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(Neolithic)
ONCE we feared The Beast—when he followed us we ran, | |
| Ran very fast though we knew | |
| It was not right that The Beast should master Man; | |
| But what could we Flint-workers do? | |
| The Beast only grinned at our spears round his ears— | 5 |
| Grinned at the hammers that we made; | |
| But now we will hunt him for the life with the Knife— | |
| And this is the Buyer of the Blade! | |
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| Room for his shadow on the grass—let it pass! | |
| To left and right—stand clear! | 10 |
| This is the Buyer of the Blade—be afraid! | |
| This is the great god Tyr! | |
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| Tyr thought hard till he hammered out a plan, | |
| For he knew it was not right | |
| (And it is not right) that The Beast should master Man; | 15 |
| So he went to the Children of the Night. | |
| He begged a Magic Knife of their make for our sake. | |
| When he begged for the Knife they said: | |
| “The price of the Knife you would buy is an eye!” | |
| And that was the price he paid. | 20 |
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| Tell it to the Barrows of the Dead—run ahead! | |
| Shout it so the Women’s Side can hear! | |
| This is the Buyer of the Blade—be afraid! | |
| This is the great god Tyr! | |
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| Our women and our little ones may walk on the Chalk, | 25 |
| As far as we can see them and beyond. | |
| We shall not be anxious for our sheep when we keep | |
| Tally at the shearing-pond. | |
| We can eat with both our elbows on our knees, if we please, | |
| We can sleep after meals in the sun, | 30 |
| For Shepherd of the Twilight is dismayed at the Blade, | |
| Feet-in-the-Night have run! | |
| Dog-without-a-Master goes away (Hai, Tyr, aie!), | |
| Devil-in-the-Dusk has run! | |
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Then:
Room for his shadow on the grass—let it pass! | 35 |
| To left and right—stand clear! | |
| This is the Buyer of the Blade—be afraid! | |
| This is the great god Tyr! | |
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