Poems By The Way & Love Is Enough Part 29

But they took him, the King's son Hafbur, And set him in bolts new wrought; Then lightly he rent them asunder, As though they were leaden and nought.

Out and spake the ancient nurse, And she gave a rede of ill; "Bind ye him but in Signy's hair.

So shall hand and foot lie still.

"Take ye but one of Signy's hairs Hafbur's hands to bind, Ne'er shall he rend them asunder, His heart to her is so kind."

Then took they two of Signy's hairs Bonds for his hands to be, Nor might he rive them asunder, So dear to his heart was she.

Then spake the sweetling Signy As the tears fast down her cheek did fall: "O rend it asunder, Hafbur, That gift to thee I give withal."

Now sat the-King's son Hafbur Amidst the castle-hall, And thronged to behold him man and maid, But the damsels chiefest of all.

They took him, the King's son Hafbur, Laid bolts upon him in that place, And ever went Signy to and fro, The weary tears fell down apace.

She speaketh to him in sorrowful mood: "This will I, Hafbur, for thee, Piteous prayer for thee shall make My mother's sisters three.

"For my father's mind stands fast in this, To do thee to hang upon the bough On the topmost oak in the morning-tide While the sun is yet but low."

But answered thereto young Hafbur Out of a wrathful mind: "Of all heeds I heeded, this was the last, To be prayed for by womankind.

"But hearken, true-love Signy, Good heart to my asking turn, When thou seest me swing on oaken-bough Then let thy high-bower burn."

Then answered the n.o.ble Signy, So sore as she must moan, "G.o.d to aid, King's son Hafbur, Well will I grant thy boon."

They followed him, King Hafbur, Thick thronging from the castle-bent: And all who saw him needs must greet And in full piteous wise they went.

But when they came to the fair green mead Where Hafbur was to die, He prayed them hold a little while: For his true-love would he try.

"O hang me up my cloak of red, That sight or my ending let me see.

Perchance yet may King Siward rue My hanging on the gallows tree."

Now of the cloak was Signy ware And sorely sorrow her heart did rive, She thought: "The ill tale all is told, No longer is there need to live."

Straightway her damsels did she call As weary as she was of mind: "Come, let us go to the bower aloft Game and glee for a while to find."

Yea and withal spake Signy, She spake a word of price: "To-day shall I do myself to death And meet Hafbur in Paradise.

"And whoso there be in this our house Lord Hafbur's death that wrought, Good reward I give them now To red embers to be brought.

"So many there are in the King's garth Of Hafbur's death shall be glad; Good reward for them to lose The trothplight mays they had."

She set alight to the bower aloft And it burned up speedily, And her good love and her great heart Might all with eyen see.

It was the King's son Hafbur O'er his shoulder cast his eye, And beheld how Signy's house of maids On a red low stood on high.

"Now take ye down my cloak of red.

Let it lie on the earth a-cold; Had I ten lives of the world for one, Nought of them all would I hold."

King Siward looked out of his window fair In fearful mood enow, For he saw Hafbur hanging on oak And Signy's bower on a low.

Out then spake a little page Was clad in kirtle red: "Sweet Signy burns in her bower aloft, With all her mays unwed."

Therewithal spake King Siward From rueful heart unfain; "Ne'er saw I two King's children erst Such piteous ending gain.

"But had I wist or heard it told That love so strong should be, Ne'er had I held those twain apart For all Denmark given me.

"O hasten and run to Signy's bower For the life of that sweet thing; Hasten and run to the gallows high, No thief is Hafbur the King."

But when they came to Signy's bower Low it lay in embers red; And when they came to the gallows tree, Hafbur was stark and dead.

They took him the King's son Hafbur, Swathed him in linen white, And laid him in the earth of Christ By Signy his delight.

_O wilt thou win me then, or as fair a maid as I be?_

GOLDILOCKS AND GOLDILOCKS

It was Goldilocks woke up in the morn At the first of the shearing of the corn.

There stood his mother on the hearth And of new-leased wheat was little dearth.

There stood his sisters by the quern, For the high-noon cakes they needs must earn.

"O tell me Goldilocks my son, Why hast thou coloured raiment on?"

"Why should I wear the hodden grey When I am light of heart to-day?"

"O tell us, brother, why ye wear In reaping-tide the scarlet gear?

Why hangeth the sharp sword at thy side When through the land 'tis the hook goes wide?"

"Gay-clad am I that men may know The freeman's son where'er I go.

The grinded sword at side I bear Lest I the dastard's word should hear."

"O tell me Goldilocks my son, Of whither away thou wilt be gone?"

"The morn is fair and the world is wide, And here no more will I abide."

"O Brother, when wilt thou come again?"

"The autumn drought, and the winter rain,

The frost and the snow, and St. David's wind, All these that were time out of mind,