The Death of Balder Part 4

Is the bidding they bring.

THE FIRST. Not fever's foul pains.

THE SECOND. Not hunger.

THE THIRD. Not chains.

ALL THREE. But fight and delight.

For the brave ever brings, Valhalla, thy daughters, By light and by night, O'er the land and the waters, With blood-drooping wing.

THE FIRST. The crash of the spear, In deadly career, Is alone to me dear.

THE SECOND. The feeble moan press'd From the dying man's breast Is what pleases me best.

THE THIRD. The cry on the plain Round the corse of the slain I list to most pain.

ALL THREE. Die, battle, and die!

O'er the hill, o'er the dell, O'er the sea's foamy waters, Unweariedly ply, Valhalla, thy daughters, The blood-dropping wing: Die, battle, and die, Is the bidding they bring.

THE FIRST. I hear the sound of arms; but now it ceases.

How long will he delay, the n.o.ble warrior?

THE SECOND. Whom wait'st thou for?

THE FIRST. And thou? what will my sister In this wild spot which blood has never crimson'd?

THE SECOND. What has a.s.sembled us? and here where scarcely A sword has flashed since days of Jotun Ymer, Was it a G.o.d or destiny which drove us?

THE FIRST. Thou knowest that the morning sun illumines Ten thousand spears on Scotland's heathy mountains; High beats with joy each warrior's heart. In silence, They forward press, and only wait my on-cry.

Thither would I--but hear the strange adventure Which stopp'd my flight upon these rocks. Envelop'd In a black, tempest, I a Finman follow'd, Who boldly climb'd the mountain summits, And sprang o'er every yawning rift undaunted: Then saw I Hothbrod's valiant son. I saw him As in the brook he cleans from dust his armour, And sharp'd laboriously his rusty dagger, And prov'd upon the pine's thick stem his falchion; Then brandish'd he his hunting-spear: far backward He drew his nervous arm; I heard the weapon Hiss, but my eye beheld it scarce a moment, For like the lightning which the black clouds swallow It vanished, and the heir vainly sought it.

Then look'd I round about, and saw my Finman, Who held the spear and laugh'd; I storm'd with fury.

Then down he plung'd within a midnight chasm; And from the deep uprose a voice like thunder Which slowly booms among the Finnish deserts.

"Unarm'd," it bellow'd, "shall the warrior perish?

Wither shall he of age, and deep in Haelheim Be hidden, far from Odin, far from Valhall."

Angry, I rooted up the oaks in search of A spear for battle's friend--and this I fix'd on; I gave it tempest's speed and strength to humble Each warrior whom it smiteth, when with wonder Of thy fast sounding voice I heard an echo.

THE SECOND. Ye stars! what sorcery! But to me now listen!

I hasten'd unto Hortha's gloomy forests, To glut myself in Roman blood; then look'd I Down from the thunder-cloud in which I journey'd, And on these towering hills my eyes I fastened; Then saw I Denmark's Hother, prince of battle, Like the rock-pine, which o'er the ocean beetles; He stood, and storm-winds with his locks were playing, Then from the brake a wolf sprang, grim and frightful, And big as Fenri's Wolf: the Skoldung saw it, And brandish'd high his spear. Forth went it booming, As booming goes from the cold North a whirlwind; Straight vanished wolf and spear; but deep a-forest Was heard as from a thousand wolves a howling.

"See, see," it howl'd, "the Skoldung Hother loses His spear, and in his hand the sword is fragile.

Now have we peace, and Norway's Kemps may slumber."

Disturb'd at such dark sorcery, I seiz'd on The spear of steel thou see'st, and laid lightning And fiends' death on its point, when I beheld thee.

THE THIRD (who hitherto has stood in deep thought). Sharp is my sight in war; but here is darkness.

But do not think that chance and magic Here a.s.sembled battle's angry daughters.

Allfather for the fight prepares; Allfather a.s.sembles us with murky wink: I saw him, The mighty Thor; wroth was he, and his hammer Was in his hand. He stood by Gevar's dwelling: He spoke to me, and soon as e'er I answer'd He vanished, thundering in the eastern heavens.

It is not sport, nor any childish quarrel, Be ye a.s.sured, makes Thor descend from Asgaard.

THE FIRST. He spake to thee?

THE THIRD. As when the warriors slumber, And suddenly are wak'd to thousand dangers By din of s.h.i.+elds and mingled squadrons' tumult, So tower'd he up and shouted when he saw me, And dread and hollow as the ocean's bellow, As moan of forests in the nightly tempest, Sounded his voice unto my ear!

"What, Rota!" he shouted; Rota here! "Ye G.o.ds of heaven!

Whom seekest thou, where unclomb rocks engirdle Peace, smiling peace? O say! whom, sent by Skulda, Wilt thou devote upon the stilly mountains?

But ah! what light had I the power to kindle?

Dark is my spirit. The terrific Norna, She who allots to time, ere it approaches, It's luck, and binds it with determined fingers Unto Fate's will, is silent, and drives Rota Far from each plain belov'd where battle rages.

Yet shook the fatal spear with which conflicting Monarchs I greet, at sunrise thrice it trembled; And death lies heavy in my arm--that know I, But for the victim.

THE FIRST. Threatens Fate our Hother?

THE SECOND. Thor's fear and even thine betoken danger.

THE THIRD. So seems it. Ah! if it concern'd our Hother!

Ye mind full well how high the Danish hero I ever lov'd--I saw him by a fountain, Dejected, weaponless, and half in slumber; But deep into the forest fled the savage, From whom he took his sword, the sharp-edged Mimer, And Hother's spear in his rude hands he carried.

"Retain my falchion, thou ferocious warrior!

Little in conflict shall it e'er avail thee!"

So shouted he, and all the rocks resounded.

Then straight I brought my choicest spear from Valhall-- Long since I cut it from a lonely wild beech, Which, hid from day, grew up in Lapland's deserts; A circle of grey stones stood round about it, On each was clotted blood, and bones, and ashes; Blood as I cut the spear the stem emitted-- It crushes stone, and steel, and giants' armour.

HOTHER, THE OTHERS.

HOTHER (he is armed, but without a spear). Where is this prince of beauty, Nanna's half-G.o.d?

[He starts slightly upon perceiving the VALKYRIER. They advance towards him, hand in hand.

Excuse me my astonishment, fair war-maids!

THE FIRST. Hail to thee dauntless warrior, bane of Gelder!

THE SECOND. Hail to thee, Skoldung, valiant son of Hothbrod!

THE THIRD. Hail, hail to thee, my Hother, Leire's ruler!

HOTHER (astonished.) Ye know me!

THE THIRD. Yes, thou n.o.ble youth, and love thee!

HOTHER. Your goodness overwhelms me--to what G.o.dhead Stand I indebted for this lucky meeting?

THE FIRST. I bring to thee a spear to fight with heroes!

THE SECOND. And this, I hand to thee, can slaughter demons!

THE THIRD. This spear is excellent in fight with Jotuns.

HOTHER. How shall I e'er repay these costly presents?

THE FIRST. Be valiant! fight! send battle's sons to Valhall!

THE SECOND. Extend the Danish sway and Odin's wors.h.i.+p!