LITMIR.BIZ

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strand in vain.

       Heavy and hard are the Norns: but each man his burden bears;

       And what am I to fashion the fate of the coming years?"

      She wept and she wended back to the Goth-king's bolster blue,

       And Volsung pondered awhile till slumber over him drew;

       But when once more he wakened, the kingly house was up,

       And the homemen gathered together to drink the parting cup:

       And grand amid the hall-floor was the Goth king in his gear,

       And Signy clad for faring stood by the Branstock dear

       With the earls of the Goths about her: so queenly did she seem,

       So calm and ruddy coloured, that Volsung well might deem

       That her words were a fashion of slumber, a vision of the night.

       But they drank the wine of departing, and brought the horses dight,

       And forth abroad the Goth-folk and the Volsung Children rode,

       Nor ever once would Signy look back to that abode.

      So down over acre and heath they rode to the side of the sea,

       And there by the long-ships' bridges was the ship-host's company.

       Then Signy kissed her brethren with ruddy mouth and warm,

       Nor was there one of the Goth-folk but blessed her from all harm;

       Then sweet she kissed her father and hung about his neck,

       And sure she whispered him somewhat ere she passed forth toward the deck,

       Though nought I know to tell it: then Siggeir hailed them fair,

       And called forth many a blessing on the hearts that bode his snare.

       Then were the gangways shipped, and blown was the parting horn,

       And the striped sails drew with the wind, and away was Signy borne

       White on the shielded long-ship, a grief in the heart of the gold;

       Nor once would she turn her about the strand of her folk to behold.

      Thenceforward dwelt the Volsungs in exceeding glorious state,

       And merry lived King Volsung, abiding the day of his fate;

       But when the months aforesaid were well-nigh worn away

       To his sons and his folk of counsel he fell these words to say:

       "Ye mind you of Signy's wedding and of my plighted troth

       To go in two months' wearing to the house of Siggeir the Goth:

       Nor will I hide how Signy then spake a warning word

       And did me to wit that her husband was a grim and guileful lord,

       And would draw us to our undoing for envy and despite

       Concerning the Sword of Odin, and for dread of the Volsung might.

       Now wise is Signy my daughter and knoweth nought but sooth:

       Yet are there seasons and times when for longing and self-ruth

       The hearts of women wander, and this maybe is such;

       Nor for her word of Siggeir will I trow it overmuch,

       Nor altogether doubt it, since the woman is wrought so wise;

       Nor much might my heart love Siggeir for all his kingly guise.

       Yet, shall a king hear murder when a king's mouth blessing saith?

       So maybe he is bidding me honour, and maybe he is bidding me death:

       Let him do after his fashion, and I will do no less.

       In peace will I go to his bidding let the spae-wrights ban or bless;

       And no man now or hereafter of Volsung's blenching shall tell.

       But ye, sons, in the land shall tarry, and heed the realm right well,

       Lest the Volsung Children fade, and the wide world worser grow."

      But with one voice cried all men, that they one and all would go

       To gather the Goth-king's honour, or let one fate go over all

       If he bade them to battle and murder, till each by each should fall.

       So spake the sons of his body, and the wise in wisdom and war.

       Nor yet might it otherwise be, though Volsung bade full sore

       That he go in some ship of the merchants with his life alone in his hand;

       With such love he loved his kindred, and the people of his land.

       But at last he said:

       "So be it; for in vain I war with fate,

       Who can raise up a king from the dunghill and make the feeble great.

       We will go, a band of friends, and be merry whatever shall come,

       And the Gods, mine own forefathers, shall take counsel of our home."

      So now, when all things were ready, in the first of the autumn tide

       Adown unto the swan-bath the Volsung Children ride;

       And lightly go a shipboard, a goodly company,

       Though the tale thereof be scanty and their ships no more than three:

       But kings' sons dealt with the sail-sheets and earls and dukes of war

       Were the halers of the hawsers and the tuggers at the oar.

       So they drew the bridges shipward, and left the land behind,

       And fair astern of the longships sprang up a following wind;

       So swift o'er Ægir's acre those mighty sailors ran,

       And speedier than all other ploughed down the furrows wan.

       And they came to the land of the Goth-folk on the even of a day;

       And lo by the inmost skerry a skiff with a sail of grey

       That as they neared the foreshore ran Volsung's ship aboard,

       And there was come white-hand Signy with her latest warning word.

      "O strange," she said, "meseemeth, O sweet, your gear to see,

       And the well-loved Volsung faces, and the hands that cherished me.

       But short is the time that is left me for the work I have to win,

       Though nought it be but the speaking of a word ere the worst begin.

       For that which I spake aforetime, the seed of a boding drear,

       It hath sprung, it hath blossomed and born rank harvest of the spear;

       Siggeir hath dight the death-snare; he hath spread the shielded net.

       But ye come ere the hour appointed, and he looks not to meet you yet.

       Now blest be the wind that wafted your sails here over-soon,

       For thus have I won me seaward 'twixt the twilight and the moon,

       To pray you for all the world's sake turn back from the murderous shore.

       —Ah take me hence, my father, to see my land once more!"

      Then sweetly Volsung kissed her: "Woe am I for thy sake,

       But earth the word hath hearkened, that yet unborn I spake;

       How I ne'er would turn me backward from the sword or the fire of bale;

       —I have held that word till today, and today shall I change the tale?

       And look on these thy brethren, how goodly and great are they,

       Wouldst thou have the maidens mock them, when this pain hath past away

       And they sit at the feast hereafter, that they feared the deadly stroke?

       Let

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