| Best I like the ocean’s dirges, | |
| When the old harper heaves and rocks, | |
| His hoary locks | |
| Flowing and flashing in the surges!” | |
| |
| Halfred answered: “I am called | 25 |
| The Unappalled! | |
| Nothing hinders me or daunts me. | |
| Hearken to me, then, O King, | |
| While I sing | |
| The great Ocean Song that haunts me.” | 30 |
| |
| “I will hear your song sublime | |
| Some other time,” | |
| Says the drowsy monarch, yawning, | |
| And retires; each laughing guest | |
| Applauds the jest; | 35 |
| Then they sleep till day is dawning. | |
| |
| Pacing up and down the yard, | |
| King Olaf’s guard | |
| Saw the sea-mist slowly creeping | |
| O’er the sands, and up the hill, | 40 |
| Gathering still | |
| Round the house where they were sleeping. | |
| |
| It was not the fog he saw, | |
| Nor misty flaw, | |
| That above the landscape brooded; | 45 |
| It was Eyvind Kallda’s crew | |
| Of warlocks blue | |
| With their caps of darkness hooded! | |
| |
| Round and round the house they go, | |
| Weaving slow | 50 |
| Magic circles to encumber | |
| And imprison in their ring | |
| Olaf the King, | |
| As he helpless lies in slumber. | |
| |
| Then athwart the vapors dun | 55 |
| The Easter sun | |
| Streamed with one broad track of splendor! | |
| In their real forms appeared | |
| The warlocks weird, | |
| Awful as the Witch of Endor. | 60 |
| |
| Blinded by the light that glared, | |
| They groped and stared | |
| Round about with steps unsteady; | |
| From his window Olaf gazed, | |
| And, amazed, | 65 |
| “Who are these strange people?” said he. | |
| |
| “Eyvind Kallda and his men!” | |
| Answered then | |
| From the yard a sturdy farmer; | |
| While the men-at-arms apace | 70 |
| Filled the place, | |
| Busily buckling on their armor. | |
| |
| From the gates they sallied forth, | |
| South and north, | |
| Scoured the island coast around them, | 75 |
| Seizing all the warlock band, | |
| Foot and hand | |
| On the Skerry’s rocks they bound them. | |
| |
| And at eve the king again | |
| Called his train, | 80 |
| And, with all the candles burning, | |
| Silent sat and heard once more | |
| The sullen roar | |
| Of the ocean tides returning. | |
| |
| Shrieks and cries of wild despair | 85 |
| Filled the air, | |
| Growing fainter as they listened; | |
| Then the bursting surge alone | |
| Sounded on;— | |
| Thus the sorcerers were christened! | 90 |
| |
| “Sing, O Scald, your song sublime, | |
| Your ocean-rhyme,” | |
| Cried King Olaf: “it will cheer me!” | |
| Said the Scald, with pallid cheeks, | |
| “The Skerry of Shrieks | 95 |
| Sings too loud for you to hear me!” | |
| |
