The Death of Balder | Page 6

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 noble 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 assembled us? and here where scarcely A
sword has flashed since days of Jotun Ymer, Was it a god 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 assembled battle's angry daughters. Allfather for the fight
prepares; Allfather Assembles 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 assured, 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 shields 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 gods 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