Viking Tales of the North
Fridthjof's Saga
Page 3
I’ve felt that truth —
Life is but a life-long contest, and its berserk’s-course is
youth;
Youth, ‘mid shields round-pressing fierce, shall strive till
passions’s rage expire;
I have prov’d and pardon’d, — I have pitied and forgot
mine ire.
recline;
Then my kingdom take, young warrior; take my queen
too, she is thine!
Be till then my son, and share my hall’s free welcome
as before!
Swordless champion shall protect me; so our ancient feud
is o’er.”
within thy hall;
Had I wish’d to seize thy queen, say, who could stand
me, — who appall?
Ah! I fain would see my bride once more, but once
her charms would view;
And, weak madman-like, my love’s half-slumbering flame
I wak’d anew!
ter’d hath;
Gods implacable upon my head devote pour all their
wrath.
Balder with the bright-hued tresses, he whose love each
mortal shares,
Me alone fierce hates — of all mankind rejects alone my
pray’rs!
Sounds my name, loud shrieks the child, and festive
boards joy flies affright.
Yes, her long-lost son my country has rejected and
opprest.
Outlaw’d in my home-land am I; — outlaw’d, peaceless in
my breast!
will I live;
‘Neath my foot the ground burns hotly, and the tree no
shade will give.
Ingeborg, my own, I’ve lost; his spoil the white-hair’d
king retains;
Set, extinguish’d is my life’s bright sun, and round me
darkness reigns.
Hurrah!
Glad one, bathe again thy pitch-black bosom in the salt
waves afar;
Flap thy wings in storm-clouds bravely; hissing, cut the
high-dash’d foam;
Fly where’er a guide-star kindles, far as conquer’d billows
roam.
din is near.
Hark, old chief! — shields clang — darts hiss — out on mid-
ocean roars the fray;
Joyful shall I fall — to hear the gods, appeas’d, my pardon
say!”
ENDNOTES:
1. See Vocabulary. Back
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