Poems By the Way Part 9

"But many a ship shall Harald have, For I deem the sea well wrought for his grave."

Then none spake save the King again, "If Knut die all my days be vain.

"And whoso the tale of his death shall tell, Hath spoken a word to gain him h.e.l.l.

"Lo here a doom I will not break,"

_So fair upriseth the rim of the sun_.

"For life or death or any man's sake,"

_So grey is the sea when the day is done_.

O merry days in the summer-tide!

_So fair upriseth the rim of the sun_.

When the ships sail fair and the young men ride.

_So grey is the sea when day is done_.

Now Harald has got him east away, And each morrow of fight was a gainful day.

But Knut is to his fosterer gone To deal in deeds of peace alone.

So wear the days, and well it is Such lovely lords should dwell in bliss.

O merry in the winter-tide When men to Yule-feast wend them wide.

And here lieth Knut in the Lima-firth When the lift is low o'er the Danish earth.

"Tell me now, Shipmaster mine, What are yon torches there that shine?"

"Lord, no torches may these be But golden prows across the sea.

"For over there the sun shines now And the gold worms gape from every prow."

The sun and the wind came down o'er the sea, "Tell them over how many they be!"

"Ten I tell with shield-hung sides.

Nought but a fool his death abides."

"Ten thou tellest, and we be three, Good need that we do manfully.

"Good fellows, grip the shield and spear, For Harald my brother draweth near.

"Well breakfast we when night is done, And Valhall's c.o.c.k crows up the sun."

Up spoke Harald in wrathful case: "I would have word with this waxen face!

"What wilt thou pay, thou hucksterer, That I let thee live another year?

"For oath that thou wilt never reign Will I let thee live a year or twain."

"Kisses and love shalt thou have of me If yet my liegeman thou wilt be.

"But stroke of sword, and dint of axe, Or ere thou makest my face as wax."

As thick the arrows fell around As fall sere leaves on autumn ground.

In many a cheek the red did wane No maid might ever kiss again.

"Lay me aboard," Lord Harald said, "The winter day will soon be dead!

"Lay me aboard the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's ship, And see to it lest your grapnels slip!"

Then some they knelt and some they drowned, And some lay dead Lord Knut around.

"Look here at the wax-white corpse of him, As fair as the Queen in face and limb!

"Make now for the sh.o.r.e, for the moon is bright, And I would be home ere the end of night.

"Two sons last night had Thyrre the Queen, _So fair upriseth the rim of the sun_.

And both she may lack ere the woods wax green,"

_So grey is the sea when day is done_.

A little before the morning tide, _So fair upriseth the rim of the sun_, Queen Thyrre looked out of her window-side, _So grey is the sea when day is done_.

"O men-at-arms, what men be ye?"

"Harald thy son come over the sea."

"Why is thy face so pale, my son?"

"It may be red or day is done."

"O evil words of an evil hour!

Come, sweet son, to thy mother's bower!"

None from the Queen's bower went that day Till dark night over the meadows lay.

None thenceforth heard wail or cry Till the King's feast was waxen high.

Then into the hall Lord Harald came When the great wax lights were all aflame.

"What tidings, son, dost thou bear to me?

Speak out before I drink with thee."

"Tidings small for a seafarer.

Two falcons in the sea-cliff's were;

"And one was white and one was grey And they fell to battle on a day;