The Complete Poems. Генри Уодсуорт Лонгфелло

was a Viking old!

      My deeds, though manifold,

      No Skald in song has told,

       No Saga taught thee!

      Take heed, that in thy verse

      Thou dost the tale rehearse,

      Else dread a dead man's curse;

       For this I sought thee.

      "Far in the Northern Land,

      By the wild Baltic's strand,

      I, with my childish hand,

       Tamed the gerfalcon;

      And, with my skates fast-bound,

      Skimmed the half-frozen Sound,

       That the poor whimpering hound

      Trembled to walk on.

      "Oft to his frozen lair

      Tracked I the grisly bear,

      While from my path the hare

       Fled like a shadow;

      Oft through the forest dark

      Followed the were-wolf's bark,

      Until the soaring lark

       Sang from the meadow.

      "But when I older grew,

      Joining a corsair's crew,

      O'er the dark sea I flew

       With the marauders.

      Wild was the life we led;

      Many the souls that sped,

      Many the hearts that bled,

       By our stern orders.

      "Many a wassail-bout

      Wore the long Winter out;

      Often our midnight shout

       Set the cocks crowing,

      As we the Berserk's tale

      Measured in cups of ale,

      Draining the oaken pail,

       Filled to o'erflowing.

      "Once as I told in glee

      Tales of the stormy sea,

      Soft eyes did gaze on me,

       Burning yet tender;

      And as the white stars shine

      On the dark Norway pine,

      On that dark heart of mine

       Fell their soft splendor.

      "I wooed the blue-eyed maid,

      Yielding, yet half afraid,

      And in the forest's shade

       Our vows were plighted.

      Under its loosened vest

      Fluttered her little breast

      Like birds within their nest

       By the hawk frighted.

      "Bright in her father's hall

      Shields gleamed upon the wall,

      Loud sang the minstrels all,

       Chanting his glory;

      When of old Hildebrand

      I asked his daughter's hand,

      Mute did the minstrels stand

       To hear my story.

      "While the brown ale he quaffed,

      Loud then the champion laughed,

      And as the wind-gusts waft

       The sea-foam brightly,

      So the loud laugh of scorn,

      Out of those lips unshorn,

      From the deep drinking-horn

       Blew the foam lightly.

      "She was a Prince's child,

      I but a Viking wild,

      And though she blushed and smiled,

       I was discarded!

      Should not the dove so white

      Follow the sea-mew's flight,

      Why did they leave that night

       Her nest unguarded?

      "Scarce had I put to sea,

      Bearing the maid with me,

      Fairest of all was she

       Among the Norsemen!

      When on the white sea-strand,

      Waving his armed hand,

      Saw we old Hildebrand,

       With twenty horsemen.

      "Then launched they to the blast,

      Bent like a reed each mast,

      Yet we were gaining fast,

       When the wind failed us;

      And with a sudden flaw

      Came round the gusty Skaw,

      So that our foe we saw

       Laugh as he hailed us.

      "And as to catch the gale

      Round veered the flapping sail,

      Death I was the helmsman's hail,

       Death without quarter!

      Mid-ships with iron keel

      Struck we her ribs of steel

      Down her black hulk did reel

       Through the black water!

      "As with his wings aslant,

      Sails the fierce cormorant,

      Seeking some rocky haunt

       With his prey laden,

      So toward the open main,

      Beating to sea again,

      Through the wild hurricane,

       Bore I the maiden.

      "Three weeks we westward bore,

      And when the storm was o'er,

      Cloud-like we saw the shore

       Stretching to leeward;

      There for my lady's bower

      Built I the lofty tower,

      Which, to this very hour,

       Stands looking seaward.

      "There lived we many years;

      Time dried the maiden's tears

      She had forgot her fears,

       She was a mother.

      Death closed her mild blue eyes,

      Under that tower she lies;

      Ne'er shall the sun arise

       On such another!

      "Still grew my bosom then.

      Still as a stagnant fen!

      Hateful to me were men,

       The sunlight hateful!

      In the vast forest here,

      Clad in my warlike gear,

      Fell I upon my spear,

       O, death was grateful!

      "Thus, seamed with many scars,

      Bursting these prison bars,

      Up to its native stars

       My soul ascended!

      There from the flowing bowl

      Deep drinks the warrior's soul,

      Skoal! to the Northland! skoal!"

       Thus the tale ended.

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